Hippo Creek Meat and Wine

One thing we like about the Perth Entertainment book is that it allows us to find out about new places that we would not otherwise have known existed. Hippo Creek Meat and Wine in Subiaco is such a place. Having enjoyed eating at the Hippo Creek in Hillarys a while back, we jumped at the opportunity to use the 2 for 1 offer at the Subi restaurant .

The decision to go was a late one. I called Hippo Creek Meat and Wine at lunch time on a Saturday hoping for a booking for that evening. I was told that they were fully booked but that we could go onto a waiting list and would get a call back by late afternoon if there was a free table. Within 1 1/2 hours I got a call back to say that there was a table available between 6-8pm which was perfect as we had hoped for an early booking.

The restaurant is set off from Hay street and would not be easy to find if you were casually walking down the road. The parking available there has numerous restrictions and charges, so we looked for and found some free parking on a side street closeby.

Upon entering the restaurant we were promptly taken to our table. The decor is very tasteful and its obvious that money has been spent on the fit out. The lighting is low, not dark, and very suitable for a romantic dinner.

The menu is very informative, with detailed explanations of the mains and sides. For entrée we choose the Garlic and Chilli prawns. For mains I ordered the Pork Spare Ribs & Fries, while Mrs Mac ordered the Certified Australian Angus Beef Fillet with the Two Root Mash and the Monkey Gland sauce.

The entree came out promptly. The pawns were tender and well spiced. There were more than enough for both of us and they whetted our appetites for the mains.

Our mains arrived soon after, with additional steak knives to carve our tender meat. The racks of ribs were huge and piled over a generous amount of well cooked chips. The meat fell off the bone, and the sauce was delicious.

Mrs Mac's fillet steak was thick and juicy, cooked exactly as requested and complemented by Monkey Gland sauce. It was nice to see the sauce put on the side so that it could be used as required. The Two root mash was smooth and velvety with lots of favour. The steak almost looked lost on the plate, but it tasted delicious and there was more than enough.

After consuming so much meat we somehow found room for dessert! After much discussion we chose the Passion fruit tart with banana ice cream and were told by the waitress that it was a new item on the menu and highly recommended. Indeed, the tart was delightful. The passion fruit gave the tart a real edge and I could eat the banana ice cream all day.

With the 2 for 1 main meal offer from Hippo Creek Meat and Wine this meal was a really good deal. The service is spot on, the surroundings are nice and the food is excellent. We will definitely go back here again for a steak night.

http://subiaco.hippocreek.com.au/

The Left Bank Cafe Bar Restaurant

Having not been here in years we weren't sure what to expect. The Left Bank offers a 2 for 1 offer from their Cafe or Restaurant and we elected to make a booking for the restaurant. The booking was made, fast and efficiently, with the option to sit inside or out on the 1st floor where the restaurant is located.

It was refreshing to be able to park so close to the restaurant and not have to pay for parking.
When we arrived we were promptly taken to our table. The outside balcony has clear blinds and heaters, so there is no need to worry about getting cold on a breezy evening and the view of the river is beautiful. Both drinks and food menus were left with us with no mention made of the specials of the day.

The drinks menu is very good. Most, if not all, of the wine is available in both bottles or by the glass and I chose a red, while Mrs Mac went for a white. Unfortunately many places have a very limited range of 'by the glass' options.

The food menu is extensive with a lot of options, some with an Asian influence on old favourites. For our starter we ordered Smoked Chorizo, Chilli Olives and Fetta with Turkish Bread. For mains, I went for a Rump Steak with Baked Potato and mushroom sauce, while Mrs Mac selected the Crispy skinned Barramundi with creamy dill and seeded mustard mash.

Our drinks arrived promptly as did our starter. The mix of olives and fetta was great. Thinking back now, I don't recall any hint of chilli with the olives, however they were very nice. The bread was lightly toasted and very moorish. The Chorizo was nice, but nothing outstanding, tasting more like a nice grilled sausage than a true chorizo.

Our mains came out promptly. The service had a relaxed pace and did not feel too rushed. On arrival, the dishes both looked fantastic, and were hot, fresh and very appetising.

The steak was cooked exactly as requested. The mushroom sauce had a nice amount of mushrooms in it, without being overly done. The baked potato was cooked well, not over done, leaving the skin eatable.

The fish was moist, firm and fresh. The mash on the side was delicious and complemented the fish nicely.

On finishing our meal our plates were promptly cleared away and we were shown the dessert menus. The selection was not huge but there was enough to make us have to narrow down our choice. We decided on the Apple and Rhubarb crumble with Blueberry ice cream to share. On arrival, you could not help but love the bright colour of the ice cream. The ice cream appeared to be have made in house as there was a certain roughness to it that you would not get from a commercially produced product. The flavour was great and it went very well with the crumble. As expected the crumble was slightly tart and the pastry was nice and light and broke apart easily.

Unfortunately, once we had eaten our dessert we felt we had been left for dead by the staff. Our dessert plate was cleared and although we made many attempts we could not get any staff attention to settle the bill. In the end Mrs Mac had to go to the counter and ask for the bill to be made up and brought to us. After receiving the bill, the same thing happened again and we felt forgotten about again. Eventually we paid on walking out and wondered why everyone had stopped serving the tables. It was around 9pm but surely there were many bills still left to be settled.

All in all we had a very enjoyable meal and we would definitely consider a return visit with friends and family.

http://www.leftbank.com.au/

Lemon Lane Claremont

Lemon has a total of three cafes located in Claremont & Cottesloe and each has a theme in line with their location.

Lemon has three vouchers in the Perth Entertainment Book, all consisting of a 2 for 1 offer to include, Main meal, Coffee and Smoothie/Milkshake. We tried to be a bit cheeky on our first visit and attempted to use the main meal and coffee vouchers at once and were kindly turned down but didn't see this as an issue.

On our first visit we ordered two flat whites, the cooked breakfast and the omelette. The coffees came out promptly. They were hot and of a very high quality. Something to note.... Lemon are coffee buffs and there are a number of different blends on offer with descriptions of the flavour characteristics to aid your decision making.

Soon after the two meals arrived. Both looked very appetising and were piping hot. The eggs were cooked exactly as ordered, with a side of tomatoes. The omelette was jam packed with goodies, firm and not over cooked.

There are seated areas inside and out to sit and enjoy your meal and all in all it was a pleasurable experience.

Our second visit was take away. The Smoothies were delicious and we would definitely order them again from Lemon.

Great food to be had from Lemon and using the vouchers was a bonus.

http://www.lemoncafes.com.au/