It’s been another great year for food. We’ve seen some exciting new venues open and old ones glow up. Here are my quick thoughts on which my favourites of the newbies were.
The one to splurge at: Azabu Perth
A5 Miyazaki Wagyu flown straight from Japan, right here in Perth? Yes please!
The wagyu is treated with such respect at Azabu that you can hardly go wrong with any of their wagyu dishes. I recommend getting one of the platters so that you can experience the different cuts of meats. I also loved the wagyu carpaccio. It was so thinly sliced that, in combination with the silky marbled fat, it just melted in my mouth.
Azabu imports their meat in bulk, so instead of getting oil or butter for your grill… you’re gifted with a generous medallion of wagyu fat. If that’s not decadent, I don’t know what is.
The one to travel for: Elske in Fremantle
As someone who is firmly placed NOR, a restaurant has to be pretty special for me to strong arm my husband into making a trek to Fremantle. Chef Kristina Jensen is introducing Perth to the Danish staple, smorrebrod – open bread rye sandwiches. The beef fillet and potato salad topped option was filling without being heavy. Which is just as well because it meant that I had enough room in my stomach to polish off my son’s delicious brioche french toast. I’m pretty sure if Elske was in my neighbourhood, I might become part of the furniture.
The hidden gem: Special Delivery at Doubleview Bowls Club
Special Delivery technically isn’t a newbie but it has seemed to exploded to the forefront of Perth’s dining consciousness this year, thanks in part to glowing reviews and a highly successful collaboration with the elusive Big Don’s Smoked Meats. Jacob D’vauz and Anisha Halik are serving up South East Asian delights with fine dining flare at humble bowls club prices. Their Malay curry is one of the best I’ve tasted its complex flavours. Seriously, if you are ever there and see it on the menu, for the love of God, order TWO.
The one for the kids: The Bayswater Hotel
The Baysie’s back! And boy, did it get a glow up.
The Bayswater Hotel is in a serious contender for the Best Restaurant Playground of 2024. It is thoughtfully planned with something for kiddies of all ages. There’s a pretend fish and chips kiosk, a large tower with one of the biggest slides I’ve seen and a littler playground set up for the toddlers. The acid test for me was when Kiddo chose to run back to the playground instead of playing on the Switch after our meal… winner!
Food wise, expect the usual pub favourites… but do try their woodfired pizza. It’s made in a custom, tiled pizza oven that has been imported from Italy.
Special mentions:
If you’re looking for something unique, check out Ginza Nana Alley. Owned and operated by the people behind Hifumiya Udon, Ginza Nana Alley is Perth’s (and possibly Australia’s?) first Yokocho-style dining establishment. If you love street food, this indoor version of Japanese food alleys will delight. It even comes with a row of vending machines…which I’m hoping will be filled with warm coffee cans in Winter!
If you’re looking for a casual all-rounder that’s great for families, Charcoal Loco (formerly El Pollo Loco) in Mt Lawley is a great option. While their wheelhouse is timber-fuelled bbq meats, they also do a mean seafood platter and some seriously loaded Chilean style hotdogs.
The ones I wanted to try… but haven’t gotten a chance to yet:
- Papi Katsu
- Nazzar
- 1918 Hot Pot
- Sushi Jiro
- Gibney Cottesloe
- Magic Apple Cottesloe
What a fantastic year it’s been for food… and what a joy it’s been to cover it all! May 2025 be another yummy year for Perth foodies.