I’m pretty sure that I’ve never underestimated a dish by this much, ever. At the end of a delicious dinner at the new-ish West Kitchen & Bar, I totally judged a book by its cover and almost dismissed the caramel cheesecake completely. While its brown-ish colour didn’t appeal to me (you do eat with your eyes first, after all), my, am I glad that I tasted it! Trust me, you need to uncover this hidden restaurant for the caramel cheesecake and so much more. But let’s start from the beginning…
On the Swan River, a stone’s throw from the city, the West Kitchen & Bar at the boutique Wonil Hotel is a showstopper. Alongside delicious cocktails and quality wines, their new Head Chef, Brian Grunewald, has dished up an exciting new menu that’s sure to please the palate.
The beautifully plated dishes are bursting with the freshest West Australian produce. Here’s what I had the pleasure of tasting:
Smalls/Entrees:
- Harvey beef shin zucchini parcel with beetroot and horseradish
- Cauliflower cheese beignet with blue cheese puree
- Rottnest kingfish ceviche with hibiscus gin and ruby grapefruit
Bigger/Mains:
- Chilli and oregano roasted eggplant with parsley and garlic skordalia
- Barramundi with chive butter sauce, Tuscan cabbage, and prawn
- Octopus with chorizo, capsicum, paprika, and lemon
- Gingin duck breast with green beans, crimson pearl potato, and pickled radish
- Harvey beef tri-tip with smoked bone marrow butter and red wine jus
Desserts:
- Caramel cheesecake with wattleseed snaps
- Red wine pannacotta with poached pears and fresh honeycomb
My personal favorites were the cauliflower with punchy blue cheese sauce, the expertly cooked and rested Harvey beef tri-tip bursting with bold flavors, and the barramundi with a velvety butter sauce and prawns.
My pro tip? Leave a little space for the caramel cheesecake. This dish is unbelievably scrumptious! Just looking at it, I had no idea how delicious it would be. It’s one of the best desserts I’ve had in quite some time.
As someone who is gluten intolerant, I was thrilled to find I could eat almost all these dishes – fantastic! I believe only the beef tri-tip needed a slight modification to be gluten-free. I loved having such a wide selection.
Bring your besties and your tastebuds down to the classy West Kitchen & Bar at the Wonil Hotel Perth. I’ll be back, for sure!
Get all the low down on their website.
I was invited to dine at West Kitchen & Bar – all words, images and opinions are my own.
A big thanks to the West Kitchen & Bar kitchen and front-of-house teams for looking after me, plus Pim the lovely ladies at Media Circus Creative for organizing such a fabulous, food-filled night.