Bar & Bites: West Kitchen and Bar brings bloody good food to Wonil Hotel next door to the University of WA
This column is about West Kitchen and Bar.
I’m not waxing lyrical about my office kitchen. If I did, I’d ask whether replacing the off HiLo and throwing out the cheese sanga from 2018 is too much to ask.
No, I’m talking about the restaurant at the Wonil Hotel Perth, the curious little hospitality venue in the Forrest Hall Precinct on the elbow of Mounts Bay Road and Hackett Drive in Crawley next door to the University of WA.
More than a hotel restaurant (yuck!), West Kitchen and Bar is surprisingly, inexplicably bloody good.
Full disclosure, I dined and wined there recently with the local PR queens from Media Circus.
Camera IconWest Kitchen and Bar is on the elbow of Mounts Bay Road and Hackett Drive, near the University of WA. Credit: Jay Turkington
We rattled through a handful of entrees and then had two banging mains, plus two desserts.
Let’s focus on the highlights, of which there were more than a few.
The lunch menu features a plate of fresh Rottnest kingfish with hibiscus gin and ruby grapefruit, mushy chilli and oregano roasted eggplant, parsley and garlic skordalia, and a nifty Harvey Beef zucchini parcel with roast beetroot and horseradish mayonnaise.
Oh, and a lovely Gingin duck breast, with green beans, slices of crimson pearl potato and pickled radish.
What’s skordalia? Google says it’s a Greek garlic dip.
Camera IconChilli and oregano roasted eggplant, parsley and garlic skordalia at West Kitchen and Bar in Crawley. Credit: Jay Turkington
All were impressive, yet my socks remained inside my boots, on my feet.
That changed once venue and bar manager Rohit Valappil delivered our main courses.
Firstly, there were thick Abrolhos Island octopus tentacles snaking through roasty chorizo paste and chunks of roasted capsicum, plus paprika and lemon. The occy maintained a toothsome texture, while there was a richness of flavour from the chorizo and peppers.
Camera IconAbrolhos Island octopus at West Kitchen and Bar. Credit: Jay Turkington
Second — and this is the dish worth chancing your luck on the mean streets of Crawley — is the Harvey Beef tri tip, a lean, melt-in-your-mouth cut served with smoked bone marrow butter and red wine jus. Incredible.
Both mains, must-haves on the dinner menu, had abundant flavour but weren’t overwhelmingly rich.
Camera IconHarvey Beef tri tip with smoked bone marrow butter and red wine jus at West Kitchen and Bar. Credit: Jay Turkington
There are two desserts — a light spiced red wine panna cotta with poached pear and fresh honeycomb, and a deconstructed caramel cheesecake jabbed with wattleseed snaps.
Presentation at West is attractive yet unfussy. This is good eating.
Wines are 100 per cent West Aussie and include some fun new-wave bottles.
Camera IconThe dining room at West Kitchen and Bar, across the road from the University of WA. Credit: Supplied
The tucker comes courtesy of chef Brian Grunewald, who got his start at Scottish restaurant of the year Stravaigin in Glasgow in 1999 before moving to the Michelin-starred Inverlochy Castle Hotel.
At this stage, the accomplished chef has no plans to add haggis to the menu at his latest venue.
Located at 21 Hackett Drive in Crawley, West Kitchen and Bar is open for breakfast seven days a week, plus lunch and dinner from Tuesday-Saturday.
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