A lunch of southern comfort at The Old Crow

When it comes to southern food in Perth, new hotspot The Old Crow delivers everything and more. Situated on Newcastle Street just doors up from the Tuck Shop this restaurant inside an old heritage house is funky, fun and vibrant.

The food is soulful and comforting; the kitchen quick and efficient. There's a good variety of dishes to choose from, with a slight difference between the day and night options. When The Old Crow first opened, Jeremy and I were quick to visit for dinner where we ate some truly delicious dishes.

Since then I've been back a couple times for lunch, but I've been forgetting to bring my camera. But I just so had it on me on this occasion after frequenting the mid-Autumn festival in Northbridge. We arrived for lunch around 1pm on Sunday, getting a seat straight away in the sunny outdoor dining area. With an Elvis record (actual vinyl) being played, the mood is set as chilled and welcoming. The staff echo this as they greet up happily and set our table up with water straight away.

The lunch options sound phenomenal, with some real standouts on offer. I spy the Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket Sandwich with Pickled Cabbage, Fries and Thousand Island Dressing immediately and know without a doubt that this is the dish Jeremy will choose.

I'm not wrong! And I'm so glad he does as it means I can try it!

It comes out on an enormous silver tray; a giant offering at only $17, which is great value these days. The fries are crisp and skinny, dusted in a nice cajun like salt. I love the use of thousand island dressing, which is not a common sauce these days - it sends me back to my childhood and the tang compliments the fillings of the sandwich so perfectly.

The beef is so moorish and tender - it basically falls apart in my mouth with the little bite I take. I love how they've mixed the pickled cabbage in with it, which offers a nice combination of sweetness and sour. The addition of fresh greens gives it a light peppery freshness to counter the other elements.

This is definitely a dish worth ordering if you go for lunch!

When it came to my choice, I could not help myself but be drawn immediately to the Duck Liver Parfait ($15) with charred bread and pear puree. When we came here for dinner, Jeremy and I shared this and it was so yummy, I needed to eat it again!

It comes out as a different presentation which is a nice change, a wobbling tower of charred bread slices sitting next to a salad of pear cubes, chives and mustard seeds. The slick of pear puree is situated next to it, with a gleaming square of creamy, dreamy parfait.

If you have read my blog before, you may have come to realise that I adore parfait. Jeremy often jokes I go into withdrawal if I don't have it for a few weeks, and that was definitely how I was feeling on this occasion.

I dive in, cutting the soft parfait with my knife and spreading it onto the bread which is smokey, soft on the inside and crunchy along the edges. The pear that accompanies it is sweet and punchy; a really interesting twist on your standard dish of this kind.

Writing this right now I want to eat it all over again! So yummy, and a great lunch size!

Our lunch at The Old Crow was a great and cheap day out. I was already an advocate of this place, and stopping by last weekend cemented what a hidden gem it is. The food is simple but delicious; the ingredients respected. I love it all - the style the flair and everything else it offers. I'm raving about it!