Tom's Kitchen

Last Friday night as I was awandering through Perth, I mentioned to my mates that there was a place off Hay Street that I'd dogeared in my mind but couldn't remember what it was.  Food, shopping - I honestly had no idea.  Anyway we got a bit peckish and took a turn down Shafto Lane - which brought us to Tom's Kitchen.  I remembered that my housemate and her gurl had dinner there a few months ago and gave it a rave and I'm pretty sure it was the reason for my dogear, so we figured we'd have a go.  At first glance it looked the goods:  Warm lighting, tick.  Friendly and attentive waitperson, tick.  A little bit bistro, a little bit New York and some intriguing menu choices (salt and vinegar crips crisps dammit for $6?).  Feeling confident we sat down and made some choices - lamb, barley and lentil soup, meatballs and orriechete with red wine and beef cheek - tick!!!  (Triple tick for housemade pasta). 

First worrying thing - the guy next to us pushing his dinner around and whispering to his date that his duck was raw.  Oops.  Never mind we said - could happen to anyone.  Our dinners came out about 25 minutes later - 25 minutes just teetering on the border of the point where you summons the waitperson and delicately ask exactly how long it's going to be EXACTLY.  Out came the soup - at first glance (and second too it turned out) it looked to be very thin with a lone lentil swimming in the bowl.  Complimentary bread with a herb "butter" was placed on the table - but it wasn't butter.  Bread was a little on the stale side. Then came my orriechete - such a disappointment - the little ears were tough and the beef cheek and red wine sauce underseasoned and bitter.  Uh oh.  Such promise!  The soup got sent back.  The meatballs eaten.  Lest we look like wowsers I didn't complain about the orriechete but at 24 bucks I expect a bit of taste and glamour.  I hasten to add that I'm not super fussy about food, but I know what I like and what I don't.  From the on-line reviews I've read there are a lot of supporters of Tom's so lets just hope that it was an off night!

Tom's Kitchen - Shafto Lane, Perth.

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