Perth Voice Interactive

THE Voice’s quest to find the best continental roll in Perth took me up the glamorous Tonkin Highway to Morley.

Situated in a group of shops just off the busy Morley Drive, The Panini Bar Gourmet Market is a family-owned continental deli known for its delicious continental rolls and high quality imported goods.

The well-presented shop had a deli crammed with cold meats, antipasto, cheese and inhouse-made meals, and several aisles neatly stocked with colourful sauces, canned goods, oils, vinegars, biscotti, dolci and lots more.

But with my belly grumbling, I lasered in on the freshly made paninis in the display counter.

There was a mouthwatering range including hot blast, continental with salad, antipasto continental, deluxe veggie, Uncle Johnny’s hot Melanzane with chicken cutlet, and the legendary Works, which was voted one of the top five continental rolls in Perth.

Some were made with the crunchier panini bread and others with the softer Turkish roll, appeasing both sides of the Continental Berlin Wall.

I was tempted for the Works ($13), but I couldn’t resist the slightly more refined antipasto continental ($11.50).

It was a wise choice and had a lovely mix of marinated artichoke and sun-dried tomato, which complemented the thin strips of ham and salami.

Next door is Crimea Quality Meats, which is run by the parents of Panini Bar co-owner Linda Turnbull. It’s a great family partnership and you can tell the meat is high quality, lean and packed with flavour.

Rounding things off were some slices of mild Swiss cheese.

The panini bread was top notch and had a lovely crunch and wasn’t too dense.

I got my son the ham, cheese and tomato roll ($9) which is a great option for kids with no Mediterranean toppings like olives, which seem to be my son’s nemesis.

He wolfed down half of the Turkish roll, before raising the white flag.

“It’s huge!” he declared.

The continentals are a good size and will probably feed even the most ravenous tradie after a morning on the tools (in fact I spotted a couple getting some for lunch).

The meat on my continental was so nice, I couldn’t resist popping into Crimea Quality Meats next door.

They have been around since 1977, so must be doing something right, and the counter was chockablock with trophies including one declaring them “The Sausage King” (ironically the nickname my wife gave me before we got married).

There was a beautiful array of chops, steaks and sausages on display, but I couldn’t resist some veal schnitzels ($28.99 per kg).

It’s a love affair that stretches back to family holidays in Italy when I was a kid – eating veal for the first time and guzzling the odd glass of Spumante.

The bloke behind the counter was super friendly and up for a chat and a laugh.

The food lived up to the customer service with the veal lightly coated in herby breadcrumbs, and the tender meat having that trademark, subtle sweetness.

Opened in 2019, The Panini Bar has survived covid and is doing a roaring trade (the deli was super busy when I visited on Tuesday lunchtime).

The partnership with the family butcher next door is a great idea and it’s clear locals value the high quality produce.

While not my favourite conti roll in Perth, The Panini Bar’s definitely makes my top five.

The Panini Bar Gourmet Market
Crimea Quality Meats
127 Crimea Street, Morley
thepaninibar.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK