My brother has
been trying to convince me to go to Public House for ages. He works around the
corner from it, so hits it frequently for lunch and after work drinks. Based on
his recommendation, I added it swiftly to the “To-Visit” list (which is
ever-growing), but not working in the city means I don’t go into the city that
frequently. I tend to be more of a fringe dweller, hitting Mt. Lawley or
Northbridge, rather than Perth proper. When the South American Lamb Feast came
up as part of EatDrinkPerth, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up!
Talking to the
chef (and backed up by my brother), most of the dishes that we ate on this
event were similar, if not the same as what is regularly served on the menu at
Public House. This was their first event like this (although the plan is to
make it more regular), so they decided to make it easier on themselves by
keeping with the basic foods they already serve. All paired with Spanish and
South American wines.
We started
with Cava and Ceviche. The fish lovely and fresh and delightfully limey. It was
served drier than a lot of ceviches are, which made it the perfect canapé
presentation. Cava is my go-to bubbly, I find it much easier to drink and
full-bodied than a lot of sparklings – not to mention a cheaper option compared
to Champagnes! The fruit/sweet/dryness is balanced and refreshing.
We were then
seated, long-table style and presented with the first wine and some guacamole
and house-made corn chips. Both were fabulous. My brother enjoys this guac,
despite really not liking avocado. But it’s perfectly seasoned and also with a
nice limey/chilli kick which flavoured it enough for him. The chips were some
of the best I’ve had. The perfect crunch, with a slight oiliness to them from
the frying. Not enough to grease your fingers, just enough to flavour the
tortilla.
All dishes
were presented family-style – with share platters placed down for folks to dig
in. A bit difficult when sharing with strangers, as you have to politely
negotiate your “share” – but sharing food is the best way to start friendships,
so it isn’t long before you are chatting with the folks around you. Entrees
were Smoked Lamb Sausage with Burnt Lime, Brazilian Espresso and Treacle Lamb
Ribs and Lamb, Mushroom and Truffle Empanada. I think the stand-out dish here
was the Lamb Ribs, partly because of presentation – a paint brush for adding
extra sauce! But also because the rich sauce was so moreish. The coffee and
treacle was a perfect match, with the treacle providing a mildly sweet
counterpoint to the bitter richness of the coffee. It was sticky and dark,
rather than sweet like a lot of BBQ style rib sauces. Definitely different! The
Sausage was flavoursome and not overwhelmingly oily, which puts me off of a lot
of sausages. The burnt lime cutting through the smoked meat perfectly. The lamb
and mushroom empanada simple, but well-balanced. The filling rich, the pastry
flaky and buttery.
The timing of
the main meats and side dishes was a little off. The Spit Roast Lamb Shoulder
came out and we divvied it up. When that was gone, the Chimmi Lamb Back Strap
with Beetroot and Goat’s Curd came out, as well as all 3 sides together (Baby
Cos, Crispy Onion, Horse Radish,, Tomato, Palm Heart and Smoked Mozarella,
Local Greens, Pisco Raisins, Brazil nut). By this point we were stuffed to the
brim…and then the Charred Lamb Rack & Onion Textures came out. At the end
of the whole meal, we were asked for feedback, again mentioning this was the
first time they were trying something like this, and I mentioned this, so
hopefully it was just them finding their function feet. The food was again, all
delicious. The meats were perfectly cooked. Flavoursome and rich the way good
lamb should be. Simply, but well seasoned to allow the meat to shine, but also
using South American flavours. Smoke was present in all the flavours, and the
smoked mozzarella, tomato and palm heart salad stood out to me as the best
side. The sweet, rich and fresh elements were all present and played well
together. As my husband pointed out to me, this smoked mozzarella also went
well with the Chimmi Lamb Back Strap – more so than the softer flavoured Goat’s
Curd it came with, and it ramped up the earthiness of the beets as well. Three
reds were presented during this extended course, two of them Malbecs of
entirely different styles. Both with the trademark body of a Malbec that paired
brilliantly with the South American BBQ flavours. Sadly, I was so distracted by
the eating that I forgot to take photos. But it was also beautifully presented.
We were
thankfully given a mini-break to finish our reds and rest a little before the
dessert wine and desserts were brought out. There is always room for dessert –
but the rest of the servings were incredibly generous, and tasty enough for you
to not want to be stingy on your serves. The dessert wine was a hugely floral
Moscatel, that paired particularly well with the lime and lemon curd dark
chocolate tart. The citrus and flowers was delicious. This was my favourite
dessert. The dulce de leche parfait was also spot on, sweet and creamy. The
brownie was fairly dry and definitely needed the apricot compote that it came
with.
All in all, it was a very good meal. The staff were lovely and attentive, and despite finding their footing a little, it was an ultimately well executed long table dinner. We enjoyed it so much, we stayed on for a coffee to finish off the night. It’s a shame that this end of the city is so quiet on Saturday nights, as at the end of the meal, we were the only ones left in the restaurant
