THIS cafe’s humble surroundings don’t do it justice. It’s situated on a chaotic laneway that connects Newcastle Street to a sprawling car park. There’s vehicles parked everywhere, drivers struggling to squeeze-by, and people in garish lycra streaming out a gym. Nestled amongst the chaos is Nourish Kitchen and Cafe, a scrupulously clean and well-presented eatery.…

IT was like going in a time warp to a different era. Before placing your order at the deli in The Re Store, you have to manually pull a paper ticket, with a number on it, from a machine that looks like it has been around since the days of JFK. My number was “24”,…

I HATE when “street food” is gentrified and fancy restaurants charge more than $30 for basic wok dishes. It’s not only a rip-off but a betrayal of the simple but delicious flavours synonymous with Asian “fast food”. That’s why I like Oxford Noodles – there’s no pretension and most of the dishes are under $20,…

I WAS loitering outside an erotic massage parlour in West Leederville in broad daylight. Not the best look for a middle-aged man on a Tuesday morning at 11:30am. But there was mitigating circumstances – I was trying to find Goods Bakery and got lost. Turns out the bakery is a few doors down from the…

WHY was I getting weird looks from folk in Leederville? Checked my zipper – no. Checked for food on my face – no. I think it’s because I had my young kids with me on Tuesday morning and people thought they should be learning math instead of eating salami and drinking full-fat Coke. It transpired…

I HAD to make an evasive manoeuvre when I entered Tagine Tapas and Grill. A pigeon that managed to get inside was making a hasty bid for freedom and nearly flew straight into my face. It was like a scene from Stop The Pigeon, with me as a middle-aged Muttley, and I shared a wry…

THE EXCHANGE BAR is a bit of a West Leederville oddity. Surrounded by office blocks and trade outlets on Harrogate St, it’s a fully licensed bar that does lunch, breakfast and dinner (it’s open from 6am on weekdays). Nowhereman Brewing Co is nearby, but it’s only open from 4pm later in the week. There are…

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…

IF you’re on a no-carb diet you don’t want to be living anywhere near Chez Jean-Claude Patisserie, because his bread is that good. My wife “Special K” has been a long-term fan of the Swiss bakery, which opened in Subiaco in 1997 before expanding with another patisserie in West Leederville in 2005. Anytime she was…

IT was perhaps my lowest moment of 2023 – watching Brendan Fevola in the semi-final of The Masked Singer. It was reminiscent of the scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey where the primates touch the monolith and learn how to use a bone to whack things. I needed a pick-me up, and in times of…