Espresso & Matcha's Epicurean Quest - Perth: Infusion Coffee and Tea

Early morning in Perth and on the lookout for good coffee, both for immediate consumption as well as for a little something to bring back home for Adam. Had read about the very popular Infusion Coffee and Tea in the mall and headed there before a busy day. It was the only thing open early enough, and I was easily able to locate it with my nose.

There was an abundance of coffee beans, each infused with a different flavour. Other than the usual favourites of vanilla, toffee or hazelnut, it also offered things like Jamaican Rum and Highland Whiskey. I loved smelling each and every sack to determine which I wanted.

Once I had decided, I could choose which bean to try immediately and watched them grind and make it. I opted for the smooth hazelnut. Delightfully nutty and sweet, it made for a wonderful cappuccino. The cookie was also wonderfully good value at $2.50 a piece. I also got quite a few bags of beans to take away for back home. Being super keen on refills at a later date, the shop attendant told me that whist they didn't have an online shop, they would gladly take phone orders and charge for shipping to have them sent to the east coast. Win!

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10

Espresso & Matcha's Epicurean Quest - Perth: Authentic Bites Dumpling House

Landed in Perth for the last interstate trip of 2018 with Iron Fist. First stop was dinner before the long day of work tomorrow. Wanting something good, quick and convenient, I opted for Authentic Bites Dumpling House in the CBD. Apparently quite at few people agreed with how good it was, and there was a substantial wait for a table.

It took us over half an hour to get in, but luckily there was a menu stuck to the window, so at least we could ponder our order before going in.

Once inside, the line continued to grow outside. Service was quick and efficient though.

Despite the traditional vibes of the restaurant, they were modern enough to facilitate ordering via tablet, offering no ambiguity and efficiency of service. 

Was pleased to see they offered complimentary tea and water. Obviously was self service, but better than being hit by a tea charge :).

First to arrive were their signature Xiao Long Bao. Readers will know that I am a massive fan of Xiao long bao and was super keen to try Perth's offerings. Compared to my favourites at Din Tai Fung, the skin was thicker than usual but still fairly elastic to ensure no breakages through picking up, and the top wasn't overly doughy.The meat was also a little coarser than I would have enjoyed, but having said this it was still extremely fresh and juicy. Overall portion sizes were generous and each dumpling was well shaped and large. Although not as good as what is available in Sydney and Melbourne, it already beats what we have in Brisbane.

Next we had the pot stickers. Again portions were generous with a serving size of 12. Dumplings were juicy and fresh. The retained meat soup was wonderfully meaty. Again the skin could be thinner but the base was very crispy and I really enjoyed it.

To top it off, we each had a bowl of braised beef noodle soup each. Hot and steaming, they were just what the doctor ordered after over 5 hours on a plane. The broth was rich and flavoursome, noodles tender and beef melted in my mouth. Loved the addition of soft carrots in the soup along with greens too.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10

Malt Dining - Brisbane CBD

Sometimes, life is hard. You find yourself overworked and deadlines are looming. At times like that, it's a nice surprise when your other half takes initiative to take you out for a nice lunch to get your mind off work. Bonus points for deciding to go to Malt dining, a place within 50 metres from work, that I've always wanted to go to but never had a good enough reason to try, and so he took me there, just because.

Heading in at lunchtime, we were seated in the attic. Decor was elegant and classical. I loved the setup and the moody vibe.

 

The lunch menu was fairly short but had a few things that I could easily come back for.

Starting off, we had the Malt bread with cultured butter. Elegant and sophisticated, the bread was slightly warm and butter was easy to spread and lightly salted. Dense and crusty, the bread was delicious.

 

 

Drinks came during our bread session. To share we had the Lady of Fall with gin, apricot brandy, lemon juice, rosemary syrup, elderflower and egg white. We also had An Old Fashioned Good Morning with coffee brown butter, whiskey, honey and aztec coffee bitters, we also had a Spiced 94 Iced tea with sencha and cardamom. Refreshing and sweet, these weren't overly potent, but did set a relaxing mood for the rest of our lunch.

Entrees came promptly after.

First up we had the Malt Haloumi with mountain pepper and beetroot. Coming in a wedge shaped piece, it was slightly different to the rectangle we are used to. Stacked up as two layers rather than one made for easy sharing on our part too. Ordinarily, haloumi would have been a fairly decadent and heavy dish, but balanced out with the sweet beetroot, it was really delicious.

I was really curious about the Fried Chicken with Mayo and Togarashi being a fine dining offering. Although not visibly spectacular, the taste definitely was. With a delicate crisp batter, juicy tender marinated chicken thigh and creamy kewpie, it hit the spot in all the right places. In a rare display of affection, I even allowed him the last piece of chicken. 

Our shared main and side came fairly soon after our entrees were finished, always welcome when we were constrained by the lunch hour.

To share, we had the lunch special Steak sandwich, with steak sauce, pickles, slaw and fries. Again a fine dining take on a standard pub classic. The bread was toasty and heavily buttered, steak was generous with three slices that weren't too thin but grilled to a wonderful pink. Am always hesitant to order steak sandwiches as the potential chewiness could ruin the experience, but I'm happy to report that texture was soft and easy to bite through without cutting. Chips were fresh and crispy, a little more seasoning would have made it stand out, but the combination worked.

Not one to avoid my greens, I also had a side of Fall Farm Salad. Crisp and fresh, the dressing was light and could have been a bit more flavoursome.

Always one for desserts, Adam had the stone fruit curd with basil and crispy pastry. Sneaking a bite, I loved the buttery flaky pastry, stone fruit was light and tangy whilst basil gave it an unusual fragrance for a dessert dish. He really enjoyed it.

Price Range: $50 - $70pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 9/10

Espresso & Matcha's Epicurean Quest - Melbourne: Higher Ground

Last breakfast in Melbourne and he decided to go to Higher Ground, a popular brunch spot along Little Bourke Street. Having experienced a really good run with the weather, it was inevitable we would get some Melbourne rain before we left. Arriving at peak brunch time there was a considerable crowd and everyone was keen to get out of the rain. I think it was a stroke of genius to have a coffee cart outside to serve those waiting in line, commercialism at its finest.

Took almost an hour for us to get a table, but we finally made it inside. Ironically we were seated next to the open pastry cabinet filled with baked goods taunting us to just eat them.

 

Like Industry Beans, the drinks menu was more extensive than the food. I guess Melbournians really are that serious about their coffee.

 

Being drenched from the rain was finally reason for him to get his coffee hot. So he had a filtered coffee in the Las Brisas blend. Fruity and floral, he enjoyed it. I had my skinny cappuccino, it was strong, but the cocoa was a little deficient. 

Given the large volume of people, food came rather promptly.

Always one for sweets, he got the ricotta hotcake with maple syrup, seeds and grains, cream, berries and flowers. It was a dense and doughy hotcake, there wasn't really enough ricotta to provide enough moisture for the whole dish, but it did have a good variation of textures and fruity floral elements. He liked it, but couldn't finish it.

Opting for a more familiar option, I had the Eggs Benedict with dry cured ham, Bearnaise, sourdough and vinegar powder. Eggs were poached perfectly, cured ham had depth of flavour and texture whilst bearnaise was rich and smooth. Only thing about my dish though was the fact that the sourdough was very hard and cut my mouth when biting into it.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10