Regular customers of David Coomer’s Star Anise restaurant in Shenton Park will know that the highly acclaimed chef goes to great lengths to source produce (he gets his Glenloth game pigeons flown over from Victoria to Perth).
Regular customers of David Coomer’s Star Anise restaurant in Shenton Park will know that the highly acclaimed chef goes to great lengths to source produce (he gets his Glenloth game pigeons flown over from Victoria to Perth).
So it was no surprise that, when Mr Coomer let slip to Gusto recently he’d bought property in Manjimup, the possibility he might have a crack at growing truffles was mentioned.
And while his remarks were very much tongue-in-cheek, Gusto would not be surprised to see the delicacy home grown and appear on the menu in a few years.
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On the subject of good food, Gourmet Traveller’s annual restaurant critique of the nation’s restaurants has hit the shelves. The aforementioned Mr Coomer has received the highest ranking of any Western Australian restaurant for the second year running, getting two stars in the 2008 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. Only 100 restaurants from across the country get a coveted star ranking. Interestingly, Gourmet ranked Star Anise the 38th best restaurant in Australia, well above Jackson’s Restaurant which was ranked 96 and received one star.
In a recent WA Business News ‘best restaurants’ survey, the hospitality industry voted Jackson’s as its clear favourite, while Star Anise came second followed by Balthazar in third spot.
Balthazar was ranked 91 in the guide and also received a one-star rating. The only other WA restaurant to gain a star rating was Turkish restaurant Eminem, which was ranked 72. Unfortunately for food fans, Eminem owner Ismail (Ish) Tosun has sold his restaurant and is headed back to Turkey.
The last meal to be cooked up at Eminem will be on September 15.
Perth was yet again without a three-star restaurant in the food guide, while Melbourne’s fine food ego has been slightly bruised with Shannon Bennett’s Vue de Monde the only eatery to secure three stars compared with 10 in Sydney. Sydney’s Pier Restaurant was named restaurant of the year.
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And in more good news, this time in the wine sector, Margaret River winery Lenton Brae won a couple of gongs at the recent small vigneron awards, organised by consumer wine guide magazine Winewise.
Lenton Brae won a gold medal for its 2007 semillon sauvignon blanc and a trophy for the best dry white. Fellow boutique Margaret River producer, Brookwood Estate, won a gold medal for its 2005 cabernet sauvignon.
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The cabernet sauvignon that so impressed judges at the recent Sheraton WA wine awards was Ferngrove Vineyards’ 2005 cab sav. It won a gold medal, while Palandri Wines scored a silver medal for its 2004 blend. As for the popular semillon sauvignon blanc blends, the judges awarded Goundrey Wines’ 2007 sauvignon blanc semillon a gold award.
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Cabernet sauvignon will be the focus of a special master class hosted by the Wine Education Centre to take place on Thursday September 13 between 6pm and 8pm.
Participants will be able to compare cabernet sauvignon’s from around the world against some home grown drops from Margaret River.
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Perth Convention Exhibition Centre’s Adrian Tobin has done it again, with another one of his young recruits named apprentice of the year at the annual state awards.
Kate Deane, 26, was selected from close to 100 of her peers as this year’s apprentice of the year. Ms Deane was also awarded a gold medal in the final year apprentice category.
Fellow PCEC apprentice chef Sian Cole also won praise, scoring the bronze medal for final year apprentices.
“This is the third year that PCEC have competed since opening and it is the third year in a row that we have taken out the top honour,” Mr Tobin, PCEC’s executive chef says. “Our whole team should be congratulated. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Last year, third-year PCEC apprentice Jessica Donald created history as the first-ever chef to take out the top honour of apprentice of the year for two years running.
PCEC apprentices Kate Swift and Lauren Fabiankovits also won awards.
