Perth Voice Interactive

I LOVE my kids, but it was time for them to go back to school.

After eight weeks of Mr Beast, Timezone and Minecraft, I was ready to be sectioned under the mental health act.

However, we did enjoy one last end-of-camp hurrah – an afternoon out in Freo.

We kicked off with lunch at Suku, an Indonesian street food joint on William Street.

Suku is officially part of FOMO, but feels like a distinct entity as it’s on the edge of the hospitality, shopping and entertainment precinct. The casual, family-run eatery is fun and vibrant.

There’s cute hand-drawn pictures on the walls, a tropical mural in the corner and kitsch overhead lights.

In terms of dining, there’s bench seating and tables inside, and an al fresco on William Street.

The menu is small and there’s only really two main dishes – a chicken or veggie Nasi Bali or a beef or veggie Rendang.

But you can get them with add-ons like shredded chicken, braised egg, urap veggie and sambal.

There was also a selection of smaller dishes including rujak (tangy and spicy seasonal fruit salad), batagor (fried mackerel dumpling with peanut sauce), terong belado (chilli eggplant) and tahu telur (omelette and tofu with peanut sauce). 

And for those with a sweet tooth, there was a couple of desserts – black sticky rice and burnt coconut gelato.

My kids decided to share some tempe goreng ($9.50) and sate lilit (four skewers for $15).

The battered tempeh (a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans) had a lovely crunchy exterior and a light tasty filling.

It was similar to tofu but with a lot more flavour and a far more pleasant texture.

The funky battered sticks tasted great when dipped in the accompanying sweet and spicy sauce, which wasn’t too hot for my kids.

The minced chicken satay sticks had a lovely fragrant aroma.

They were a nice change from regular satay sticks and really came to life when dipped in the accompanying sambal matah (a sort of tangy and spicy raw slaw).

It was a bit lively for the kids, but I enjoyed the exotic mix of onions, chillies and lime juice.

A welcome bonus – Suku is licensed, so you can enjoy a Bintang or glass of wine with your meal.

In a nice touch, they don’t appear to sell global brands like Coke or Pepsi, instead offering coconut water, jasmine tea and ‘Happy Soda’.

I liked the sound of happy soda ($7), but unfortunately it wasn’t a potent cocktail, but soda gembira (a sort of Indonesian fire engine with carbonated water, condensed milk, syrup and ice).

It was a bit sweet for my daughter, but my son loved it.

A few years back I had tried the Balinese chicken and rice – extremely delicious – so this time I went for the beef rendang ($19.50).

It was another hit – large chunks of super tender meat with a delicious slow-cooked flavour and traces of coconut.

In the middle was a neat mound of rice, which was surrounded by a dainty assortment of spices, sauces and sambal.

The mix of piquant flavours refreshed my palate in-between mouthfuls of the strong beef.

All the food at Suku feels like its super fresh and authentic.

My only gripe – the beef wasn’t the warmest, which was strange given the soaring temperature that day.

The service was super quick and polite, and the friendly staff were helpful when I asked about suitable dishes for my kids.

I wish they would expand the menu, but maybe they like to do a small number of dishes really well and that’s why they are still around and doing a roaring trade.

After Suku, my kids and I enjoyed a whirlwind trip around  Freo Markets, viewed some art at PS and Moores Gallery, and played a few retro games at Palace Arcade.

Beat that, Mr Beastie McBeastie Face.

Suku
28 William St, Fremantle
sukufreo.com

by STEPHEN POLLOCK