For one reason or another it seems we often fail to notice the treasures right in front of us; little gems that somehow get lost among all the clutter of our busy lives.
For one reason or another it seems we often fail to notice the treasures right in front of us; little gems that somehow get lost among all the clutter of our busy lives.
For one reason or another it seems we often fail to notice the treasures right in front of us; little gems that somehow get lost among all the clutter of our busy lives.
This became apparent to me recently after I was invited on a walking tour of the northern end of William Street in Northbridge, the city’s unofficial Chinatown.
While I’ve often driven past the strip that runs from Brisbane Street to Newcastle Street, lined with Asian grocers, restaurants, butchers and markets, I’d never ventured inside.
But earlier this month I went on the Northbridge Asian Grocers Tour with Pauline Lynch, who has run the tours through her business, Wandering Wok Tours, since 2001. (She also runs food trips to Singapore and regular Chinese cooking classes.)
Pauline runs the tours every second Saturday morning, starting from Luckys on Brisbane Street, and ending rather conveniently at The Red Teapot for lunch.
Wandering through the different grocers really was an Asian foodies’ paradise – aisles of exotic oriental ingredients, from fresh Asian greens and dried lotus leaves to the best curry pastes, masalas and fresh spices to be found anywhere in the city.
We then ventured to the butchers and then on to the seafood markets.
A little later we came across the Dragon Tea House, WA’s first Chinese tea house, which features in this month’s Business Class.
The owner, Sandy Ng, told me that when she first bought the property on William Street almost two years ago, the area only had a few grocers dotted around.
Since then, the Town of Vincent has made a big investment into the strip, upgrading the streetscape and shopfronts to create a more inviting and thriving commercial precinct.
Completed late last year, the William Street revitalisation project has made a noticeable difference, drawing greater numbers to the areas retail, dining and entertainment businesses and creating vibrant and cosmopolitan neighbourhood.
There’s also about $120 million of commercial and retail developments going on as part of the New Northbridge project.
And even though I’m still a little while away from regularly feasting on such delicacies as fish-on-a-stick or deboned chicken feet, taking a trip outside the familiar can provide a pleasant surprise.