A happy endless meat buffet at Lapa Brazilian Barbecue, Subiaco

Lapa Brazilian Barbecue - Subiaco

It's official - my love for meat has reached excruciating highs. I never really thought about this relationship between meat and I, and while I can ashamedly admit that I could never be a vegetarian, it was only today when mum cooked breakfast for the family and made a portion of stir-fried beef just for me that jolted me into a deep reflection about my meat-eating ways.

I asked her why she made a portion of meat especially for me in the otherwise meatless breakfast and she responded quite straightforwardly:

"Because you like meat".

True that - mother knows best. And it is the main reason why I chose a Brazilian Barbecue restaurant to celebrate my birthday. I've been here before, but a neverending flow of meat never fails to excite me.

Lapa's yes and no signals; I am both proud but slightly horrified to declare that mine never quite made it to the red side.

The policy at Lapa is that groups of 6 or more must order the Rodizio, a Brazilian style endless feast offering all the meat you could possibly consume. At the set price of $50 per person, diners can eat their way through 16 different cuts of meat freshly carved off skewers straight onto your plate by waiters who do continuously rounds through the restaurant, weaving between tables with skewers and trolleys of meat freshly grilled from the kitchen.

Eating at Lapa can be a boisterous and merry experience or it could be a silent affair - especially when you are simply too full for words. Individual place cards for each person can be flipped to red to signal waiters to stop with the meat offering, indicating that 'I am too full to even open my mouth to tell you to stop' or kept on green to silently shout "Please throw all the meat you have at me, go, go, go!"

Side dishes served with the endless feast

The great thing about the endless feast option is that there is no waiting involved. As soon as you are seated the side dishes arrive almost immediately and send you well on your way to forgetting about all the meat to follow, so don't waste valuable stomach space!

The table is quickly lined with different sized bowls of side dishes that come with the endless feast, and staying true to its name, the refills you are able to get are of course, endless. Side dishes are plentiful, and include garden salad, a creamy potato salad, crispy hot shoestring fries, plain white rice and a deliciously flavoursome black bean stew. Something I'd prefer to be done differently is for their bananinha frita (such fun to say!) to be delivered towards the end of dinner so that these desserty-type sweet crumbed bananas can be savoured after rather than at the beginning of a meal.

If you operate like me, the side dishes will be your starting point and then your finishing point at the end, with a case of 'sides amnesia' in the middle whereby a large chunk of time is dedicated to eating meat and only meat. And I think that's perfectly justifiable :)

Brazilian salsa with a punchy vinaigrette and chimichurri sauce (green sauce made up predominantly of parsley, garlic and olive oil).
Also pictured is farofa: roasted cassava flour and bread crumbs with bacon.

The feast starts off nice and slowly...

Many hands start reaching for the bowl of cheese balls; a perfectly plump and doughy pillow of cheesy bread with a slight chewy texture. They are quite a hit as my niece evidently takes a liking to them and devoured two in quick succession. Sides that aren't placed at the table is a selection of two pastas from Lapa's daily pasta specials, served fresh steaming hot from the kitchen. The three vegetarian pastas include a white sauce lasagne, spaghetti napolitana and spaghetti al garlic, a lovely rich dish with strong garlic aroma.

Oh, the spaghetti. Mum could not stop asking for that spaghetti.

Lapa also serves a winning grilled pineapple, a real godsend in carnivorous situations with its acidity to cut through the heaviness of eating truckloads of meat. The pineapple is grilled to a beautiful golden brown, glistening from the caramelisation of cinnamon sugar liberally sprinkled all over the fruit. The grilled pineapple itself is sweet and so extremely moreish, that I get a hot, freshly grilled serving after greedily asking the kitchen to grill just one more batch just before they turn off the grills for the night.

Beef ribs on table-side trolleys that are wheeled around the restaurant

Phew! Up until this point it has been a meatless affair and if you aren't careful, you might fill up on starters before the real deal of this Churrascaria has even started. As a typical Brazilian restaurant, a churrascaria's cooking style is predominantly barbecued meats, lovingly grilled to ensure meat is succulent, juicy and sealed with flavour. Your serving is carved in front of your eyes; quite literally, at eye level, by smiling waiters who ask for your assistance to help transfer the meat off the skewer onto your own plate. A look akin to extreme eagerness surely must cast over the face of every single diner here, in anticipation of their first piece of meat!

Meat is served to you this way, off giant skewers used to grill the meats

Over the course of the meatful night, we work our way through the large selection of different meat cuts, some of which were better than others. The different meats come in rounds, and you should resist the temptation to indulge in one or two types at the beginning when you know you have another fifteen waiting for you later on.

Meats available with the endless feast include:

• Beef: rump cap, garlic steak, black pepper steak, beef ribs, beef rib fingers, southern Brazilian style kebab, whole rump, Brazilian sausage;
• Pork: pork belly rib, pork scotch fillet;
• Lamb leg; and
• Chicken: chicken wings, chicken with cheese, garlic chicken, chilli chicken and small, dainty chicken hearts.

The standouts that night that have left an impression on me was definitely the rump cap, grilled to a pale pink in the middle and just so tender. Another favourite on the table were the beef ribs, cooked to a beautiful softness with nicely rendered fat and threads of meat easily pulled apart as well as the fiery red tainted chilli chicken pieces. There were one or two meats which were overdone and gristly as a result, but one bad egg never spoils the entire basket.

Seating at Lapa

There's a real joyous atmosphere in the Lapa restaurant; there's festivities all around and you are pretty much guaranteed that there will be someone there celebrating their birthday on the night you dine. It is a casual and very comfortable setting, making it great for families; they set up coloured plastic cutlery and bowls for little ones and even the manager himself came by our table with some confectionery specially for the 4 year old eating with us.

Booth seating options at Lapa

When you dine out at a restaurant, it's often the little things that staff do for you that you notice and appreciate most. My aunt does not eat beef, and when she declined one waiter who was doing laps around our table with one beef dish after another one too many times, he asked what she wanted to eat and offered to ask the kitchen to make it for her. This was a simple, genuine gesture that impressed us with how considerate the staff were and really set an example of great hospitality.

You are never far from the live action in the kitchen regardless of where you sit in the restaurant, thanks to a wall mounted television monitoring the moves of the chefs in the kitchen preparing and marinating meats and grilling their hearts away. 

Alternatively, you can watch the guys at work through the huge glass windows encasing the kitchen

The uniqueness about eating here is the table-side service and dining format; Lapa provides not only the answer to a carnivore's wildest prayers but a dining experience that captures the joy of eating out together, especially through the social interaction and hospitality provided by forever happy and friendly waiters.

There is also an a la carte menu option but with that costing nearly as much as the $50 endless feast, I would stretch that $50 note as far as I possibly could with as many beef rib fingers and sausages I could possibly stuff in my mouth instead :)

Lapa Brazilian Barbecue, Subiaco

Lapa Brazilian Barbecue Restaurant

Lunch Friday - Sunday: From 12pm; last seating at 2pm

Dinner 7 nights: 6pm - late

(08) 9381 1323

375 Hay Street, Subiaco WA 6008 - not visible from Hay Street, walk into the carpark fronted by Nando's

My perfect steak ever at Hippo Creek African Grill, Hillarys

Hippo Creek African Grill, Hillarys Boat Harbour

Upon hearing the words 'African Grill', nothing really comes to mind quite as quickly as meat. Glorious meat. Hippo Creek African Grill has quite the connotations of delicious cuts of steaks and other exotic meats flame grilled to glistening, juicy perfection. I've come to satisfy my permanent meat craving and have taken advantage of their 50% off Dimmi deal for dinner.

As we are directed to our seats we walk past multiple tables with the restaurant's signature dish; the Hunters Assaghai - a massive hanging skewer of marinated and chargrilled beef literally dripping with jus and butter. Not only is this such a novelty, it is a spectacular masterpiece of a dish. I make a note to order their famous camel, emu, buffalo and crocodile meat skewers, but was surprised to see this is no longer on their standard menu.

Woodgrilled Field Mushrooms - $18

The restaurant now has a seasonal menu, which diners can order from alongside their standard restaurant menu. Dishes like crocodile curry with cornbread definitely stood out and appealed to my curiosity, but I remember my indifference towards the white meat which tasted like a drier version of chicken breast meat and ordered the mushrooms as entree instead. It doesn't look like much, especially when I wrongly assumed they would be thickly stuffed mushrooms.

The size of the mushrooms leave you craving for more, as their natural flavour and texture pair so perfectly with a slightly zesty and crisp lemon crumb and a blood plum vinegar sauce. It's such an interesting and surprising place to find a refreshing sour flavour in the fine crumb layer beneath the mushrooms. Adding to the crisp and chewy texture is the creamy crumbs of goats cheese scattered over the dish alongside some beautifully soft roasted peppadews. Resembling mini capsicums, these peppers are sweet and add bright pops of colour to the dish. After this spectacular entree I'm preparing myself to be wowed.

Garlic Bread - $9

If we had only ordered the garlic bread as a starter, I wouldn't have been so enthusiastic or optimistic about the rest of the meal. The garlic bread is sliced into thick portions but unfortunately the all important garlic component of garlic bread is missing. It is warm and buttery on the bread's fluffy inside and the loaf is toasted enough to give a crunchy crust, however does not satisfy as much as a fragrant and garlicky piece of golden garlic bread.

The Braai - $75

Our waitress for the night looks after us very well and was great at recommending some must-try plates. Her pick involves The Braai, which already had me salivating with its multiple mentions of different proteins in this extravagant meat platter. Intended for sharing between two, it involves a 300g Angus rump cap, 200g of boerewors, 200g marinated chicken thigh, 200g pork ribs, grilled corn on the cob and is served with either fries or mash and a choice of a sauce.

Overall this dish is a winner; the meats are all marinated well and have a great smoky and barbequed flavour coming through. The chicken thigh is succulent and not at all dry - I've yet to come across a juicy breast! I'm a big fan of sausages so I do enjoy the boerewors; it is heavily seasoned and has a strong spice flavour. Not everyone was a fan, so I finished this one off. In comparison to the other steak we had ordered, the Angus rump cap really couldn't compare but on its own was cooked to a nice medium rare.

Monkeygland sauce

Some dishes come with a choice of sauce, which can be chosen from a house BBQ, monkeygland, peppercorn, onion jam, mushroom, peri peri, blue cheese, garlic and peri butter. Intrigued purely by the name, I opt for the monkeygland sauce and discover it is a ketchup and bbq sauce concoction - reminiscent of chutney in many ways with a tangy flavour.

Pork Ribs (500g) - $40 (Also available as 1kg for $75)

Following the initial feeling of foolishness for ordering another serving of ribs when it was already included in the Braai platter, was a bigger feeling of relief and wisdom because it was just SO DAMN GOOD! (200g would have been enough to satisfy one person, and probably as a snack only). The pork ribs are glazed in the restaurant's own basting; a sticky film of sweet, tasty sauce that fully coats the rack of ribs and is served with a side of mash or fries.

You are looking at some seriously delicious pork ribs

This is the type of food to dive in with your bare hands without giving a hoot about what anybody else thinks about your reckless eating ways. The ribs are unbelievably easy to carve into and the meat is so tender that it comes off the bone with a soft bite. This isn't to say it is soft until the point it has no meaty texture though! Cutlery shouldn't even be an option - this is definitely one for the fingers and provides a great kind of messy eating that screams delicious.

F1 Wagyu 400 Day Grain Fed +6 Marble Score Sirloin 300g - $65

Wagyu is famous and loved for its high marbling throughout the beef that gives it a luscious, full flavoured taste. Whilst I have had wagyu beef before, I am certain this is the first time I understand what all the fuss is about for a great steak. As a bold statement, this is quite possibly the best steak I have tasted; it is tender, cooked to a perfect medium rare and the moist, juicy, nearly creamy texture really (for a lack of a better description) melts in the mouth upon chewing. I have eaten wagyu before but did not like the excessively fatty composition - it was so concentrated that it was literally a mound of fat on the steak. This steak's fat content was very evenly distributed and I savour the few decadent mouthfuls with the chunky sauce exploding with mushroom flavour.

Small Greek Salad - $7 and Rocket & Parmesan Salad - $9

Perhaps slightly out of place in a carnivorous feast, the two salads were relatively small in size but were fresh and light.

Curried Cone Bay Barramundi - $40

I had no idea seafood was on the menu at this African steakhouse restaurant and happily order a grilled barramundi as a break from the heavy meat dishes. Fish is one of my favourites and I always find comfort in a piece of well-cooked fish and this one is no different! It rests atop a generous smear of sweetcorn puree, toasted hazelnuts and supposedly some curry crisps which I wasn't sure where they were. The component on the plate which had us intrigued was the brandade - two mounds of what looked like herbed mashed potato but tasted like otherwise. I had no idea what I was eating at the time but I liked it! It tasted strangely familiar but I couldn't state what I was eating; it had a mild salty flavour and the texture of mashed potato, and it is only after some research that I learn it is a salted cod and olive oil emulsion - gasp!

Apple, Pear and Vanilla Compote - $16

It was a pretty firm decision that no desserts were going to be ordered, but sitting around idle for a few minutes after dinner quickly changed that hazy, irrational decision. I felt really bad asking whether we could have the dessert menu since the kitchen was nearly closing, they had started to clean up and we were the last of two tables that were left standing, but the staff were completely accommodating and assured us that it was okay. This was great and consistent service throughout the night!

Going with the recommendations of our waitress, the desserts definitely satisfied and rounded out the end of dinner really well. This warm apple, pear and vanilla dessert is like an open apple crumble; sweet and soft stewed fruit topped with a baked hazelnut crumb that married the softness of the fruit so well with its crunchy texture. The real reason why I agreed to this dessert was the ginger bread ice cream - the intensity of its flavour tasted just like crushed gingerbread biscuits churned into ice cream form. Its warmth makes it such a comforting and homely winter dessert.

Pecan and Walnut Tart - $16

My preferred dessert was this pecan and walnut tart; it was a satisfying portion with a good level of sweetness and richness. The chocolatey tart itself is slightly gooey with a top that crumbles the way a cookie does. I'm such a big sucker for nutty desserts and the crunch of the pecans and walnuts is right up my alley, but those who aren't nuts for nuts might find the texture excessively hard to eat.

The tart is served with a pot of frangelico custard that we fully drench the tart with. The custard has quite a runny liquid consistency to it and the smooth, chocolatey mocha ice cream was a great match because let's be honest - ice cream is the one versatile thing that is a perfect match for anything. This kind of dessert brings me instant gratification because it's everything I love: chocolate, liqueur desserts, nuts and coffee ice creams melded together. This is love at first bite, and every bite after.

Hippo Creek is situated right next to the harbour

Skins and animal motifs and patterns adorn the walls

Whilst I embrace the changes of the revised menu of the restaurant, nostalgia hits when memories of devouring huge meaty skewers are a thing of the past. Fortunately I do find the steak is always cooked consistently well here and I've never had one that has not lived up to the grandeur of the Hippo Creek steak reputation. The prices are very dear but do reflect a piece of meat done well but never well done, because then it tastes like dehydrated cardboard.

Ultimately it is your own decision whether you want to justify forking out big bucks for a rack of ribs and some chips. I wouldn't, but the value and happiness that the Dimmi offer brings brought us a satisfying meal. This elegant, tribal themed steakhouse has earned itself the reputation of serving authentic South African style cuisine, and in comparison to parting with my money to some other supposedly high end classy restaurants that tout about serving a mean steak, I prefer this family-friendly, non-pretentious restaurant all the way to the woodfired grill and back. 

Hippo Creek African Grill, Hillarys Boat Harbour

Hippo Creek African Grill Hillarys

Lunch 7 days: 11:30am - 3pm

Dinner 7 nights: 6pm - late

Kitchen closes 9:30pm

(08) 9447 2238

Shop 203, Sorrento Quay Boardwalk, Hillarys Boat Harbour, 58 Southside Drive, Hillarys WA 6052

Matilda Bay Restaurant

I sat in the dark - feeling vulnerable, plagued by curiousity, unaware of the destination I was being taken to on this chilly, blistering cold Winter night.

As we turn the corner, getting closer, and closer...I was at my wits' end. I couldn't handle this feeling of the unknown.

"So where ARE we going for dinner?!"

I was in the passenger seat of the car, anticipating this birthday dinner of mine that had been delayed a fortnight. Andy kept it a secret from me to retain an element of surprise that had me sulking for an entire week about not knowing what to expect.
I did know however, I was in for a treat. Especially when we pulled up in front of the Matilda Bay Restaurant :)

You can see the blue wall from afar, but we ended up in the wrong carpark. After a few confusing turns, we ended up in the same carpark again.
Activate your night vision for the poorly lit surroundings.

The invitation to a grand evening

Pushing open the doors, the entrance is warm, classy and very grand. We walk past paintings down a short hallway before being warmly greeted by the host, who show us to our table and seat us promptly. It's a busy night tonight, and the restaurant is already operating at full capacity.

We stick our noses into the menu like its the first time we've seen it, despite studying it for 20 minutes in the car just outside the restaurant. Matilda Bay Restaurant offers a seasonal a la carte menu or a 3-course set menu priced at $95 per person, where the latter offers a more limited variety of dishes.

Espresso Martini - $18
42 Below vodka and Kahlua shaken with an espresso shot and butterscotch schnapps

We weren't planning to have any drinks that night, but the anticipated long wait for food resulted in a quick change of plans. The drinks menu is extensive and full of temptations and we're instantly drawn to the section labeled "Dessert in a glass" (after moving on from 3 different choices - not so instant).

After breaking lose from the calling of the words chocolate vodka, we settled with an Espresso Martini. It arrives promptly and the alcohol is surprisingly strong and bitter that while sharing the martini, Andy asks if I can hop into the driver's seat for the drive home as he feels a wee bit woozy. I raised my eyebrows at him, seriously man?

Quail - $28
Partly boned, Pedro Ximenez marinated and chargrilled, Pear Chutney, Frisee and Crisp Bacon

For our all important starting course, we share the Quail. Not very fleshy but roasted to perfection, the quail and every ingredient on this dish were absolutely perfect matches. Pedro Ximénez is a certain grape variety grown in Spain, which gives the dish an overall sweet flavour.

With a slight (ever so slight!) bitterness from the frisee, the pear chutney adds a dimension of sweetness; its soft, slightly pulpy texture offset by croutons of salty bacon crisps. Its a good start to the night as we both - just me really - clean the plate until it gleams.

I was afraid the staff would collect the plate before I finished the last drop of chutney, so I left a piece of bacon in clear view just to indicate that no, I have not finished scraping the plate just yet :P

Black Angus Dry Aged Fillet 300g - $55

After what felt like a considerable wait time between entree and main course, Andy's beef fillet comes nicely presented on a wooden board, garnished with a slice of grilled lemon. It looks thick, juicy and plump with minimal garnishes, with a pouring jug of red wine jus on the side that is served with all steaks.

Anticipation, anticipation everywhere!

Why so gorgeous for?

Upon cutting into the meat, we see that it has been cooked to our request of medium rare right down to the second. It is perfectly seared on the outside, encrusted with specks of pepper and retained its own juiciness in the flesh, which is still a lovely pink colour. It is a hefty piece of steak consistently cooked throughout, giving full justice to the renowned connotation between Angus cattle and their superior eating quality.

Pink Snapper - $45
Pink Snapper fillet served with Spiced Avocado and Cucumber Puree, Fattoush Salad

Personally I have always associated Matilda Bay Restaurant with seafood, and I couldn't go past their fish options on the menu. My cousin had previously raved about a really good salmon they do, but as this wasn't on the menu I went with their pink snapper.

I'm still really ravenous at this point and look at my dish with sadness, because to my hunger-fuelled brain the portion looks just a tad small. I squeeze the juice from the lime and cut through the fish, which appears to be soft and fleshy. I found it to be a little overcooked, resulting in mouthfuls which were a little dry and lacking flavours I hoped for.

Fattoush Salad - reminds me of Summer!

The component which really outshone the seafood for me however, was the fattoush salad - simple, humble but packed full of flavour. As a popular salad in Levantine cuisine, fattoush salad is a mouthful of crunchy textures from fresh raw vegetables such as cucumber, red onion, capsicum and mint.

This is a new taste for me, which meant I had to consult Dr. Google to find out what the unbelievably crispy pieces of what looked like thickly cut potato chips were in the salad. The answer to my ignorance was fried flatbread! I'm also a loyal fan of the avocado, so the refreshing spiced avocado and cucumber puree nestled under the salad was a big hit with me.

Crème brûlée - $18

Meal swap is a common occurrence at dinner time and by the time we finished playing musical plates, they were promptly whisked away and replaced with dessert menus. I have a habit of consulting staff members on their food expertise and asked for suggestions from our waitress when we couldn't decide between the equally decadent sounding caramelised tart and crème brûlée.

With limited persuasion from our friendly waitress, we left behind the caramelised banana, banana jam and crème fraiche in sweet vanilla pastry crust option in pursuit of their rich (and more generously sized) crème brûlée. Dessert doesn't come cheaply, and we went with the one which gave us more spoonfuls between the two of us haha!

I have a real weak spot for crème brûlée and it came out looking stunning - if this was a person, it would be downright HOT! When I could bring myself to destroy the golden ceiling, the audible cracking sound was loud and gave way, revealing the beautifully creamy substance underneath.

Every mouthful was smooth and velvety, and you could see the specks of vanilla scattered throughout which really gave it a rich flavour. The thin pistachio and almond biscotti had a nice crunch to it, but was really no substitute for that amazingly crisp canopy on the brûlée (which I practically DEVOURED. ASAP. Myself.)

The waitress dropped by afterwards, collected our very empty dessert bowl and asked very sympathetically, "So...did you want to order a second dessert?" Haha, so very understanding of them!

Given its pristine location right on the waters, Matilda Bay Restaurant is a splurge, but a good splurge for special events, occasions and people. Unsurprisingly, the dimly lit atmosphere is a winner with couples but I can also imagine the beauty of the restaurant in the day when its ceiling-to-floor glass panes allows all the sunshine and natural light to flood in.

I really enjoyed the hospitality from the staff on the night, and felt well looked after by each of the waitresses that served us from beginning to end. Each person we encountered was friendly, polite and willing to chat, which earned big, big ticks in the area of service. Its just a nice feeling to feel that the price tag attached to your meal includes pleasant service, when most of the time it unfortunately does not.

Matilda Bay Restaurant is one of those venues which can be considered extravagant, whilst also having that laid back, casual vibe about it. It is very easy to picture a business lunch occurring in the restaurant and signing a million dollar contract, just as much as one would imagine it to take place on one of the many posh, luxurious boats docked outside, just on the other side of the restaurant's windows.

***

Matilda Bay Restaurant
Lunch & Dinner: 7 days, 11am - late
Closed on Sunday evenings during Winter months

(08) 9423 5000
3 Hackett Drive, Crawley WA 6009

***

Blu Grill

We drove through the dark, following a distant blue light shining guiding the way to a...house.
This was in fact a very unassuming restaurant in the middle of a quiet suburban area that I would never have thought of visiting.

I was excited to finally try out Blu Grill, who made its debut just one short year ago.

Blu Grill

Follow the blue light for answers (when hunger is the question!)

The opening scene of 'Fine Dining at Blu Grill'

We were promptly seated, with these items already at the table.
Instead of regular salt & pepper shakers, Blu Grill leaves dishes of coarsely cracked pepper and salt on every table.

It sure adds elegance, but is a little impractical to use.

Cajun Spiced Popcorn

First to the table before anything gets discussed is the all important bowl of complimentary popcorn, keeping diners entertained and understandably quiet until the bowl is empty :)

Chicken Livers - $12

Exclusive to Blu Grill is this unique entree, involving less seen and less eaten parts inside a chicken.

This was a hefty serve of large chicken liver chunks dusted with smoked paprika, flash fried with onions and served in a wickedly good lime and peri peri cream sauce.

Chicken livers tasted not as I had expected - soft and with a pâté-like texture that you can lightly chew. It has a strong taste that I wasn't used to, even though I have been eating offal my entire life, but is masked by that flavoursome sauce.

The upside down UFO dish

The serving is just like the bowl it is served in - deceptively small in presentation and seemingly small for my greedy thoughts. The dish is deep and holds a surprisingly large amount of that good saucy stuff - no, amazing saucy stuff to drench the bread roll in.

Pork Rib Eye

We wouldn't usually order a dish that even remotely resembles that of a pork chop, but this was a worthy order that could cancel that ridiculous rule.

Unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember the many components of this meal, as the frequency of menu changes at Blu is ridiculously fast and innovative. I would love to cut open a chef's brain and see what goes on inside it (in the least freakiest sounding way as possible) because I have full admiration of what they are capable of producing.

Pork Rib Eye (another angle)

The pork, I remember to be wonderfully cooked and oozed out cheesy stuffing from within. It was cooked with a lightly crumbed coating, and served with sauteed bok choy and a side of creamy rice. Would love to see this on the menu again.

Blu Ocean - $32

The Blu Ocean dish is appropriately named, and really does give you a good overall sample of the the ocean's offerings in the one plate.

The fish component varies from fresh snapper, salmon and barramundi, with other seafood being springy calamari tubes, king prawns and half shell mussels all sauteed in a white wine and vanilla sauce. The dish is also accompanied by saffron rice and a side of a refreshing tomato and coriander salsa.

Blu Ocean (close up)

Each component was cooked wonderfully well, with no dry fish, rubbery squids or overcooked prawns in sight or taste. Admittedly I hadn't expected as much sauce that was given, which made the dish a bit too rich and creamy as you work through the meal.

I feel the original humble tastes of the seafood would shine through more, had they been drizzled with sauce rather than swimming in this sauce ocean. Personally, the individual flavours became an amalgamation into one, with each mouthful melding all tastes into the same flavour.

For me, sauce is good, but not when it masks the freshness of the seafood. But to each their own, because I can feel disapproving judgment of all the sauce-fiends out there.

Mixed Berry Creme Brulee - $12

Not quite full but not quite hungry at this point, or just because dessert is a necessity - we finished off with Blu's mixed berry creme brulee.

It wasn't an overwhelmingly sweet dessert, thanks to the mix of acidic berries baked into the brulee. I'd probably prefer my creme brulees berry-less however, as personally I am not a fan of this particular combination of ingredients.

You had me at creme so-damn-good brulee

It was a smallish serve, but I loved the golden and slightly burnt toffee layer that promised ripples of smoothness underneath. It was a nice silky consistency throughout that made us lick out the bowl with our spoons.

The start of a beautiful day :)

I wondered if staff thought we were a little over enthusiastic by coming back for breakfast the day after. Because I thought we were :P

We came towards the end of breakfast time and things looked a little cluttered, with uncleared tables indoors and out. The napkin and salt/pepper dish at our table never ended up being changed by a waiter, which was the only minor hiccup.

I did think the table set up with formal napkins and all provided a nice contrast to the casual but beautiful natural surrounds though!

Build Your Own Omelette

I was pleased to spot on their menu more than the typical standard fare of most breakfast menus. As we are huge lovers of eggs and believe there is nothing better than your humble egg, Blu's omelette dish was a no brainer this morning (and always).

How do you like your eggs?

Presented before us was a large golden folded pillow of fried eggs, scattered with the items that we had chosen - sliced mushrooms and ham. Blu gives you the option to choose from ingredients including cheese, tomato, and other breakfast items.

Unfortunately it was a tad dry from being a second too overcooked for my liking. I would probably try another dish, but to my horror it seems that Blu Grill no longer opens for breakfast!
Such a shame.

Chilli Breakfast Stir-fry

Something caught my eye on the menu.

And when it arrived at the table, I'm glad it did.

This breakfast fry up was just like a Chinese combination stir fry, but loaded with potatoes, mushroom, bacon, wilted spinach and feta cheese. Sauteed the contents with chilli gave it a slight heat, but I think the chef could be a lot braver with the chilli addition.

I think I'm very partial to having many items on the plate at once, because I like to think (and eat) big. All the different breakfast items came, chopped, sliced and cooked altogether into a Mt Breakfast monument.

And I began to make my way down the mountain, deconstructing it, one piece at a time. It was an exhilarating climb, and left me with feelings of great achievement of getting through it :D

The large, sleek fishbowl kitchen is encased by glass, fully revealing all the magic that happens inside.

Diners can glimpse or stare their hearts out at this Chefs Reality Kitchen scene inside the restaurant, or they could watch classic old school channels playing on the televisions that overhang the dining room (that you can see in the glass' reflection above).

The stimulating sight for restaurant-sofa seat hoggers

The Blu Grill interior sports a very comfortable fit out, giving out a vibe of casual but classy at the same time. The tables are intimately close, which means accidental eavesdropping will be hanging around for the evening.

I would say I could have learnt a great deal about the people adjacent to us by the end of the night! However, it did save the friendly waitress from repeating the specials of the night over and over again for each table, as it was much too convenient for me to overhear her words from my own table.

Just turn the lights down, and you have fine dining right here!

A happy sight

The drinks menu is extensive, with an eye-catching wine selection display running along the kitchen border to match.

The casual setting in the alfresco area is a perfect backdrop to the natural surrounds that the restaurant is located in, and the cool breeze that dances through is a most welcome visitor on a laid-back weekend morning.

Blu Grill has very convenient plastic screens that simply roll up and down come opening and closing time. The large open style carries on throughout the restaurant, and allows diners to breathe in the fresh, unpolluted air of a quiet and peaceful suburban environment.

Just relaaaaax

There's a lot to be excited about, and the food is certainly a true and deserving hero of the restaurant. It is so innovative and everchanging that I see new additions on every occasion that I check their menu (no bull!), which is compiled with African, French, Mauritian and Thai influences.

It is a young restaurant, but already being a Gold Plate award finalist for 2012, Blu Grill certainly has the potential to bloom and prosper extremely fast.

Servings are generous with the prices, and this generosity is a recurring theme here, as I had the pleasure of dining here with vouchers that entitled me to a free dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a gorgeous way of celebrating their 1st birthday.

I'll be back. Even without those vouchers. But I'll miss them dearly.


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(08) 9242 8222
Friday - Sunday: 12pm to 2.30pm
Dinner Everyday: 5pm to late
http://www.blugrill.com.au/

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