Perth Voice Interactive

by JENNY D’ANGER

CLUTCHING a collection of pot plants, managing to tick off a couple of Christmas presents with purchases from the gift shop, and our tummies full, this lunch expedition to the wilds of Inglewood was deemed an all-round success.

Mia Cafe changed hands some months ago, but the great garden ambience remains as tranquil as ever, whether seen from the verandah overlooking Miaflora Nursery, or sitting in the delightful courtyard (the former owners retain ownership of the nursery, so you can still say hello to familiar faces).

Mia Cafe’s lunch menu has all the usual suspects, with a couple of burgers (including a vegetarian one), a range of Turkish bread fillings, a variety of salads, quiche and savoury muffins.

On this occasion the specials board was offering grilled barramundi ($19.50) along with crayfish ($27 large), which of course caught our collective eye.

The presentation was splendid, with swirls of chilli sauce and balsamic reduction creating a Pro Hart effect in bowls the size of wheel hubs.

But—and it’s a big but—the chilli sauce had all the hallmarks of the bottled variety and was way too sweet, as was the tartare sauce. Now, if it IS made in the kitchen and not plopped from a bottle Mia has my sincere apologies, but it needs work.

I ensured my barra didn’t swim too close to the glutinous sauce and thus enjoyed the generous serve of fish, and the crisp, fresh salad, with lashings of baby spinach, was the perfect accompaniment.

The glistening red shell of the two crayfish halves kept the flesh out of the forbidden sauce, and they were quickly polished off by my companion.

The dessert was the absolute winner, in my case a Sicilian apple cake, and for my mate the chocolate and beetroot cake ($7).

The apple cake was deliciously spicy with plenty of cinnamon and the apple ensured it was moist.

The chocolate cake was magnificent, light and fluffy and at the same time rich and moist, with a great chocolate topping.

A couple of coffees and we well were set up to hunt through the potted jungle of the nursery that had been luring us throughout our meal.

Mia Cafe
905 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
9271 1599
open 7 days 8am–4.30pm