A little ray of happiness at Tuck Shop

I think it's appropriate for me up front to let you know that I have certain food weaknesses. Feta, goats curd or any amazing cheese is definitely the one I suffer from the most. But then there are some other ingredients which tend to sell me on any dish in a menu. Mushrooms, corn, spinach, avocado, sweet potato and duck are just the start of my food kryptonite. I could go on but I'm sure you'll start to realise as I post more and more. Maybe these things aren't your cup of tea, but I thought it would be best for us to start off as honest as possible. Even though blogs don't usually contain disclaimers, this one does. Warning: cheese addict at the control of this keyboard. 

But now that's out of the way let me tell you about The Tuck Shop. From first visit until what I am thinking is at least in my double digits now, all I can say is WOW.

This place is exactly what the Perth foodie scene has been screaming for. Comforting, tasty and well presented food that has obviously had a lot of love and thought put into it from designing the menu to the actual cooking and plating up of it.

It's a small little cafe, tucked away at the back of Perth which most people usually refer to as Northbridge. And while I wouldn't normally like to venture into the city on the weekend for breakfast when there are so many other worthy venues not close to where I work, one bite into my meal and the trip is justified.

Let me start off by saying this. At the Tuck Shop, service is impeccable. I think that's something really important to note here because while I am all about the food that I eat, service plays a massive part too. There's nothing worse than going to a place and being treated like scum.

On my recent trip to the Tuck Shop, I arrived for a 10am brunch only to find that there were about 6 or so couples waiting to also get a table. Normally I hate the idea of waiting to order to wait for food etc but here it doesn't seem so repellant. You're invited by the smiling waitresses to have a seat at the bench where they'll serve you drinks or coffee before you're taken to your table. I was there only about 10 minutes before I was seated. Not too bad at all!

Once my best friend Vee arrives we both ordered quickly, knowing that today was a day for the bruschetta. And like all dishes I've tried there (arancini, lamb pie, chickpea salad, homemade hash brown) it did not disappoint. I went the extra step and ordered a poached egg on the side which was a very reasonable couple dollars to add on (as opposed to some places which charge upward of $6 for one egg). So my dish was this: a fresh slice of ciabatta bread, topped with the most incredible goats curd I think I have ever eaten (and I've eaten it alot), spread thickly and generously in clumps. While I'm already sold on just this ingredient alone, it does get better. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, soft but contradictingly firm avocado, a zingy basil salad and bacon so crunchy it has to be clogging your arteries (but doing it in a way that you welcome with open arms).

Normally when Vee and I meet up to eat we take our time, chatting and casually picking our way through our meals. But on this occasion we could barely stop to breathe, delving into the delicious meals with more gusto than perhaps appropriate in public. And though normally I accompany my food with a freshly squeezed orange juice or a vanilla bean milkshake here (both phenomenal), on this day I went for the special - fresh apple juice.

Unfortunately it wasnt quite as delicious as other drinks I've tried here. Too thick, pulpy and gritty for my liking. But before I got a chance to even say anything, the owner walked past and spied our glasses - noting that they didnt quite look right. She whisked them off for replacements and when they returned they were a completely different story. The juice sang in my mouth - sour but sweet at the same time from the use of Granny Smith apples. It was the perfect accompaniment to one of my favourite brunch meals ever and a really nice surprise that they value the customer's experience so much.

As expected I will be going back again and again if things stay the same. Everyone I've recommended try it have fallen in love, which is a nice feeling to know that there are some new places that get it right all the time. And for all the coffee drinkers (I'm not one), my other best friend Carly tells me its incredible. So no wonder whenever I go there's a line of people for both the food and the drink.


Revisit: Saturday, 9 June 2012 

I am a creature of habit. I'm sure I've admitted this before but it's something that I recognise in myself and am the first to admit it. Of course I go back to Tuck Shop over and over again. I haven't blogged about it the last few times but today I finally managed to take my partner Jeremy there. And he was a VERY satisfied customer. 

I decided for once to stray from the very amazing breakfast bruschetta, going for the crumbed pumpkin arancini balls with tomato, basil and bocconcini. I did however order a little side of goats curd to ease the pain of missing out on that breakfast item, as well as the wonderful parmesan home made hashbrowns. 

The arancini was crunchy, packed full of flavour and incredibly filling. My parmesan hash brown made a nice side to dip into the river of tomato sauce that sat underneath the risotto balls. 

Jeremy went for the menu item I knew he would. Moroccan meatballs with hommus smeared atop a crispy toasted flat bread. Garnished with a perfectly fried za'tar egg it was a great balance of herbs and spices to make it seem exotic. 

It was smothered in a thick and rich sauce that took the dish to the next level. 

I really do love this place. I know I keep saying it but it impresses with every meal I have. So instead of waffling on I'll keep this short and sweet. Get there ASAP. Do it right now. I insist!

And when you're there, try the new milkshake they have on offer. Strawberry, vanilla bean and custard. Drool.