Perth Voice Interactive

I’M thinking about transitioning.

Not to Stephanie, or to becoming a Dockers fan after the Eagles’ abysmal run, but to the Jewish faith.

It’s not because I’ve had a spiritual epiphany in middle-age, but because I’ve enjoyed some amazing kosher food in Perth over the past few months.

There’s been the gorgeous bagels at The Kosher Providore, the matzo ball soup at Satchmo Cafe and now some scrumptious falafel balls at Omisi Cafe in Yokine.

Situated in Maccabi WA – a grass-roots Jewish sporting complex on Woodrow Avenue – Omisi overlooks a serious of lush playing fields with soccer goals.

As I parked, elderly Jewish ladies were shuffling across the pitch and a group of school children were sitting in a circle below one of the leafy trees.

It’s a quirky spot for a cafe and you would probably only know about it if you were local.

But it makes for a relaxing backdrop, especially in the cafe’s sheltered alfresco, where you can gaze out at the empty playing fields and contemplate life while munching your falafel balls.

The Cafe was relaxed and low key – a pleasant spot to have a casual meal – with a small dining area inside and the aforementioned alfresco.

The menu had a range of middle eastern dishes including falafel, hummus, sabich (sautéed eggplant served in a pita pocket with a hardboiled egg), malawach (traditional pastry made to order with a hardboiled egg), shawarma, shakshuka, kebab and schnitzel.

When I arrived on Tuesday lunchtime, the smiley, demonstrative man behind the counter was was singing away to 90s classics including Black Velvet, What’s Up? and Kelly Watch the Stars.

He was super friendly and because it was my first visit, recommended I try their “famous falafel”.

Its origins can be traced back to 1961 in Tel Mond, Israel, where matriarch Rachel Omisi started selling falafel made from a secret family recipe, originally from Yemen, passed down the generations.

It proved so popular that in 2011, Falafel Omisi expanded to Melbourne and in 2022 opened another Australian outlet in Perth.

On a gloriously sunny winter’s day, there were a few folk sitting in the alfresco including a family and a young bloke on his own.

It wasn’t long before “smiley man” arrived with my falafel, chips and drink ($20).

The falafel balls were buried in a large pita pocket overlflowing with purple slaw and carrot.

Crowning the bulging pita was a generous dollop of tahini that oozed precariously down the side.

It was a gloriously tactile and messy affair with a strong burst of flavour from the falafel balls, which had a crispy coating and a dark nutty punch.

The salad was lovely and fresh – the carrot providing a sweet refrain – and the sauce had a subtle heat (the smiley man asked if I wanted it spicy).

The pita conveniently came in a little pouch, so you could nibble away at the messy edifice without getting drenched in sauce.

It was good value and super filling with loads of those gorgeous falafel balls.

The accompanying chips were super light and crispy and had been cooked in a nice clean oil, so no greasy coda.

Overall it was a robust and filling lunch and the falafel lived up to the hype. 

I’ll definitely be back to try some of their more exotic fare like the sabich and malawach.

I wonder what 90s hits “smiley man” will be singing then…

Falafel Omisi
61 Woodrow Avenue, Yokine
falafelomisiperth.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK