CRANKED COFFEE, Leederville
by JENNY D’ANGER:
We had forgotten to book at our restaurant of choice in Oxford Street, Leederville, but had figured getting there at 6pm after work wouldn’t be a problem.
We hadn’t counted on gridlock and the carpark that Thomas Street becomes. So we arrived closer to 7pm, to be told there were no seats available.
The silver lining was discovering Cranked, a couple of doors down.
With an aged parent in tow it was an added bonus to find a usually elusive Oxford Street parking bay almost right outside.
Chosen purely for its vacant tables I was elated to discover a gastronomical gem.
And the staff were fantastic, helping mum and her zimmer negotiate the door.
We shared turkish bread and dips ($12.50), the thinly sliced bread reminding me of the toast “soldiers” mum would serve with a soft-boiled egg.
But all resemblance ended there; these were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside with a hint of olive oil.
The dips were easily the best I’ve ever eaten—and not a morsel of cheese in sight.
More a paste than a dip, hubby Dave and I really loved the mushroom one, with its middle-eastern herbs and spices,. The home-made lemon-infused olive oil was pretty damn good too.
Mum enjoyed the delicate rocket and almond dip/paste the best, a bright green with a slightly smoky flavour.
She was also impressed by her prawn pasta ($17) when it arrived, a steaming bowl of pasta with a rich cream-based vodka and lemon sauce. And the prawns were cooked to perfection.
Dave’s fish and chips ($18) went down a treat, the beer batter delightfully thin and crispy, allowing the fish flavour to shine through.
The chips were crunchy on the outside and deliciously fluffy inside, and the chunky Cranked-made tartare sauce was superb.
I went for the vegetarian fritters ($15), a flavoursome concoction of chickpea, carrot and feta, shallow-fried to a crispy gold coating with a moist, spicy interior.
Feeling a tad full, but pretty sure we’d want a cuppa and cake later, we ordered sweets to go. About three-and-a-half minutes later we succumbed, sharing a moist slice of banana bread (topped with flaked almonds), a delicious apple cake and a lemon/lime tart ($5).
A sweet end to an outing that had been in danger of turning sour. Thank you, peak hour traffic.
Cranked Coffee
106 Oxford Street, Leederville
Phone 6161 0730
Licensed | Open 7 days
breakfast & lunch, plus
dinner Thursdays
