Perth Voice Interactive

I  WAS surprised to discover my retired chef mother-in-law had never heard of quinoa, but I guess a Devon village isn’t exactly the centre of the universe for a trendy goosefoot grain.

Following lunch at Oxford Yard she’s a convert to the delicious native of the Andes—which on this occasion came in a fantastic salad consisting of pumpkin, mushroom, baby spinach and zucchini.

And she was pretty impressed too with the generous serve of ricotta slice ($14), leaving not a morsel on the plate.

Having first-hand experience of the usual fare at Tafes, this little eatery must be a godsend for the students next door, with well-priced food that is both delicious and healthy.

A couple of freshly squeezed apple and orange juices ($6.50) were icy cold and sharply delicious, and the hectic rush of our morning fell away as we gazed in awe at a magnificent ghost gum in the Tafe forecourt.

I couldn’t go past the special of the day, nasi goreng ($14), and was well satisfied with the flavoursome dish that harked back to balmy Bali holidays.

Eggs florentine with smoked salmon ($18) was the poison of choice for D’Angerous Dave, the hollandaise sauce was great, but the eggs could have been a little runnier to soak into the unbuttered toast, he opined.

We shared a serve of crispy ripped chips ($8) intrigued by the name.

The chunks of potato arrived looking, well, ripped (as in torn, not muscular) leaving me wondering how much strength might be needed to tear a raw potato into segments.

More baked spud than chip they were great, the rough texture allowing for more crunchy bits.

The cake cabinet beckoned, and D’Angerous took a punt on the peppermint slice ($4) which didn’t disappoint. The peppermint was perfectly balanced with the rich chocolate base and an argument ensued over which dessert was the best.

The M-I-L’s sticky lemon slice ($4) was sharp, and indeed sticky, and my blueberry and coconut frangipane cake ($4.50) was light and fluffy with a lovely berry sharpness, and none of us was prepared to give way on which was best.

But we did agree Oxford Yard’s coffee was great, and the earl grey tea delicious.

by JENNY D’ANGER

Oxford Yard
196 Oxford Street, Leederville
9201 2369
open Mon-Fri 6.30am-4pm,
Sat-Sun 7am–3pm