Welcome to the wild west at Miss Kitty's Saloon

Stepping into Miss Kitty's Saloon on Beaufort Street in Inglewood is like cuing the beginning of Will Smith's Wild Wild West song. There's something very funky about it - the decor is heavily wooden with great emphasis on the whole retro saloon look. I half expect someone to slide a beer down the length of the bar's counter to me.

The staff are friendly and likeable; the smiles large as Jeremy and I arrive for dinner. We haven't booked but we're lucky enough to arrive at the right time to get seats up at the bar. We're both pretty excited as we've heard great things about the food here - which is described as American/Canadian. But with a twist - the best way food should be.

As we take a seat in the large medieval looking wooden stools, our waitress presents us with a bowl of complimentary peanuts in their shells plus the drink and food menus. The lighting is extremely dim in here but that complements the decor and design of the venue. It just isn't great for taking photos!

I love peanuts so I happily get stuck into shelling them while examining the food on offer. Having these reminds me of the days when Lone Star Steakhouse used to be up at Innaloo and people would throw their shells on the floor. That was when I was just a kid but somehow I remember it.

Before we choose our food, we each order a drink to start the night off. Jeremy gets a Harcourt Apple Cider ($14) which is a large 500ml bottle that is chilled and comes with a stemless glass to pour into. I choose the Kitty Cocktail ($12) which is apple, ginger ale and rye. It's strong and very suited to this place and the persona they're trying to present. Not really my cup of tea in terms of cocktails since the rye has an incredibly strong aftertaste, but I'm sure some people would really like this.

Our waitress for the night is really sweet and helpful, great for us to chat to as we figure out what we'd like to meet. She's quick to advise us that the menu style here is tapas and sharing is encouraged. And that everything, in her opinion, is fantastic. Sounds good to us!

Straight away I notice on the menu that they have Poutine ($12) which is chips, cheese and gravy. You can also add Foie Gras on top ($3). Poutine is a dish that originates from Quebec in Canada and something I've wanted to try since the first time I saw it on Man vs Food.

It's not quite what I always imagined poutine to be, but I believe they've probably taken creative licence here. What I do love is that the 'gravy' is a rich but thin jus that soaks into the chips so that they're slightly soggy but still starchy. The chunks of ricotta are flavoursome and retain their shape even despite the heat of the dish. The foie gras is rich and velvety; coating my mouth and elevating the taste experience. I particularly like how they scatter celery leaves on top - it offers a nice change and freshness that counters the heaviness.

Next up we get the Waffles with Beef Chilli and Avocado Butter ($11). I really like this dish - it's both of our favourite's for the night. The waffle is light and crisp on the edges but soft in the middle. The chilli is meaty but really flavoursome - and they include kidney beans which I'm pretty partial to. The avocado butter is pretty great too, but there's not enough in my book... though that's just because I love avocado and this tastes good. I like the use of coriander on top.

Because we both adore chilli, we order a serving of the Hot Wing Pancakes ($4 each) which comes with ranch sauce and pickled carrot. The pancake base is thin but stays together as we each lift up our portion. Let me tell you - the hot wings in this, they pack a real punch! We're both so used to ordering hot food and not having it live up to its name, but here it definitely does.

The ranch sauce mixes in with the shredded meat but doesn't act as a cooling agent as I'd hope. Neither does the pickled carrot, but that doesn't mean this isn't great. I really like it. The flesh from the wings is meaty and juicy - this is a winner. But boy does it leave my mouth burning!

We finish off our savoury courses with a serving each of the Steamed Buttermilk Buns ($7 each). Inside is smoked trout, BBQ sauce, cucumber and radish. The buns are as light as air; the dough so soft and moorish. The smoked trout I find a bit too smokey for my tastebuds but Jeremy is quite partial to this kind of flavouring technique so he likes it. I think I sit more in the camp for smoked duck than fish. But I like the use of the radish inside which is a bit of an underused vegetable and the BBQ sauce adds even more of a smokey taste. I enjoy my first few bites of this little dish but the balance of flavour is a bit uneven and I find my mouth completely overtaken by the smokiness.

There are quite a few great looking dishes on the menu at Miss Kitty's Saloon for dinner. We don't order anymore as we're full enough by then but I do want to come back to try dishes such as the Charcoal Tamarind Pork Ribs and the Corn Fritters. Yum yum! If only my stomach was bottomless.

Like all good meals out, we can't not have dessert. But we do wait a little while before ordering which I'm pleased to note that the staff here have no problem with you hanging around. It's such a relaxed atmosphere but with an eclectic vibe, you don't feel rushed or like you're holding up other diners.

When we do order dessert, we view the menu and note there are only two options. Perfect! We order one of each, with both of us having a greater desire for a particular item each. Jeremy gets the Pecan Butter Tart ($9) which comes out with a scoop of maple ice-cream on top. The pastry is so rich and flaky it's unbelievable. So satisfyingly delicious and the nuttiness of the pecans ties in well with the toffee setting. A tiny dessert but really great.

I get the Glass of Banoffee Pie ($9) which is made up of banana, chocolate and 100s & 1000s. It comes out in an adorable jar, layers of yumminess throughout. The bottom is a caramel like cream that has different textures of chocolate on top. Some smooth, some flaky and some crunchy like mini-maltesers. The banana slices inside are fresh and vibrant; the cream on top a bright yellow with crunchy 100s & 1000s on top. It's so playful and funky. A great way to finish off our evening here and round out the Miss Kitty's experience.

All up I have to say I did like our dinner at this new establishment. The food is prepared with love and the menu exciting. The brunch menu definitely appeals to me so I want to go back soon to try the other items on offer. There were some hit and misses in the overall meal but as a whole, I did really like it and highly recommend it for a night out. I think it would be particularly great to go to with a big group of people and while away the hours with some drinks and delicious food.

And, if you're a candy lover like me, when you go up to pay they have some candy jars available to purchase for only $3 each. I chose coke bottles. What a sweet, sweet ending.