A tasty thyme machine at The Standard

I think it's pretty obvious if I say that I love my food. But it's not just a truth I live, it's an obsession I am more than aware of. My mind is occupied by food for way too many hours in the day, and whenever I'm not eating, I'm thinking about things I have eaten, or what is next for me to devour. High on that list is new bar and kitchen in Northbridge, The Standard, which I actually visited one night recently for dessert after munching my way through a big bowl of pasta at Francoforte with my girls. It impressed us so much that my best friend Vee and I found time to come back a couple of week's later for dinner and drinks.

Arriving early around 6pm the sun is still shining and I think the reality is starting to set in that 2014 has nearly departed! It's days like this that remind me that summer is well and truly here, with nighttime only really creeping in on the later side of seven. We decide to sit indoors since the weather is still a little cool at night, and since we're too busy chatting and catching up to order some food, we start off with a cocktail each. 

While normally they come in carafes, you can order cocktails as a single serve too. We both opt for the 'Thyme Machine', which is made of Kettle One vodka, pear, lemon, thyme and ginger beer. It's so refreshing and has that lovely floral thyme hit that works well with the sweet and sour notes in the drink. I could definitely see myself knocking back a couple of these on a hot summer's day.

As we sit back and relax, I take the opportunity to look around. Aesthetically it looks great, with a wide open bar that you can see into the kitchen through. The tables outside are spread out, with an upstairs decking that I can imagine would make for a pretty setting when the sun sets. I really like the way they've set this place up - you'd never suspect it walking down Roe Street that this place would hold such a lovely setting.

Finally we place our orders for dinner, choosing four dishes from the menu to share between us. They come out as they're prepared, with the first to arrive being the fava chips with mushroom ketchup and aioli ($9.00). 

I'm a big fan of broad beans and I was really interested to see how they'd worked this into a chip form. A stack of them sit crisscrossed on the board, and I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by how they look, though I don't know what I was quite expecting. Biting into them you get a lovely crunch to the outside with a softness inside. The filling isn't as fluffy as say a potato but the flavour is tasty and I enjoy the aioli which is garlicky and creamy. The mushroom ketchup isn't as earthy I'd expected, but I'm a huge mushroom fan so I often expect big things from this humble ingredient. 

The chicken liver parfait ($10.00) comes out also differently than expected, but is delightfully playful with it's canister like crisps encasing the creamy parfait. There's accompanying flavours of hibiscus, parsley and shallots on the plate. 

As you may know if you've read my blog before, I'm a pretty big sucker for all things parfait and tend to order this whenever I see it on a menu. The Standard's definitely passed the test, with a well balanced and seasoned version that still retained some 'liver' taste without it being overpowering. Very nice! And I liked the style of presentation having it all ready to just dive in and devour in one big bite. Chef Chase (formerly of No 4 Blake Street fame) is doing some exciting things in the kitchen here.

Something you actually may not know about me is that when I was little, my dad used to be a deep sea diver for his profession. The reason I mention this is to share the fact that I grew up eating seafood. I've always loved it, always been fascinated by the different types and flavours, and the versatility of this style of produce. Now it's not as readily available (i.e. I now have to pay) as back then, but my love for it hasn't wavered... in fact it feels stronger than ever.

Keeping this in mind, it felt only right that we order a seafood dish. Tossing up between the spanner crab salad and the clams, we go for the latter. The garlic clams ($19.00) come out in a bowl with a sauce made of cider, cream and chives and is accompanied by a couple slices of grilled sourdough. I have to say, I really enjoyed this dish. It's simple but really flavoursome, with the clams cooked perfectly. The bread is definitely a welcome addition, ideal for dunking into that umami rich broth that sits at the base of the bowl. I did find a couple of little broken shards of shell in the sauce but luckily I managed to spot them before they made their way into either of our mouths.

Our final savoury dish for our dinner is the chicken grill with rice noodles, peanuts, herbs and nuoc cham ($21.00). I always hesitate ordering Asian style dishes at non-Asian restaurants but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. This felt very Vietnamese meets Thai, with a blend of different flavours that compliment each other, as well as the protein.

I really like the tender chicken thigh which is completely juicy and flavoursome, with a nice kick of heat following each bite. The noodles are wonderfully soft, perfect for slurping up and then munching on some crunchy peanuts afterwards. It's very fresh, though we're realising that we probably have over-ordered, and knowing we want dessert we don't manage to make it completely through this dish.

When dining at The Standard, desserts are a must have. There's only three on the menu, but from what I hear they are all phenomenal. But my eyes are all for the vanilla pannacotta, strawberry and lemonade ($14.00). It was this dessert that brought me back to The Standard and so while an adventurous part of me wanted to order something else, I was too committed.

Arriving as a glass of pannacotta flecked with vanilla bean specks and topped with fresh and freeze-dried berries, our waitress takes the small blue jug on the dessert board and pours over the top a strawberry liqueur. From there, housemade lemonade is charged in a soda siphon and topped into our glass to create a dessert meets drink. There's also a side bowl of crumbly shortbread cookie to inject some slight savouriness and crunch between bites.

The pannacotta is lovely and lightly perfumed with vanilla flavour however I do prefer my pannacotta wobblier personally. I love the different textures and flavours of berries which range from sweet to sour and the bubbly lemonade is light and tasty. I find myself swapping between using the straw and spoon - it's a very fun and engaging dessert!

Seeing the trend of little bespoke bars which serve brilliant drinks and share food is an exciting trend for me, and The Standard has done well to burst onto the scene with aplomb. Service was wonderful, the food tasty and the dessert fun. I can't wait for summer weekends to sit back in their expansive garden and enjoy carafes of zingy cocktails while relaxing in the sun.