Perth Voice Interactive

IT probably took a few months off my life, but it was worth it.

The Highlander Loaded Fries ($16) at Blasta were a glorious ode to heart disease with layers of molten cheese, deep-fried chips and haggis.

But boy did they taste good, and I was stone-cold sober.

Having grown up in Glasgow, I can spot a dodgy haggis a mile off (they need to be free range and allowed to roam unfettered across the rugged Highlands [sic]).

This haggis was the real deal – slightly nutty and spicy, it had a fragrant aroma and subtle texture from the oatmeal.

It should all be authentic as Blasta is owned by a Scot.

Thankfully there’s no garish posters of Rod Stewart in pink lycra hanging from the wall or tartan rugs at every turn, but there is subtle Celtic nods like the pub’s unicorn logo (it’s the national animal of Scotland) and the inclusion of dishes like haggis spring rolls and black pudding pizza.

The Highlander Loaded Fries were a cheeky twist on the American classic, and they were going down a treat with my mate Jambo, a native of Edinburgh.

“The peppercorn sauce is a great touch and helps to offset the rich mac and cheese,” he said.

“The chips have a nice crunch and go well with the big dollops of haggis.

“It’s a while since I’ve had some and it’s bringing back memories of getting a haggis supper from the local chippie back home.”

We had arranged to meet at Blasta on Friday night before heading to the AC Milan v Roma game at Optus Stadium.

I had expected the place to be heaving with Italian soccer fans, but all I could hear was Scottish accents at every turn (there was a problem with the trains that night, so maybe this had a knock-on effect).

The Blasta micro brewery has an excellent setup with a large beer garden with outside bar, children’s playground and massive screen showing sport.

Inside the beer hall was just as nice with another huge screen and plenty of space, but it didn’t feel sprawling and impersonal and there were lots of nooks and crannies, which reminded me of a cosy pub back in Scotland.

If you fancy something a bit more sophisticated, they’ve got a huge gastrobrewery next door, so plenty of options for food and drink.

I’m not a craft beer aficionado, but I always find Blasta’s range of pilsners and pale ales very palatable and not too out there and hopsy.

Their limited edition pilsner (pint $9) went down a treat and had plenty of flavour and citrus notes without being too full-on with our meal (in the past I’ve enjoyed their amazing nitro stout).

The beer hall menu had a range of snacks, salads, mains, wood-fired pizzas and desserts.

It was a solid pub-style menu with the odd flourish to keep you interested like gochujang chicken, kingfish crudo, potato cream pizza, wood-fired gnocchi and harissa cauliflower.

There was also a very reasonably priced kids menu – $10 for all the favourites like fish and chips, beef burger, spaghetti and nachos. There was also a healthy option with kids hummus with corn chips and veggie sticks.

We followed the Highlander Loaded Fries with a spicy pork sausage pizza ($28).

The nduja had just the right level of spice and complemented the house sugo, Calabrese mozzarella and chilli.

A sprinkle of rocket helped to refresh the palate in-between mouthfuls and the semi-dried tomatoes added some depth of flavour.

It was slightly oily affair, but that was the nature of the beast, and the wood-fired base was super thin and had a nice charred crust. A top pizza and it was a big serve too.

Blasta beer hall is a great option for drinks and food before a game at the Optus Stadium or just a casual meal in general.

The beer is top notch, the food is high-end pub/hotel level, and the venue is great (it’s right beside Burswood train station so easy to get to).

And for the record, there was a deep-fried mars bar ($14) on the menu, but I wanted to stay alive to see kick-off, so I politely declined.

Blasta Collective
100-104 Goodwood Parade,
Burswood
blastabrewing.com

by STEPHEN POLLOCK