Perth Voice Interactive

DEJAXO Artisan Bakery is a bit of an anomaly.

Surrounded by houses as far as the eye can see, it’s plonked in the middle of the Mt Hawthorn burbs and there’s no other businesses close-by.

A bit of digging revealed the building used to be the milk bar for the neighbourhood, and suddenly it all made sense.

A family-run artisan bakery led by husband-and-wife team Damein and Kate Nabbs, Dejaxo has four outlets across Perth and prides itself on “quality over quantity”.

Their main attraction – the sourdough bread – is free from additives and stabilisers.

I’ve previously tried some and while I’m not a bread aficionado, it was some of the best sourdough I’ve had – not too dense with a subtle sour tang and lovely crust.

Dejaxo’s Mt Hawthorn outlet was uncluttered and stylish with a dining area off to the side and a large serving area as you walked in.

There were several display cabinets with all sorts of goodies including hot pies and a range of tarts, quiches, lasagnes and pies to take home and heat-up.

There was also a fine range of delicious-looking cakes and sundries, and racks of freshly-cooked bread.

 If you wanted to sit-in, there was a dining area where you could enjoy tea, coffee and cooked meals.

Although classed as a bakery, it’s really an all-rounder and you could get produce for any meal of the day.

I’m a bit of a moussaka junkie, but unfortunately the popularity of the dish has waned significantly since the 1970s and the number of restaurants serving it, aside from dedicated Greek eateries, has dwindled.

What’s next, shops not selling Nana Mouskouri LPs?

So, my eyes lit up when I saw that Dejaxo had a vegetarian and meat moussaka.

For me, it has to be lamb to be authentic, so I went for the family meat version ($32).

This was a superior Greek treat.

The layers of sliced potato and soft eggplant tasted delicious when combined with the minced lamb and rich tomato sauce.

It was a decadent affair with the thick capstone of béchamel making the dish moreish and transforming it into sophisticated comfort food.

The tray easily fed a family of four and it was one of the best takeaway moussakas I’ve had.

The following night we enjoyed a hearty shepherd’s pie ($28).

It sounds funny eating pies for dinner in December, but summer is having a wobbler right now with unseasonal patches of rain and cooler spells, so it went down a treat with the family. 

While not scaling the heights of the moussaka, the shepherd’s pie came a delicious second.

A lovely whipped potato summit, which went nice and crispy in the oven, and a mouth-watering mix of veg and mince.

It held together nicely when divided into four squares, and the sauce was tasty with just the right consistency.

Another hit.

My takeaway moussaka and shepherd’s pie from Dejaxo Artisan Bakery were top notch and I’ll be back to try their sit-in brunches at the weekend.

Hell, I might even dig out my old Nana Mouskouri LPs and tan bell bottoms for the occasion.

“‘Til the white rose blooms again.

You must leave me, leave me lonely…”

Dejaxo Artisan Bakery
2 Coogee Street,
Mount Hawthorn
dejaxo.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK