Red Basil

I discovered the existence of Red Basil a while back as I was driving towards another restaurant (surprise surprise!) and made a mental note to check it out the next time I was around. When I eventually did, I didn't happen to "be around", but deliberately drove a good distance for this.

If I were this dedicated to everything I did, I would be a much better person.

I had finished work, an activity I always find to be extremely hungrifying. Gleaning over the large menu and feeling particularly ravenous, my eyes lit up over everything they saw - the prices in particular. Was it true to get a decent feed of Pad Thai at dinner time, at a seemingly authentic Thai restaurant, at a mere NINE DOLLARS FIFTY?

Bargain! A steal! Value for money! And perhaps...slightly suspicious. I wasn't sure what I would get. Immediately I had a feeling this could go both ways - I would either fall head over heels in love with this place, or it'd have me running, avoiding it like the plague.

Pad Thai - $9.50

I always believe the best way to test the waters at a new establishment is to try out the classic dishes that have been done to death, to get a feel of how it plays out. The go-to dish of Thai cuisine? Duh, you say.

The Pad Thai was on the small side, but suffices with that sort of price tag! I myself found this dish satisfactory and enjoyed all its components because I don't exactly think when I am hungry, but I imagine some may consider the rice noodles to be a little sloppy.

Green Curry (Chicken) - $11.90

Green curry is an absolute favourite of mine, and seeing it on the menu usually renders all other dishes obsolete to me. Although I had already chosen Pad Thai, I am a bit controlling and force Andy to choose this as his dinner :) I can't help it.

Red Basil's version spoils you for choice - vegetables and tofu; chicken, beef or pork; fish and seafood or prawn. We choose the chicken and when it arrives, the coconut milk aroma is delicious. Although the bowl seems small, it is absolutely loaded with carrots, beans, brocolli, bamboo shoots, kaffir leaves and basil. I'm excited by its generosity, but the level is spiciness is cranked up high and warrants about a litre of water to be drunk with the meal.

As Andy is busy fanning his tongue and making hissing noises on his side of the table, I'm starting to feel beads of sweat grow on my own forehead. Definitely a burner, even without the addition of fresh chilli in the curry.

Fish Cakes - $7

The next time I'm here is a few months after, and the restaurant is absolutely packed and buzzing. We don't manage to snag a table as there is already a line waiting, so they offered to give us a call when a table became free, which was a nice touch.

The crowds do not settle even after a while. By this time, the girls are ready to eat and order 2 starters to start(?) us off, but end up becoming part of our main meals. Melissa is a fan of fish cakes and enjoyed these patties made from a mixture of fish mince, curry paste and herbs. The side salad of plain shredded cabbage and carrot tendrils are unimpressive, but the cakes are a good start to the meal.

Peanut Sauce Stir Fry (Chicken) - $11.90

The Peanut Sauce Chicken stir fry is somewhat a different dish to what I would usually order, but was a decent feed nonetheless. The chicken is a medley of carrots, broccoli, onions and kai-lan vegetables in a slightly sweet and watery peanut sauce. The sauce is thin and whilst I wouldn't call it bland, it could definitely pack more flavour.

Soft Shell Crab - $6

The table had a hankering for soft shell crab, which was quite a large serving for an entree. The deep fried portions are tossed through with onion, chilli, coriander, spring onions and cashews and were unfortunately lots of batter. It took a while to finish off this one.

Red Duck Curry - $14.90

I remember it was a unanimous vote for the Red Duck Curry, as I had imagined the rich curry sauce would be amazing spooned over hot steamed rice. I liked the addition of pineapple in the curry, which had soaked in the curry coconut milk along with tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, beans and kaffir leaves.

The star of the show - the roasted duck, was sadly not the star of the show. Although the skin gleamed with caramelisation and looked as promising as ever, the duck was not very meaty and was a bit tough to eat. A longer time to cook it probably would have made all the difference.

Towards the end of a busy dinner rush

Red Basil is a mixed bag of good and bad, but is unfortunately let down by its service on both occasions that I have visited. Friendly but unattentive, or forgetful - the litre of water that was needed with the Green Curry only came after 2 or 3 requests.

The inefficiency is only emphasised more when you're waiting on some water to extinguish the heat!

Whilst the food is not fantastic, it is certainly not bad either. The portions are fair and representative of the prices charged, and I was very surprised to only fork out a blue note and a few gold coins to pay for dinner that night. A happy (but not necessarily full) little diner!

Gives you an excuse to sneak in a dessert :)

Red Basil is situated along the busy Albany Highway, neighbouring the popular Crust Pizza store

(08) 9361 2661

Cash only

Lunch: 11am to 2.30pm

Dinner: 4pm to 9.30pm

Times are subject to change - I was looking for a late lunch at 4:30pm and arrived to see the staff taking an afternoon nap on the chairs in the dining area.

Beaufort Street Merchant

Beaufort Street Merchant. It's a little something, boasting a lot.

Gifts?

Homewares?

Brasserie?

Bottleshop?

Or all 4 - your one shop stop paradise for all things dinner parties.
A once gourmet food retailer turned bar-brasserie-gift shop-restaurant that's one of Perth's most well known food places - a fact you could instantly assume from the sheer volume and activity within this large, but nevertheless cramped space.

Cute and definitely cosy, but in a loud, boisterous kind of way.

Ahh Beaufort Street Merchant. You amaze me.
Where else can you eat, shop and stock up on liquid courage under the same roof? (Shopping centres not taken as an answer).

Salted Caramel Affogato - $11.50

It is hard to go wrong with something so decadent sounding and tasting. This DIY project is not a cheap beverage to pop, but it celebrates the perfect marriage between the rich bittersweet flavours of salted creme caramel liqueur espresso with velvety vanilla ice cream.

Gremolata crumbed Fish and Chips - $29

M's Gremolata fish is a premium remake of the usual subpar greasy fish and chip takeaway - a nice crumbly golden coating on some small pieces of fish, a deep-fryer basket worth of chips and a small fennel salad on the side, just for greens sake.

Condiments with Fish & Chips

Crispy Skinned Barramundi - $37

A splurged on the barramundi, which looked really, really good. I kind of regretted my choice when I lay eyes on it, and when my salad (what the...) was plonked in front of me, my heart sunk even deeper in my chair.

The size was generous, the skin looked golden and crisp, and the chunk of mustard mash it balanced on was massive. Not too sure about the broccolini tartare or saffron emulsion, because sadly, I had a salad.

Crab Linguini - $32

The others ordered linguini, which looked deceptively small but seemed to be surprisingly filling. It was pretty and pretty colourful, with busy mouthfuls of rocket, parmesan and verjuice, a juice of high acidity made with unripe grapes and crab apples.

Greedy me thinks more crab would do no harm too!

Chicken Salad - $26

If you're anything like me, you would think there is absolutely nothing in this world that would justify paying $26 for a salad, let alone ordering salad for dinner in the first place. With that being said, I must give some credit to this because it WAS a good salad, albeit very small.
It would probably suffice as an entree portion, priced as a main.

I must confess I ordered this only because I was told chilli mussels had run out, and only after I solemnly buried my face in my hands when the waitress told me of this devastating news.

The meal I tried to replace my chilli mussel craving with was this salad, featuring lean chicken breast meat, tiny but yummy sweet potato cubes, grilled capsicum, herbed leafy greens and a splattering of pumpkin seeds. Quite good when drenched with their harissa aioli, a Tunisian hot chilli sauce made with chilli peppers, spices and herbs.

Chilli Mussels - $27

Determined to try those chilli mussels, I was delighted that the girlfriends had ordered it the next time I visited. I reunited with some childhood friends who I hadn't seen in 10 years and Beaufort Street Merchant was coincidentally chosen as the meeting point. We figured we needed a venue that were happy to accommodate with the noise we created, after a previous empty restaurant ushered us to "talk quieter"; a nicer way of saying SHUT UP.

Served up in a cute little pot, these mussels looked a lot more civilised than the usual big metal bowls that are usually used. There weren't enough to comfortably go around if you are sharing, but should suffice for one moderate eater. Charred ciabatta is also included to wipe clean the sauce cooked with chorizo, basil and tomato chunks, which could feature a lot more flavour.

Chips with Garlic Aioli - $9.50

Unfortunately the chips were not finished as they did not live up to the chip expectation, especially at a pricey $9.50. On this occasion they were a little limp, and not very perky (if chips were people).

Unfortunately I can't recall what this was, which doesn't really matter as the restaurant menu never really stays the same for too long. It was a berry dessert and was berry, berry sour :)

I was delighted to watch my friends' sour faces!

Warm Chocolate Gingerbread Cake - $16.80

Just like a simplistic piece of art that satisfies, a warm chocolate gingerbread cake might have an even better effect on the soul (but not the body, sadly! :P) I was intrigued by the precise, smooth and slick piece of cake with subtle hints of ginger, with a cutaway crater filled with dark chocolate fudge sauce.

Cleverly constructed and presented, this rich dessert is a grand finale ending with its hot and cold components on the one plate. The honeycomb ice cream scoop slowly but surely marks its territory on the rest of the plate with a crown of honeycomb balancing daintily on top.

Gingerbread cake - $5.50

Not all of us could be as interesting, so I was content with my slab of gingerbread cake from the dessert table on display at the restaurant's entrance. The staff member there was happy to chat about the different options (always a good sign :))

I admit I had kinda expected my cake to come out warm, and to replicate a yummy slice of baked dessert that could pretend it came fresh out of the oven. Sadly it was served cold - not really a gripe, just a personal preference thing.

A big pastry table always means a big decision to be made!

The view that greets you

The clutter that makes up the interior of Beaufort Street Merchant is what makes up its quirky character, criss crossing between cafe, shop, and anything in between. It's a long stretch of road (not really) from the front to the back, and while all the restaurant action happens at the front, make sure to check out what's up the back :)

If you don't mind the noise (which is comparable to a rowdy night market), you'll enjoy the upbeat, lively atmosphere all around. It's just the combination of noise and dim lights that make the place not overly picture or conversation friendly - only because I found myself giving up listening and speaking mid-conversation the whole time...

As one of the top-rated establishments along Perth's foodie street, Beaufort Street Merchant throws opens its doors, leaving it wide open every single day of the year (except for a well deserved break on Christmas) - you're bound to come across it on at least one of those.

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(08) 9328 6299

Open 7 days: 7am - late
Kitchen closes at 10pm

http://www.beaufortmerchant.com/

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