My ongoing list of favorite Perth cheap restaurants

We quickly found out, after being in Perth for a day or so that it's not an inexpensive place to eat out.   Let me rephrase that: it's mind numbingly awestrikingly outrageously expensive.   But... there are exceptions to the rule. 

Here are my faves.   I'm going to keep adding to this list it as I find more.  I'll only add restaurants that I have tried and would appreciate any suggestions in the comments.

Sept 26 additions:

Trangs Cafe (Vietnamese/Pho): Girrawheen

This is a new find and I've now been 3 times as the food is cheap, fresh, high quality and with decent portion sizes.  Dishes run between 10-13 dollars.  So far I've tried a Spicy Noodle Soup, Fried rice noodles, Vermicelli Noodle bowl with spring roll and pork and the Rice paper rolls with prawn and pork.  Trangs has just renovated and looks great in the small premise.  It has been busy each time I've been in there.

I should mention that in the area of Trang's there are 6 or more Vietnamese restaurants, 2 of which are producing BMT (Banh mi thit) sandwhiches for ridiculously low prices (5 dollars cash at the one I went in to try)  It's not a destination area for scenery but it should be for great food. 

EB's Cafe:  Wangara

Wangara is apparently known for having great lunch bars and I now know why.  Every day EB's has a different offering of Chinese food served with their standard tasty fried rice (you can also ask for steamed rice but you'd be missing out).  I believe the rotation is Monday: Chicken and Veg in Black been sauce, Tuesday Egg Noodles and a separate chinese omelette, Wednesday: Chinese Curry with chicken and potato, Thursday: A spicey thin noodle dish and separately a Chicken satay dish that seems more like a green curry and is my personal favorite, Friday: Some sort of stew that I've yet to try.  They always have a pile of sweet honey chicken balls that you can add on. A medium order of chinese with fried rice is $6.....$7.50 for a large.

The other thing EB's is doing daily is a $6.50 Pork Gravy Roll.  Take roast pork chopped up, add some of the cracklin, put it on a fresh toasted bun and pour tasty gravy all over it.  It's consistently really good and my go to when I'm not feeling like having Chinese.  They do a number of other dishes but I just haven't got to them yet.

Original selections:

Ali Baba's takeaway (Turkish / Kebabs): Rivervale

There are a lot of kebab shops in Perth and most are reasonably priced.   Ali Baba's is by far my favorite and by far beats any Kebab shop (we called them donairs) back home in Edmonton.   They have a massive wood oven turning out fresh awesome turkish bread which you can buy.   This same fresh bread makes up the bread component of the kebabs.  Everyone I've brought here agrees the food is excellent and the family that runs it is very friendly.

When we first arrived in Perth we would go out for an evening drive until both kids fell asleep, then pull up right in front of Ali Baba's and have a cheap date at one of the small tables arms length from the car while keeping a watchfully eye on the kids.  

The Red Chair (Breakfast / Vietnamese) : Crossways Mall, Subiaco

I'm not sure how we found this place but it has quickly become a goto for a cheap healthy lunch.   They're open until mid afternoon every day and serve baked items, good coffee, and nice breakfasts.   The reason I go though is the fantastic Vietnamese vermicelli bowls which are so fresh tasting, good portions and around 12 dollars.  I also find the ambiance of eating in the middle of Crossways Mall quite enjoyable.

Ten Ten (chinese) : Albany Highway Victoria Park

My buddy Adam turned me on to this place a few months ago and it's become a weekly favorite.   For 9 dollars you get a healthy portion of killer good fried rice with your selection of protein and sauce.   All served to you at bullet train speed that would make Mcdonalds envious.   See below my Curried Beef with Fried Rice.  The curry has a nice spice and the beef is tender.

Sparrow (Indonesian): Lord Street, Mount Lawly

I fell in love with the flavors of Indonesian food on my first and only trip to Jakarta back in September.  Unfortunately my body wasn't nearly as fond of the food for a good week after the visit.  

Then I found Sparrow in Mount Lawly.  Sparrow encorporates the flavors of Indonesia with the MUCH higher quality ingredients of Australia, fast service, and no need to deal with Jakarta traffic.  The owner is a total character and offers 10% discount for first time customers.  Three mains, rice and 2 ice teas came to $30 AUD.  That's seriously cheap here.

Any suggestions for what else should make this list???

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Preparing for an Australian winter

When you've lived over 35 years in 2 of the coldest cities on the planet the idea of feeling cold in Perth seems mad.  Outdoors is never an issue...it never goes below zero celsius and most days will still reach a high in the teens.  That said, after 2 winters here and approaching a third I have never felt so cold inside a house as I have in Perth.

The majority of houses here are built with an extremely simple form of insulation: air.  Houses have two layers of brick with an air gap in between.  Unless the house was build in the last 5 or so years it will have no insulation in the attic.  Regardless of build date it will have single pane / glazed windows.  This makes for a structure that gets cold fast and stays cold without significant heat input.

Heat can be provided in a number of ways:  

1) Centrally via either natural gas (I've never actually seen a house with this but I'm told it exists) or reverse cycle air conditioning (electricity).  Vents tend only to be in major areas.  You don't see them in bathrooms, closets or laundry rooms typically.  Ducted reverse cycle is the most comfortable year round solution in Australia.

2) Split unit reverse cycle air conditioners (electrically run) which will only heat or cool in the room their in.  If sized properly these work well and make for one of the most energy efficient solutions as the idea is you only turn them on when needed.
 

3) A gas point is provided in multiple places in the house for you to connect a gas heater which can be purchased for 900 to 1200 dollars each new.  A note of caution, these units are self contained and have no mechanism to exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide.  Houses are never equipped with carbon monoxide sensors.  I'm told that state governments have run campaigns in the past to try to get people to get rid of their old dangerous gas heaters in exchange for newer safer ones.   It is suggested when running these units that you have windows or doors open a bit to ensure ventilation.  One could suggest that the less than modern aussie construction techniques leave houses so loose in terms of air movement that this isn't a real problem.

4) A wood burning stove (Jarrah hard wood seems to be the fuel of choice and number of companies offer bulk home delivery starting around $150 per 1/2 tonne).  The heat is uber nice but of course you have very little control and they are not exactly low maintenance.

5) Bathrooms often have heat lamps which feel nice and would keep a roast turkey warm in a pinch.

I should mention that thermostats are also very rudimentary when compared to North America.  Those used to smart thermostats that set the temperature based on when you're home or awake might be disappointed. By contrast, split units allow you to set the temperature of the air coming out, and have timers.  Central ducted units allow you to set the room temperature and have timers.  Many systems are purely on or off.

So that all said, this year we've got a combination of available heat.  One split unit in the master bedroom.  A wood stove in the living room.  A gas point in the same room, and a gas point in the main kitchen / living area.  Kids rooms have...well...blankets.

I've ordered 500 kg of jarrah which showed up next day.  A lot of it is little tiny pieces so I'm not sure how long it'll last but it's dry and it definitely burns.  The reverse cycle in the master works really well.  I'm thinking we may add a gas heater to the house as a last resort if we get to a point that we can't get the majority of the house above 17 C. 

   

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The australian public school vs private school dillema

I can't name a private school in Edmonton.  If we still lived there today Olivia would be in a public school and it's very likely that we would rave about it as we did the program she was in run by the Edmonton Catholic School board before we left.

Schooling in Australia is very different.  You have 4 (that I know of there might be more) types of schools.  Private, Catholic Private, Independant Public and Public schools.  Mention to the right person an intention of sending your kids to public school and you will get a gasp akin to the announcement that you have decided to have your children raised by wolves.

So my question became:  Is this reaction valid?  Are the public schools that bad?  Is it really necessary to spend 14 - 25K per child per year for private school?

Our first decision was made easier by the fact that the company that brought us to Perth would pay the cost of Private School.  Why take the risk?  We had a suspect discussion at a public school where we were living and were able to find a spot at the closest private school: Wesley College.  Wesley is an old boys school that have begun introducing girls.  A family one time initiation fee of around 6K plus 13K in annual dues would get Olivia into the kindy program (4-5 years of age). 

A mural displayed at Wesley College in South Perth

This year things are different.  We do not have the warm cotton blanket expat package to fall back on. Olivia would cost 14-15K and Owen would start pre-kindy at 7-9K.  Take into account the Australian taxes and I have to earn nearly 40K just for their private schooling and this number would rise quickly as they grow up.

And so after much debate (Angie is a teacher by profession), research, reading, discussion with other parents we decided to try public schools.  Two months ago Olivia started at a Independant public school in the area we're living in.

I plan to continue to update my observations on this little experiment but here are my initial observations:

Facilities:  The facilities at Wesley and many of the expensive private schools are over the top impressive.  They are in pristine condition, contantly being added to, well landscaped and remind me of small universities or Harry Potter's Hogwarts rather than children's schools.  The public school we have Olivia at has seen better days in terms of condition.  Maybe much better days.  That's not to say that it is a dump, it just has a need for maintenance in certain areas and is not nearly as grand.  

Private schools are marketing machines catering to parents emotions:  Every piece of literature, every communication at Wesley was "prettied up", had gone through a marketing agency, was printed on thick paper stock and drove the message that you were in an elite, storied place that created elite leaders of tomorrow.  You feel special there.  You get to say "My kids go to Wesley"  You rub elbows with other elite parents (doctors, lawyers, bank executives etc).  They send countless e-mails, massive newsletters printed like high end annual reports from forture 500 companies reinforcing the greatness that is the Wesley experience.

Private schools are never done asking for money:  You've paid nearly 20K for tuition, so you're done right?  Yeah, right!  Fund raising events at 50-100 bucks a head, emails asking for donations to keep the storied history alive, 400 / term for violin lessons, mandated uniforms double the price of public school uniforms the same quality.  It never stops.

Public schools are for students:  You will not get big fancy propoganda books.  I haven't been invited for a champagne charity event overlooking the city.  We have however already had an assessment of Olivia's reading skills and the areas the teacher will be focused on.  Want to send the teacher an e-mail.  You can but she only reads them once per week.  She'll be happy to talk to you when you come in though.  So far I see a focus on the accademics that I didn't see at Wesley.  (Keep in mind Olivia is very young.)

The base curriculum is the same:  I think this often gets lost.  Private schools like public schools are bound by Australian laws as to what they must teach.  They can add, but they can't subtract.  Private schools and independant schools appear to have some flexibility in how they present certain materials vs the pure public schools.  For example the pure public schools are still teaching the font, Victorian modern cursive which I'm not sure I had even seen before.  I'm sure as we get on there will be elements of the Aussie curriculum that will drive us crazy but nothing that we can't top up at home.

Teachers appear more strict at the public schools:  This is an observation shared by other friends of mine in discussion.  The private school would have us believe their more carefree approach is their method of driving leadership characteristics.  Time will tell....I think Olivia can use a little more authority as seen in her new school.

Either way, good teachers matter:  I liked Olivia's teacher at Wesley.  She was relatively new to teaching but had a gentle way about her and I think Olivia learned some life skills from her.  Her new public school teacher is clearly experienced and very strong.  Watching her assess students is quite impressive.  She is a no nosense, get the job done kind of person that I think we will reflect on fondly in years to come.    

We're two months in and only comparing one young student across two schools.  I'm going to continue to share my observations on this as we're talking about the two most prized things in Angie and my life: Olivia and Owen.    

My friend Alan said something that has stuck with me:  "No matter what school you put your child in, one thing remains true.  The bright ones always rise to the top."

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The newest celebrity in Perth: The Sorrento Seal

This guy, a 2000kg elephant seal showed up way off course on Sorrento beach.   He's departed a few times now and then come back to hang out again on the beach.   Thankfully wildlife officers have stepped in and roped off an area to keep the thousands of people coming to get a look back.

Update:  The Sorrento Seal would leave Perth about a week after he landed and has not been back to the beaches since.

Check out hash tag #sorrentoseal on Twitter and you get a sense of what news he has become.

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Renting a house in Perth: Prices are dropping

The topic of real estate in Perth is a common one.   The rental market in particular is like no other that I've ever experienced.   We're getting ready for a move to a different property and I cannot get over the difference in the market.

Two years ago when we arrived, property rentals went something like this:

Find a property on realestate.com.au or reiwa.com.au  (both have the same properties,  realestate.com.au has a better site and great apps.)
Figure out when the next inspection will be.
Arrive on time or just before the inspection time.
Have your application pre-filled out.
Watch as 10-40 other families show up.  Apparently because of the way I look and dress, many will think I am the rental agent.
Offer full value or higher on the spot
Wait 2 days for an email that states that you have been unsuccessful.
All that on a property that was 1500 / week or more.  It was apparently extreme on properties under $700 per week.

Fast forward to today.   Newspapers are stating that rental vacancies are up 60+ percent from year ago levels and that unit rentals prices are down 2 percent.   My experience tells me that rentals rates are dropping much more quickly.   Many agencies have confided that rentals on properties in 1000 per week range are seeing drops of up to 200 dollars per week.

One of the agents the other night said to us "Houses $650 and under per week, no problem....$700 and over are getting really difficult to move"

Some examples of the funky and not so funky houses we've seen in our short experience lately:

A mansion in South Perth with a pretty much unusable kitchen that the owner wants someone to pay $900 a week for and will not commit to fixing anything....but wow what a cool building and amazing views.  I have to say, whoever the photographer on this was, good job mate, the inside did not look this good to us.

A property in Sorrento walking distance to the Beach / Ocean that was ultra modern but above what we wanted to pay at $1100 per week (the agent claims the last tenant was paying $1350)  This place had a very cool roof top balcony with ocean views and an oddly shaped pool.  

A good bones house in Gwelup that has been fit out as cheaply as absolutely possible and getting lots of noise from Karrinyup Road.  700 / week  I want to like it, I want to like it, I want to like it.....ummmmm NO.

And finally a nice house in South Perth.  I think this would have easily fetched 1300+ / week 2 years ago and they are struggling to get 980 / week.   ** Update - 8 days later this one came off the real estate boards and I thought, hmmm they did get that much.  A day later it's back on at 930/ week.

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Cricket...hot dog with potato salad....sure!

My buddy and all around good dude Alpesh asked me if I wanted to join him for the Twenty20 cricket match last night at the wacker.  I've never been and really don't understand the game but near the end was getting the jist of it.

Twenty20's are nice because they're 3 hours long rather than the standard decade long butt destroying cricket test.

And take a look at the sausage with potato salad on it.  It was seriously good and quite unlike the normally plain jane food I'd expect at such a venue.

I'm pretty impressed with the images as shot from my Samsung Note 2....there were some pretty funky skies going on and those light stands are really imposing.

The Perth Scorchers finished off the Hobart Hurricanes (just barely) in what was a pretty exciting game for a guy who didn't understand the game at the start.  

Wow the grammar in this post is shocking... Enjoy the pics! 

Beautiful evening at the wacker complete with ufo flash

That's a serious sausage complete with potato salad

Starting out

That sky was pretty epic.  If you look closely we're winning.

The wacker lights are cool

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Learning Aussie Rules football

One of the true surprises of the journey abroad has been how much I've enjoyed Australian Rules Football or Footy as it's affectionately known.  Footy is like a religion here and as soon as you can talk the game, striking a conversation with men (and often women) gets a whole lot easier.

NAB Bank was playing the below commercials this year which I love.  In very simple terms, it explains the game.  I think it's pretty cute.

Scoring:
There are 4 posts.  Kick it through the middle two posts:  A goal - 6 Points.  Kick it between the outside posts: A behind: 1 Point  Hit one of the two middle posts:  A behind - 1 Point.  Hit an outside post - No points  Ok now you know how to score....got that?

Marks:
Then you've got the mark.  Kick the ball at least 10 meters and if a player catches it he is awarded a mark.  A mark is basically a free kick that the opposing team cannot go beyond where the mark was taken.

There are lots of other rules...but if you can get the scoring and the mark, then you can watch and enjoy quite easily.

When moving to Perth, there will be charlatans who will try to convince you to cheer for the West Coast Eagles.  Don't fall for this nonsense.  When in Perth, cheer for the Fremantle Dockers and all will be well with the world.  (No bias to see here folks - move along)

Joking aside, we have two teams in WA, West Coast and Fremantle.  The rivalry is not as strong as hockey's Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers that I grew up with, but it does show up.  West Coast has won grand finals and has overshadowed Fremantle for a long time.  That is, until this year.  This year Fremantle was a dominating team and went to the Grand Final only to beaten by the very strong Hawthorn Hawks.

Showing Dockers pride during the finals

Angie and I got to go to a game in a company box which was a truly awesome experience.  The field is massive, different at each stadium, and holds a huge number of people.  The Subiaco Oval, where Fremantle and West Coast play, holds 43,500.  The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Grounds) where the Grand Final is played each year holds 100,018 (yes, 100,018)

Our first game at the Subiaco Oval - Fremantle Won!

Every regular season game (1 per week as a general rule, played Friday, Saturday or Sunday) for both Fremantle and West Coast is on Freeview television. (it's normally got a minor time delay, which you can avoid by lining Rupert Murdoch's pockets with money and getting Foxtel)  I've added a few good videos below for your viewing pleasure.

I've you've made the journey to Australia, or are intending to and enjoy sports, I highly suggest giving the game a shot.

Best goals and marks of the year

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Coffee Culture in Australia

I love my coffee.  See my ever evolving latte art above.  Regardless of the region and the way the local culture drinks their coffee, I get engaged and enjoy it.  One of my favourite experiences is breakfast while staying in Italian hotels.  Not because of what I traditionally think of breakfast, but because of the cappuccino and espresso that is served with near perfect consistency, and all included in the ridiculously low room rate.  Even outside the hotels that perfect coffee is just 1 euro.

Cappuccino and Brioche on one of my trips to Milan

Fast forward to Perth, and we are fully enveloped by a coffee culture with it's own lingo that will certainly trip up those new to it.

Epic Espresso in West Perth - My personal favourite cafe

Perth, like Italy is an espresso based coffee culture.  Drip coffee is nearly unheard of though you are starting to see some shops serve a "pour over" like it is some sort of special alchemy to be tried by true coffee aficionados.  Coffee here is also often very milk based.

If you order a coffee in North America you will receive a drip coffee and usually the standard "Do you take cream or sugar?".

In Italy the simple "un cafe per favor" will garner you one shot of espresso.

In Australia...."coffee please" will likely get you a blank stare followed by "so....Flat White?"

Ok lets go through the options and what they mean:

Short Black = 1 shot of espresso.  You certainly can ask for a double short black as well.  It should be served in a small ceramic cup and drank immediately.

Long Black = An americano.  Take a shot of espresso and add boiling water.  Generally 1/3 coffee to 2/3 water.

Flat White = It's supposed to be a stronger version of a latte where the milk is not as frothed.  In my experience it is just a latte with less foam but some may disagree.

Latte = Latte  I think we're ok here.  The only difference in Australia is it's often served in a clear picardie glass.

Cappuccino = No real change here.  It's often served with chocolate powder on top and I find them to be much less strong than what I would get in Italy.

Short Macchiatto - If you frequent Starbucks, forget what Starbucks told the world a macchiatto was.  A proper macchiatto is a shot of espresso with small "stain" of steamed milk foam.

Long Macchiatto (usually topped up) - Bring on the marching angry barrista's.  This is consistently made differently so you are best to tell someone how you want it made if you are going to order it but generally it is 2 shots of espresso with steamed milk topped up to an 8 oz glass.  Often if served to "dine in" it comes in a clear glass.  Many barristas will argue that this is a piccolo latte.  The problem I have with this is that ordering a piccolo latte often gets me a stare, follow by "Flat white-then?".

One of my frustrations with many coffee shops is that they offer different sizes and if you go for a larger size you get more milk.  I'm told there are barristas that know better but I've yet to find them.  My solution: order a small only.  This has the benefit of keeping the Italian coffee gods happy as well.  This is of course assuming you don't order a milk based drink like a cappuccino after 11am.

I should mention to be prepared to pay for that coffee.  Perth ranks as having the most expensive cup of coffee in Australia with an average price above 4 dollars.

Love coffee....please share...How do you take it?

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