Lamont's, I was told, is a well-respected name in the Perth culinary scene. It began as a family-owned winery and expanded into a small chain of restaurants and wine bars. I had to squeeze in a visit at the East Perth location before catching my flight home.
The menu changes every season (with monthly variations) in keeping with their philosophy of using the freshest ingredients of the season.
The menu is unpretentious and fairly descriptive so one knows exactly what one is getting instead of having to decipher a menu that makes even the simplest thing sound complicated.
I was advised to try the Scallops for my starter. Hmm, I've had quite a bit of scallops lately but Rob (the guy who took the order) was very convincing. I was glad I took his advice as the perfectly cooked fresh scallops were juicy and sweet with a fragrantly caramelized crust. They went very well with the refreshing Panzanella (a Tuscan salad of bread, basil, tomatoes, peppers and olive oil) and Beetroot Confit.
The selection of main courses was well-balanced with a good variety of seafood, poultry, meats and a carb dish for carb-fiends like me. On Rob's advice, I took the Marrons, a freshwater crayfish which seemed to be pretty popular.
The grilled flesh of the Marron was firm and sweet with a slightly smoky flavour. This has to be closest thing to Lobster albeit without the saltiness of the sea. The fragrant and delicately tart Saffron Vierge (a Saffron-infused Sauce Vierge comprising olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomato & chopped basil) with cubes of fresh tomatoes that burst when bitten into enhanced the sweetness of the Marron with a play of flavours on the palate. I didn't enjoy the tortellinis as much as the pasta dough was too thick for my liking. I ate the Thyme and Goat's Cheese stuffing and left most of the pasta shells behind. Heavy tortellinis aside, this dish is a
Must-Try!
The item that caught my eye on the dessert menu was the
Fig & Frangipane Tart with Salted Caramel & Pecan Ice Cream. I am not a huge fan of figs (despite their health benefits) or Frangipane (a sweet ground almond mixture) but the Salted Caramel & Pecan Ice Cream was too alluring to ignore. Unfortunately, the chef was not too pleased with the current batch of Salted Caramel & Pecan Ice Cream so a swap with Burnt Honey Ice Cream was suggested. Ok, I'll try that anyway as I love the smokiness of caramelized sugar and honey.
Fig & Frangipane Tart with Burnt Honey Ice Cream @ A$16.50
The tart was delicious with a flaky pastry crust that had a beautifully browned glaze and a caramelized fig topping. The Burnt Honey ice cream was a little too sweet for my liking so I couldn't help but wonder how the Salted Caramel & Pecan ice cream would have tasted with the sweet tart.
The service staff were very friendly and efficient, which made the entire dining experience even more pleasant. Thank you, Kerry and Rob for your warm and fantastic service!
Lamont's East Perth 11 Brown Street East Perth WA 6004 Australia Tel : +61 8 9202-1566 Fax : +61 8 9225-7066 Email: eastperth@lamonts.com.au
Operating Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays: Noon till late
Lamont's Margaret River
Gunyulgup Valley Drive
(off Caves Road)
Yallingup WA 6282
Australia
Tel : +61 8 9755-2434
Winetasting Thursday to Monday: 11am to 5pm Lunch Thursday to Monday : 11.30am to 5pm Dinner Saturday night
