Wildflower Perth

Wildflower Perth sits proudly in the rooftop of COMO The Treasury Hotel, giving stunning views over the CBD to St George’s Cathedral, Council House and glimpses of the river. At the helm is Executive Chef, Jed Gerrard. This fine West Australian Chef has worked for Tetsuya Wakuda as well as in Michelin-starred restaurants around Europe.

We are greeted at the fourth floor restaurant’s lift and shown to our table besides the glass wall. The contemporary restaurant is bathed in sunlight as we are essentially sitting in a steel and glass box. The interior has an elegant feel, with warm green and grey tones. We have the option of enjoying a five course tasting menu or dining a la carte.

Wildflower’s dishes are inspired by the six Noongar seasons. Chef and I are dining during Djilba, which is the season of conception, when native flowers like the lemon myrtle and wattle come into bloom. Sustainable local produce is the star on the “farm to plate” and forager-driven menu.

From their extensive wine list, Wildflower’s Sommelier recommends a wonderfully smooth drop from the Barossa, the Kalleske ‘Moppa’ Shiraz.

Wildflower Perth – The Food

We begin our degustation with beautiful appetisers on a plate adorned with Geraldton Wax flowers, bark and a Banksia nut. I pop a tiny taco-like morsel into my mouth which is filled with cured emu.

We break a small loaf of house baked bread made with caraway, fennel and wattle seeds. Chef chastises me for spreading the warm bread with overly generous amounts of whipped butter, topped with macadamia shavings – it’s so moreish!

An exquisitely plated dish of Shark Bay saucer scallops are served with theatre. Before we eat, our waiter spoons a subtle eucalyptus snow onto the side, which creates dramatic icy clouds. The raw scallops are served with sour grass, chunks of green strawberries and a sprinkling of vibrant red strawberry dust– giving it layers of sweet and sour flavours.

Delicately flavoured cured Southwest rainbow trout is served with river greens, salted radish, chive and preserved finger lime butter. The perfectly in tune flavours and textures sing on the plate. I notice my fork has a food dried to the handle and ask the waiter for a replacement. He starts to ask me if it was already like that, but thinks better of it. A Michelin inspector may drop a fork on the floor, but I’m not in the habit of tripping up unsuspecting waiters with dirty cutlery. It’s a small blemish on a polished and attentive service from our waiters.

The dry aged Wagin duck dish is like a West Australian version of duck a l’orange. The tasty duck with orange is served perfectly pink with tart quandongs preserved in vinegar.

Another impressive dish is the moist dorper lamb, which melts in my mouth. It’s topped with a blackened Cipollini onion, broad beans and thinly sliced turnips that are preserved in peppermint tree vinegar. A dollop of creamy set sheep’s milk is on the side.

The Dessert

A palette cleanser of mint oil, rhubarb gel, fresh baby peas and snow pea ice is far more interesting than a traditional scoop of sorbet. We enjoy it, though the tart rhubarb overpowers the other flavours.

For dessert, local chocolatiers Bahen & Co provide the base for a scrumptious chocolate mousse. Salt from Lake Deborah is used in the sweet salted caramel.

We finish our delicious degustation with a couple of pretty petit fours, a whisky jelly and chocolate truffle.

Wildflower is a wonderful celebration of West Australian produce. It’s a perfect spot for a special occasion or wining and dining interstate and overseas guests, giving them a true Western Australian experience. It’s Wildflower season all year round in the city!

 Wildflower Perth – At a Glance

■ Wildflower

1 Cathedral Ave

Perth

Phone 08 6168 7780

■ Opening times

Lunch – Tuesday to Friday 12-3pm

Dinner – Tuesday to Saturday 6pm till late

■ Rating

food 5

service 4

ambience 4

value for money 3

■ style – Modern Australian fine dining

■ wine – An extensive wine list with

an impressive selection of reserves.

Some good drops available by the glass.

■ Chef – Jed Gerrard

Owner – COMO Group

■ feel – modern elegance

wheelchair access – yes

■ cost

Entrée $32 – $35

Main $36 – $49

Desert $22 – $29

5 Course Tasting Menu – $145pp

■ all in all – Wildflower Perth is a stunning restaurant

with true West Australian flair. Menu

inspired by indigenous seasons, using local

organic produce. An exquisite experience.