Getting to know A Fish Called Inglewood

These days it seems Perth has exploded in the culinary sense. I just can't keep up with all the places to dine at and all the seasonally changing menus which demand at least four visits per year. One great thing about being a food blogger is connecting with other food obsessed individuals because quite often you get a hot tip about a restaurant that turns out to be a real winner.

Such is the case for the humble seafood restaurant, A Fish Called Inglewood, which fellow blogger Perth Munchkin told me about one afternoon. I mentally filed this away and made a note to make my way there as soon as possible. After all, I'm a huge seafood fan and have heard that Head Chef Paul Zammit (formerly of Mosmans) and his wife Jaycinta are doing some pretty exciting stuff here.

Deciding to head out for the night recently, the boy and I threw around a few suggestions of places we've been wanting to dine at but soon enough we'd made our decision to visit this little Inglewood venue. It was a Wednesday night and we didn't have a booking but we were hoping we'd manage to get a seat. Thankfully our timing was just right and we managed to slide into one of the last tables available!

Currently A Fish Called Inglewood (don't you just love the name - A Fish Called Wanda is definitely a movie from my childhood days) is BYO alcohol though I did see a sign in their window which mentioned that they're currently applying for a liquor licence.

Taking a seat inside and looking over the menu we're both thrown by just what to order. It's a seafood addict's dream (that's me!) with lots of options to suit all different tastes. I'd love to come back one day with a big group of people so I could share and try lots on offer. There's shellfish and fried items, raw and grilled. Enough for any seafood eater to choose from. 

On this occasion the boy and I decide to be "appropriate" (ie. don't let Kristy order too much) and start off with one shared starter. We opt for the corn croquettes with crab salad and capsicum jam (on the side to counter my inability to eat it) though the boy did have his eye on the Thai fish cake. There's always next time!

The corn croquettes are serious business. Crunchy on the outside and oh so creamy inside... they have that sweet corn flavour with actual kernels inside, and not a trace of oiliness. These are easily some of the best croquettes I've ever had - and I could have happily munched my way through a dozen of them. The crab salad on the side is sweet and fresh, with lovely peppery slices of radish and little bursts of juicy peas. I wish I could have tried the capsicum jam which my boy happily spread generously over his croquettes and declared absolutely delicious. 

Choosing what to order for our mains was surprisingly a quick decision. We both instantly announce that we wanted the WA snapper ($22.00) but in the interest of variety we end up deciding to share our mains too so we both get the snapper, but also can try something else. I let Jeremy choose our second main, and he happily picks the linguini with bugs, clams, cherry tomatoes and oil (I think this was around $25.00).

We both love our pasta so this dish had some big boxes to tick - and we were so happy that it did more than that! The linguini was al dente, the seafood cooked perfectly. I can't remember what the oil was in the pasta, but it was definitely something special - bringing the whole dish together with robust flavours. I love the umami rich tomatoes that were juicy and acidic, giving vibrancy to each bite. It's a seemingly simple dish but shows to be deceptive once you start eating it.

Equally impressive is the WA snapper, which is coated in a light, gluten free batter and served with fat chips and aioli. The fish is steaming hot, meaty in texture and tasty. The chips are generous and delicious - with some nice crispy edges and the creamy aioli is the perfect accompaniment for dunking them in. We also use the chips to soak up some of the residual oil pooling at the bottom of our pasta bowl - it was just begging to be used!

All the seafood at A Fish Called Inglewood is sourced within Australia and New Zealand which means you get to eat local and fresh produce. I love snapper and the way the flesh just flakes apart as you cut into the meat. This is definitely a must order at this restaurant, it turns the humble fish and chip into something of dine in quality. Yum!

Though we're quite sated from our savoury dishes, we decide to finish the night on a sweet note. Paul and his team make their own ice-cream bars in house (hell yes!) and at $5.00 a pop, they are something begging to be ordered.

Since it was getting later in the night most of the flavours were disappearing we made sure we picked quickly. The boy went for the adventurous combination of beer and pretzel, and I opted for peanut butter. Both were so tasty! Creamy, cold and flavoursome. They had just the right balance of sweetness so you didn't find yourself getting overpowered. What a clever idea and welcome addition in my opinion. After all, a dessert that features peanut butter will always get my vote!

I have to say I was really and truly impressed by this little local Inglewood gem. Situated next door to Miss Kittys and in the same block as Sugar and Nice, it's a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. I can definitely say I see why there's so much hype surrounding this place and I'm looking forward to returning soon for more seafood goodness.