It has been almost 3 months since I returned from Perth, and I finally found time to blog about my cafe hopping experience there. This will serve as a good brunch (or cafe) guide for those heading to WA. The cafes in Perth cannot be compared to those in Melbourne or even Sydney, but they are the best I’ve had while I was wandering in the region.
Cafes in Perth #1 Mary Street Bakery
There’s a hidden rule for anyone visiting Mary Street Bakery; everyone has to order something from the bakery or at least do yourself a favour by ordering their Salted Caramel Doughnuts. It was soft, cake-like and moist with an oomph from the oozing salted caramel hidden within. Just take my money and give me that damn doughnut! More options:
- Fried Chicken on Buttermilk Pancakes with Sunny-side Up. This unlikely combination worked surprisingly well together. However, the ones I’ve had in Singapore paled in comparison after trying this.
- Traditional English breakfast will do no wrong- freshly baked bread, homemade HP sauce, fried egg, crispy bacon.
- Pan-fried Ricotta Gnocchi with corn puree, mushrooms, hazelnuts, kale and pecorino. My friends loved it, but after trying gnocchi a few times, I have concluded that this dish is not for me.
- The Talbott Pork Belly with Scotch Eggs and Black Pudding. Loved the scotch eggs; it was beautifully done with the runny yolk in the middle. The taste of the black pudding wasn’t as scary as I imagined it to be. It’s an intense and dense version of the blood curd usually found in Taiwan and BKK. As for the pork belly, it had some hits and misses. It would be perfect if only the roasted pork belly was more fatty and tender.
This café is a beautiful combination of both bakery and brunch. I will drive to Mary Street Bakery just for their Salted Caramel Doughnuts anytime, if only I stayed in Perth.
Mary Street Bakery
- Address: 507 Beaufort Street, Highgate, WA 6003
- Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Weekdays)
- 7am – 5pm (Weekends)
Cafes in Perth #2 Typika
I am pleased to say the coffee at Typika was not bad. Cold brew is perfect for the summer heat. Truth be told, this was the reason why I wanted to visit this place. Also, their Spiced Beef Benedict with harissa hollandaise sauce, loved it.
- Cast-Iron Pancakes, something sweet for the morning. A thick slab of cake-like pancake with poached pear, strawberries, nut crumble vanilla custard and cinnamon sugar. It tasted a little like apple crumble to me, though!
- Green Scram and Smoked Salmon, I loved how they scrambled the eggs with spinach, peas and basil pesto so smooth and silky. Pairing it with my favourite smoked salmon, how to say no?
Typika
- Address: 331 Stirling Hwy, Claremont, WA 6010
- Opening Hours: 6.30am – 3.30pm
Cafes in Perth #3 Toastface Grillah
This little hippy café is well-hidden within the busy streets of the CBD. So when you start seeing lots of colourful graffiti walls, you know you are close to this toasties-specialty café.
This place serves coffee, tea, cold-pressed juices and various toasties. It’s really about their toasties. If we hadn’t already had a heavy brunch before coming here, we would have probably ordered all the different sandwich combinations on their menu. Delicious!
- Trillacheese (consists of cheddar, gruyere & Emmental)
- The King (consists of peanut butter, banana & brie).
How melty the cheese and how buttery the bread was! I think they must have soaked them in a pool of butter before grilling them.
Toastface Grillah
- Address: Grand Ln, Perth, WA 6000
- Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon – Fri)
- 9am – 4pm (Sat),*Closed on Sunday*
Cafes in Perth #4 The Old Crow
I need to tell you this; this Southern American diner serves really mind-blowing food. If you are looking for a hearty breakfast, this place will be top on your list. This café is so good that I can hardly pick on anything from food to ambience. Almost every spot was instagrammable because this place was partially made up of a glass house and alfresco seating. If I were to pick on something, I guess the coffee was mediocre.
- Dirty Potatoes with jalapeños, ranch and parmesan. The potatoes are deep fried to perfection, and the combination of everything made me non-stop popping them into my mouth.
- Next, Brussel Sprouts with chilli jam, pine nuts and buttermilk. I never knew Brussels sprouts could taste so good.
- Beef Brisket with Sunny-side Up.
- Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich with Gravy and Peas. Before this dish happened early this year, they had this Southern Fried Chicken with Pancakes that have received so many good reviews. I was eager to try that, but they removed it and changed it to the sandwich version. I also noticed they changed their menu frequently, which is good for the locals to try different creations of The Old Crow.
If you ask me which is my favourite brunch place, I would definitely say The Old Crow! Definitely, the best brunch I’ve had in Perth.
The Old Crow
- Address: 172 Newcastle Street, Perth, WA 6000
- Opening Hours: 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs)
- 5pm – late (Friday)
- 9.30am – late (Saturday)
- 9.30am – 10pm (Sunday)
Cafes in Perth #5 Bread In Common
This Flourless Chocolate Cake with crushed Oreos, berries and burnt toast ice cream is so freaking amazing. You need to try this! I would come back just for this plate of goodness.
Another crazy delicious dessert: Quenelles of Cheesecake Mousse with strawberry sorbet, freeze-dried, macerated and fresh strawberries, and crushed shortbread crumble. It’s like a deconstructed cheesecake. The fact that the cheesecake is in its mousse state and comes with strawberries and coulis made the entire dessert light, tangy and refreshing..just perfect for summer, unlike traditional cheesecakes. Although we’ve only had desserts here, looking at what the other diners are having, it definitely calls for a revisit when I am ever in Perth again. Oh, and their highly-raved pieces of bread….!
Bread In Common
- Address: 43 Pakenham Street, Fremantle, WA 6160
- Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
Special thanks to my dear friends who were made to go to 2-3 cafes in Perth every single day over our 10-day vacation.
