Perth Voice Interactive

WHEN I used to take my young kids to the playground on my day off, I would always hold their shoes in my hand as a prop.

Otherwise I would get strange looks from mums, who wondered who this random guy lingering at the edge of the sandpit was.

I felt the same odd sensation when I visited Cafe L.A on Tuesday for lunch – I was pretty much the sole male and it was mostly mums, many with prams, catching up for brunch.

But channeling Barbie, which I watched at the weekend, I put aside my masculine hang-ups and dived head-first into the feminine waters. 

The interior of the Leederville cafe was scrupulously clean with wood-grain tables, wicker chairs, dried flowers and a shelf with ceramics and pottery.

Combined with the white-on-white colour scheme and futuristic lighting, it looked a bit like IKEA crossed with an intergalactic spaceship.

There was some inoffensive dance music playing in the background and the cafe was nicely air-conditioned, making it all very relaxing and bourgeoisie.

The brunch menu had a small but interesting range of Asian-inspired dishes including soft-shell crab, shokupan brûlée, poke bowl and curry beef Benedict, as well as traditional fare like avocado on toast, bacon, sausage and hash browns.

They also had a display cabinet with gorgeous-looking cakes, pastries and sandwiches.

It felt causal but upmarket and I had a gut feeling the food was going to be good.

I kicked things off with a delightful berry smoothie ($12)

Beautifully presented in a stylish glass with a dainty raspberry perched on top, it had a lovely vibrant colour and was made with care.

I was a bit too enthusiastic and took a large slurp from the straw, triggering the worst brain freeze ever (it felt like I was having a mini stroke).

Super-thick with a delicious mix of berries, banana, yoghurt, orange juice and honey, the smoothie was outstanding and had a lovely tart kick.

It was also good value – the drink lasted the whole meal.

It wasn’t long before the polite waiter was back with my Miso Forest ($25).

Another beautiful presentation with two poached eggs perched precariously on a bed of glistening mushrooms and toasted sourdough bread.

Completing the pretty picture was some delicate strands of saffron on the summit.

It tased as good as it looked with the perfectly-poached eggs oozing a thick colourful yolk.

Most cafes can’t get mushrooms right – they’re either overcooked, undercooked or in some cases shrivelled-up atrocities that look like a geriatric’s privates. 

These were spot on – miso-infused and pan-fried, they had gnarled edges and were soft and velvety inside.

When combined with the yolk, toasted sourdough and spinach puree, it was pure heaven.

Another nice touch was the kale and saffron, adding enough flavour twists to keep you interested until the end.

With three pieces of sourdough bread, it was filling and good value too.

The service matched the food – the waiter asked how my food was halfway through the meal and gave me a smiley good-bye and “have a nice day” on my way out.

Something you might only expect at more expensive full-blown restaurants.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Cafe L.A – the ambience, food and service were top notch.

I’ll be back to try some of their other dishes with the soft-shell crab bao high on my list.

Cafe L.A
Unit 2/238 Oxford Street, Leederville
cafela.com.au
Open 7 days a week

by STEPHEN POLLOCK