Perth Voice Interactive

INGLEWOOD HOTEL, Mount Lawley

by JENNY D’ANGER:

SACRE bleu, it was Bastille Day and snails were off the lunch menu because they were late arriving—they are such slow little buggers.

Maybe they should have hitched a ride with those speedy Tour de France blokes, who can never be accused of travelling at a snail’s pace.

The D’Angers were celebrating France’s national day with lunch at the Inglewood Hotel and the menu was suitably Frarnch but sans frog legs–Dieu merci! The thought of all those frogs in wheelchairs, non!

Australia bans the import of frogs legs as the amphibians are having a hard time of it globally. Anyway, people say “they taste like chicken” so go eat a chook, there are plenty of those.

An older couple at a nearby table raved about their duck l’orange and the moules mariniere (mussels) looked good, but we opted to go with the regular menu, kicking off with some very tasty and moist garlic bread ($9).

I’ve long loved the historic Inglewood Hotel for its lovely mock Dutch cape architecture, but hadn’t been for a number of years.

The decor is low-key but delightfully in-keeping with its genteel heritage, a modernised twist too, and along with the usual steaks and fish and chips there’s German bratwurst, juniper and thyme-braised beef cheek and slow-cooked pork belly.

We vegetarians aren’t forgotten either with more than a couple of dishes, including my choice, grilled corn and vegetable risotto ($20).

A fennel and caramelised onion parcel, wrapped in cabbage, which had been seared at the last minute, arrived perched on the bed of rice, the sweetness of the cabbage beautifully complementing the sharper, savoury flavours of the rice.

D’Angerous, whose grandfather hails from Roen, just south of Paris, went all English on me ordering fish and chips ($21).

He begrudgingly let me try one (but a big one) and we both agreed they were some of the finest we’d eaten, and that’s a big call for a couple of chip-o-holics.

The fish was a generous, moist fillet in a delightfully crisp batter.

When it came to dessert I couldn’t go past the French crepes with chantilly cream ($9), while D’Angerous went all multicultural, ending his meal with Belgian waffles ($10).

Both were fantastic, the crepes sweet with a sharp berry compote and the waffles smothered in berries and maple syrup giving them a pleasant spicy sweetness.

Vive le Republique, off with the heads of the aristrocracy and long live the Aussie pub.

Inglewood Hotel
803 Beaufort Street, Mt Lawley
9370 5511
open 7 days lunch and dinner