Feeling a little claustrophobic at Goreng2

Make sure you lean in close to prevent a satay-flavoured shirt...

Goreng² is a small but bustling restaurant situated off the popular eating strip of Mt Lawley, one of the neighbours of popular gourmet pizza chain Crust. It's a great little spot with the added convenience of free 1-hour parking next door, which might not be enough if you join the queue of people waiting to get a feed from Goreng².

Goreng²

This very highly-rated restaurant on Urbanspoon seems extremely adored by both locals and every other person who flock from near and far to Mt Lawley, a suburb which has developed quite the foodie reputation. Goreng² is a valuable asset to the suburb's growing collection of Asian eateries, contributing a menu of mainly Indonesian and Malaysian fare and featuring all the words I love to hear - well-priced, tasty and generous.

I can't believe it has taken my cheap and tasty food loving, generous self to finally getting around to trying a restaurant that has been in existence since 2005.

Phad Thai, one of many dishes from Goreng²'s varied menu

Although they serve the usual suspects of nasi goreng and kway teow, there is also the surprising and unexpected aspect on the menu named "Teriyaki Corner" with dishes such as teriyaki chicken and ginger beef. These Japanese cuisine dishes are scattered throughout the menu, as you can also order tempura vegetables, yakitori, udon laksa and miso ramen noodles amongst the favourites of mee goreng and stir-fried rice noodles.

Although this Phad Thai is not at all spicy, the cut chilli on the peak of Mt. Bean Sprout is a reminder that every dish can be made spicy upon request.

Make Your Own stir-fried egg noodles with vegetables and chicken - $11.90

We joined the queue and made our order, only to want to switch from our order of nasi goreng to the Make-Your-Own rice version. The staff were very accommodating and allowed us to change our order to a chicken and vegetable stir-fry. We chose satay sauce, out of a choice of Asian BBQ, Szechuan, Goreng²'s oyster sauce, sweet chilli and ginger soy.

Its also worth taking note that "Make your own rice" with chicken and vegetables does not mean fried rice, but simply stir-fried ingredients with a serving of jasmine rice on the side. Although we misunderstood, we were served a make-your-own stir-fried egg noodles instead, which we were fine with. This mistake-on-top-of-misunderstanding possibly was a mistake well-made, as we quite enjoyed the saucy noodles loaded with chicken breast, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot and choy sum. Make sure you lean in close to prevent a satay-flavoured shirt.

Phad Thai - $11.90

I had a hankering for Thai and made the easy (probably my personal fastest) choice of their Phad Thai. I really liked the sight of my dish, which was a deceptively healthy looking combination of wok-fried rice noodles, tofu and with an abundance of mixed seafood including fish, squid rings and prawns, which were all cooked just right.

My kind of comfort food :)

The rice noodles had a great charred flavour from the wok, but unfortunately were overpowered by a strange, slightly bitter taste in the tamarind sauce. It lacked that slightly sweet and tangy kick that I love in pad thai, and after a while of eating it I was glad to do a dish-swap to the satay noodles to mask that bitter aftertaste with satay. Although I loved the springy, well-cooked seafood and textural crunch from the chopped peanuts, I would probably stick to their other dishes if this is their normal pad thai flavour.

The limited but cosy seating inside Goreng²

The interior of Goreng² is extremely clean and cosy, but can get a little claustrophobic at peak dinner time when all its limited seating is taken and a queue trickles down the centre of the restaurant. It can also be a little awkward to swoop into a table when there is no number system to ensure an orderly way of allocating seats - you kind of have to just stand your ground and mark your territory.

I do think one of the most attractive things about the restaurant that lures people in are the extremely reasonable prices and generous portions. So next time you go walkabout on Beaufort Street, do wander a little further and a little wider, to discover places like these.

Goreng², Mt Lawley

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Goreng²
Tues - Sun: 5:30pm - 9.30pm
Thurs & Fri: 5:30pm - 10pm
Closed Monday & public holidays

73 Walcott Street, Mt Lawley WA 6050
(08)9328 2811
(No reservations due to limited seating available)

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Thought I was eating Duck Sashimi at Ha-Lu, Mt Hawthorn

It felt just like a duck sashimi in my wildest (yet slightly gross) foodie dreams...



Spring Flower are the words behind Ha-Lu, a restaurant that blooms humbly and enlivens the darker, quieter and generally less loved end of Oxford Street. 
Although humble, Ha-Lu does not go unnoticed. The numerous awards decking the entrance are head turners, making Ha-Lu a longstanding favourite Japanese restaurant of many who flock to this Spring Flower that blossoms all year round.

Ha-Lu

For me, the place is really brought alive by the warm smiles of the staff, and unsurprisingly, the delicious food that wants you to go back time and time again for. I still fantasise of the entree that used to be on their menu - a creamy, melt in the mouth baked soft shell crab dish that got me hooked more than any addictive substance possibly could.

Asahi Beer - $8.50

Ha-Lu has an Izakaya style of dining, which involves the sharing of a several number of smaller sized dishes. This has got to be my favourite way of eating, as you really have a well-rounded experience of everything the restaurant has to offer.

Soon after we are seated, Andy couldn't resist an icy cold Asahi to satisfy his manliness.

Tartare style Sashimi of the Day: Thin strips of seasoned sashimi served with wasabi mayonnaise and tortilla crisps

Salmon sashimi, although I'm tempted to deem it my favourite thing in the world, can admittedly be quite uncreative in terms of serving methods. Ha-Lu offers a tartare style sashimi, a small cupcake-sized compound of fresh salmon in a tasty marinade.
I need a cake-sized serving of this, now.

Considering how much the ingredients reminded me of nachos, I loaded the tortilla crisps with salmon and smothered it with the guacamole-looking wasabi mayo, but with a very subtle wasabi flavour. Each mouthful is a marriage of textures, simultaneously crispy, soft and creamy.

Your fingers will have a sheer gleam from holding the sheets of tortilla crisps as they are quite oily, but the small lotus root discs in the mayonnaise feel healthy to eat :)

Duck, Aubergine, Madeira sauce and Whole grain mustard - $24

Besides love, there is a lot of other things you notice about this dish at first sight.

All the components, of which appear to be many, are all very sparsely presented but works best when eaten together. What's captivating is the presentation, with each component meticulously layered, shaped and piped.

Chilled and char-grilled slow cooked duck breast with aubergine and madeira-tamari sauce with a hint of Japanese mustard

I've never ever eaten duck cooked anything else other than well done, and would probably find myself sending it back if it was served anything less. But I was at Ha-Lu, so braved myself to a new experience whereas I probably would have chickened out elsewhere. Ignorance is my best and worst trait!

The slow cooked duck looked like beef cooked medium rare, and had that similar chew. This, along with the delightfully soft eggplant are drizzled with Madeira sauce, which is a rich, peppery, salty yet slightly sweet sauce made out of wine. With the addition of wasabi and mustard, this felt just like a duck sashimi in my wildest (yet slightly gross) foodie dreams.

Kingfish and Salmon Belly Nitsuke - $18

I was (and forever am) meant to steer far away from anything labelled "deep fried" on any menu, but insisted on the kingfish and salmon nitsuke, whose very description begins with a tempting "deep fried kingfish...". This was one of my favourites of the night. There was certainly no dryness as a result of being deep-fried, especially when salmon belly is loaded with fat, oilier in texture and tastes utterly amazing as a result.

Nitsuke is a cooking technique in Japanese cuisine that involves simmering a small amount of liquid until it yields a sauce that is absolutely saturated with flavour. I'd love to pay my attention to the small pool of soy-dashi broth and white radish, but its hard to not drool over the star of the show ;)

Foil-baked Salmon and Scallops - $18

It's not a surprise that 3 out of 4 dishes we ordered have salmon as the main component, but it was a big surprise that this baked salmon and scallop dish was my most anticipated yet most disappointing of the night. The expectations of the sashimi-grade salmon having a moist, juicy, melt-in-my-mouth softness was shattered when it felt dry and slightly overdone despite being immersed in ponzu, a tangy, citrus-based soy sauce.

Likewise, what could have been plump buttery scallops turned out rather bland and rubbery. The dish saver for me was definitely the sauce-soaked enoki mushrooms. Overall the whole dish was a let down, but surely this is probably just a one off thing!

White Chocolate, Roast Tea and Berry Pannacotta & Ume Plum Gelee - $9.50

Pannacotta is one of those hard to get right desserts, but one of those hard to not like desserts when done right. Although a white chocolate pannacotta sounds mind-numbingly sweet, the silky soft dessert was a great balance between tart and sweet. And smoother than a baby's bottom might I add!
Love sweet endings.

Restaurant seating

Ha-Lu is definitely worth a visit but I'd suggest that you bring a few (as many as possible) to really maximise your experience and try a full range of dishes from their menu. Although a Japanese restaurant, Ha-Lu offers something different to teriyaki chickens and donburis, providing a more modern and contemporary take on Japanese cuisine.

I think it is this, along with an ever changing menu, is what keeps people coming back.

And for me personally, I love the fact that the waitresses don't speak perfectly audible English :)

Ha-Lu, Mt Hawthorn

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Ha-Lu

Wednesday - Sunday: Dinner from 6pm

Closed Monday & Tuesdays

Shop 4/401 Oxford St, Mt Hawthorn WA 6016

(08) 9444 0577

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