Day 3 In Perth
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0630 - 0830: The day began with a yawn and many winks as we adjusted better to the fact the the country wakes earlier solely because the sun rises a little too enthusiastically here. So we procrastinated a little, washed up a little and went downstairs after a modest cookie breakfast with coffee made by my gf. After some television shows and "Good Morning Australia", we proceeded downstairs to the reception to ask for directions to Fremantle. That was where we will have an actual breakfast and a fun time buying stuff for everyone else but ourselves.
Special thanks to our receptionist who gave us a much better direction towards Fremantle than the one we found ourselves by using the map of the region. Fremantle was about 30 minutes drive away and soon, we were puffed up and ready to rock.
"Onwards to greater adventures! Nary a soul will hold me back from providence!"
Special thanks to our receptionist who gave us a much better direction towards Fremantle than the one we found ourselves by using the map of the region. Fremantle was about 30 minutes drive away and soon, we were puffed up and ready to rock.
"Onwards to greater adventures! Nary a soul will hold me back from providence!"
We set off on the rather short journey after some helpful information from the front desk. In the beginning, it felt daunting since this would be a little further from town then we had previously ventured. But we didn't come all the way to Australia just to be afraid to actually step out on a journey of our own. And it was a fruitful one to say the least.
0845 - 1000: Fremantle is a cosy little town a little ways southwest of Perth. Freo, as the locals like to call it is closer to the coast and is a berth for yachts and shoppers alike. Anyway, we arrived at the place after getting a little lost and after a short 35 minutes drive. After a further 10 minutes searching for a parking lot, we finally managed to disembark our vessel and plough into the actual town for a look. However, looking wasn't all that was on our mind. We were hungry and the first order of the day was to get breakfast into our stomachs. After some deliberation and consideration between Hungry Jack's or Fremantle Bakehouse, we decided a trip to the bakery would yield better results and thats what we did.
Location: Fremantle 52 South Terrace
Serves: Pies, Bread, Sandwiches and a great list of drinks
Location: Fremantle 52 South Terrace
Serves: Pies, Bread, Sandwiches and a great list of drinks
Menu
Address
Rustic, simple and homely would be my choice of words to describe this bakery. Service was friendly and warm which is a stark contrast from the cool weather of the country. At first, we opted for the al fresco dining seat as the interior seem rather packed but after braving the winds for a few minutes, we surrendered and retired inwards for a warmer seat.
Hot Chocolate (AUD 3.70)
Still shivering from the cold, it felt like a great idea to call a hot chocolate to warm ourselves up. And i'm glad we ordered this, it had just the right amount of sweetness in it and was thankfully hot to serve its purpose. In short, this hits the spot.
Freo's Finest Pancakes (AUD 9)
Scanning through the menu, it struck me as odd that they actually priced their pancakes at AUD 9 bucks. It was downright astonishing to me and i promptly failed to notice all the tastier options for breakfast. So, i did what any enterprising foodie would do, order the pancakes of course.
When it arrived, i had a pretty big surprise...and i do mean big. The pancake was the size of a mini sized pizza to say the least and its thickness was astonishing as well, being at least the width of a $1 coin in Singapore. As if that wasn't enough, it came in 2 slices of huge pancakes. All this, in a generous or rather soaked plate filled with maple syrup. I was flabbergasted.
The taste test also proved refreshing in that it actually made me feel it was worth the ridiculous price tag. The pancakes were crispy on the brownish part you can see in the picture and tender soft and aromatic in the whitish portions. It was done with just the right amount of time to achieve this effect and its worth applauding the chef. No wonder they call this Freo's Finest Pancakes. It certainly lives up to its name in my book.
When it arrived, i had a pretty big surprise...and i do mean big. The pancake was the size of a mini sized pizza to say the least and its thickness was astonishing as well, being at least the width of a $1 coin in Singapore. As if that wasn't enough, it came in 2 slices of huge pancakes. All this, in a generous or rather soaked plate filled with maple syrup. I was flabbergasted.
The taste test also proved refreshing in that it actually made me feel it was worth the ridiculous price tag. The pancakes were crispy on the brownish part you can see in the picture and tender soft and aromatic in the whitish portions. It was done with just the right amount of time to achieve this effect and its worth applauding the chef. No wonder they call this Freo's Finest Pancakes. It certainly lives up to its name in my book.
Beef and Mushroom Pie with Salad (AUD 12)
My gf ordered the beef and mushroom pie which were placed in the cases when we went in. I think it was a great choice since its a bakery after all. We need to try its pastry at least a little. The salad was drop dead delicious and fresh. I wonder if they just got it from the farm direct that morning and the salad sauce simply made it that much better. The pie had a flaky crust which strangely held firm in places i have not put my spoon to. The generous stuffing of beef was great but the mushroom was nowhere to be found. As it turned out, the mushroom actually refered to the sauce used in the pie. Either way, this was pretty good as well.
Town Hall (An election poll was happening when we were there)
Fremantle Streets
View From Cannon Tower
View From Cannon Tower
View From Cannon Tower
View From Cannon Tower
Naughty Little Seagulls
View From Cannon Tower
View From Cannon Tower
1000- 1300: After a nice and fulfilling breakfast, the next logical step is to take in the sights and do some heavy duty shopping. We trawled Fremantle markets for all manner of items and gifts for our loved ones and friends back in Singapore. And its amazing what they offer there, all kinds of stuff were up for sale. Food, local fruits and produce, gems, stones, shirts, arts, pots, pans and tourist keepsakes. You name it, they've got it. Its awesome. The problem is find the right things to buy which really gave us a big headache but we survived and spent quite a bomb there.
Afterwhich, we decided to walk around and explore the town a little more. This brought us to a train track which ran through town and an old cannon tower which is very well preserved indeed.
Story of the tower: The tower itself is of historical importance in that it served as a warning or rather a gauge of distance for the travelers of days long past. The cannon tower consists of the cannon and the mast which holds a big black ball. The purpose of the black ball is actually to allow ships entering the coast to know when the cannon has sounded. After the cannon is fired, the ball immediately drops, the visual is picked up by the ship, which then counts the seconds before they hear the cannon boom to estimate how far they were from land. Its a primitive measurement but it definitely worked. The cannon tower continues to have firing sessions around 1pm daily.
Afterwhich, we decided to walk around and explore the town a little more. This brought us to a train track which ran through town and an old cannon tower which is very well preserved indeed.
Story of the tower: The tower itself is of historical importance in that it served as a warning or rather a gauge of distance for the travelers of days long past. The cannon tower consists of the cannon and the mast which holds a big black ball. The purpose of the black ball is actually to allow ships entering the coast to know when the cannon has sounded. After the cannon is fired, the ball immediately drops, the visual is picked up by the ship, which then counts the seconds before they hear the cannon boom to estimate how far they were from land. Its a primitive measurement but it definitely worked. The cannon tower continues to have firing sessions around 1pm daily.
View From Beach Front
Naughty Little Seagulls
The little perpetrator trying to steal a cap
The gang fighting for Mcdonald's French Fries
Guess what S.O.Y means?
Alfresco Section
The gang fighting for Mcdonald's French Fries
After an invigorating look at the railway and the cannon tower, we proceeded downward to have a seat near the nicely sandy beach and to get close to the first Mcdonald's outlet we've laid eyes upon. Despite the searing sun, the weather remained cool and comfortable.
Seagulls were congregating around the location we were and it was puzzling to find so many in such a concentrated location. However, it wasn't the gang that interested me, its the lone little seagull trying to spirit a baseball cap away from unsuspecting people that interested me. The little rascal was simply hilarious and kept pushing its luck to see if it could run away with the cap. Needless to say, it didn't succeed.
Next up, the gang was fighting over fries thrown to the winds by a group of asians trying to impress their kids. The birds got closer and closer and more violent as they fought for scraps of fries and it was during this time that we decided it was time to move on.
Seagulls were congregating around the location we were and it was puzzling to find so many in such a concentrated location. However, it wasn't the gang that interested me, its the lone little seagull trying to spirit a baseball cap away from unsuspecting people that interested me. The little rascal was simply hilarious and kept pushing its luck to see if it could run away with the cap. Needless to say, it didn't succeed.
Next up, the gang was fighting over fries thrown to the winds by a group of asians trying to impress their kids. The birds got closer and closer and more violent as they fought for scraps of fries and it was during this time that we decided it was time to move on.
Cicerello's
Guess what S.O.Y means?
Alfresco Section
1300-1345: Time flies when you are having fun and suddenly, it was time for lunch. Having heard from my boss's brother about Cicerello's fish and chips, it was a no brainer that we tried it out while we were here. Calling itself, WA's best fish and chips, it has alot to live up to.
Location: 44 Mews Road Fremantle WA 6160
Serves: Fish and chips, Mussels, Beer
Website: http://www.cicerellos.com.au/
Location: 44 Mews Road Fremantle WA 6160
Serves: Fish and chips, Mussels, Beer
Website: http://www.cicerellos.com.au/
Pending Order Chip
Local Beer (Aud 5.50)
Another Look
Interesting little gadget ain't it? Simply place your order, pay and receive one of these if you need to wait for your order. Take a seat and if its ready, your little chip will vibrate and ring. Nifty, smart and very practical. If only Singapore did the same.
Indoor Aquarium
Local Beer (Aud 5.50)
Our choice of beverage was water and local beer. And i'm glad to report that the beer works. It tastes better then tiger beer for sure and in regards to local Australian prices, are definitely cheaper then usual.
Chili Mussels (Aud 22)
Another Look
When i went to collect the tray of food, the only feeling i had was shock. Shock at how heavy the tray was and shocked at how generous the servings were. Do not let these pictures fool you, that tray of mussels was enormous and the mussels themselves are of a totally different breed altogether. Big, juicy, sweet and fresh, i'm unable to recall the same experience in Singapore. The chili is minimally spicy and tastes more like tomato pasta sauce but its good nonetheless. The real stars were still the sweet mussels themselves. I highly recommend trying this if you are there.
Fish And Chips (Aud 12.60)
The horizon stretches forever
Clear, fine sandy beaches
My order was the traditional fish and chips which they claim are the best in WA. Well, i wouldn't go so far to say its the best i've had but i will indulge in saying that its indeed very good. The picture is once again deceptive on how big a portion the food really is. Generous servings of thick fries and 2 huge servings of fish. The batter is just the right amount and thickness to be crunchy and light while the fish itself is just really fresh and melt in your mouth good. Yeah, its pretty good alright. Try it yourself to find out.
Bill
The bill came up to AUD 34.50 which isn't cheap but we're more of less used to the price of living in this country. Given the quality and serving size, this is actually worth it. Good stuff.
1345-1500: After an extremely filling lunch, it was time to take in the sights and finish up our shopping in the area before proceeding to our next destination. Blowing more cash on the shops in the area taught us one thing, there are many things which are overpriced and many which are strangely cheap as well. Anyway, we finished shopping and proceeded to our next destination, Cottlesloe Beach.
1345-1500: After an extremely filling lunch, it was time to take in the sights and finish up our shopping in the area before proceeding to our next destination. Blowing more cash on the shops in the area taught us one thing, there are many things which are overpriced and many which are strangely cheap as well. Anyway, we finished shopping and proceeded to our next destination, Cottlesloe Beach.
The journey was perilous and filled with obstacles and misdirections but somehow, we managed to find our way to the beach. You can't miss it really. Its a long, expansive and seemingly limitless coastline that stretches for miles on end. The beauty of it all is, we ended up at the wrong beach.
Clear Blue Skies and endless beaches
The horizon stretches forever
Clear, fine sandy beaches
1500 - 1530: Go to any website from the Australian tourism board and you'll see that the one of the major selling points of the country is pegged onto its numerous sandy beaches, clear seas and wildlife. Its difficult to fault and obviously very true in my experience. It may be human nature to be drawn inevitably to the ocean and Australia's beaches are a fine point to behold indeed.
Well, as i mentioned, we were supposed to go to Cottlesloe beach but instead, we ended up at Leighton beach which was still fascinating nonetheless.We didn't swim due to the many warnings in other publications of the dangers and toxin filled fears we have about the countries wildlife so what we did was stay around the beach and enjoying the sights, the sun and the cooling wind.
The sun, however, made sure that staying too long in its rays would get us sunburnt and so we left after a mere 30 minutes to get back to the hotel and prepare for the next item on the itenary. Along the way, we did pass by Cottlesloe beach and i have to say, the waves and surf there is much better then Leighton. It was strange seeing that the same sea just a little further north can have such a different temperment. Anyway, we made it back to the hotel, unpacked, rested and awaited our next item, dinner.
Well, as i mentioned, we were supposed to go to Cottlesloe beach but instead, we ended up at Leighton beach which was still fascinating nonetheless.We didn't swim due to the many warnings in other publications of the dangers and toxin filled fears we have about the countries wildlife so what we did was stay around the beach and enjoying the sights, the sun and the cooling wind.
The sun, however, made sure that staying too long in its rays would get us sunburnt and so we left after a mere 30 minutes to get back to the hotel and prepare for the next item on the itenary. Along the way, we did pass by Cottlesloe beach and i have to say, the waves and surf there is much better then Leighton. It was strange seeing that the same sea just a little further north can have such a different temperment. Anyway, we made it back to the hotel, unpacked, rested and awaited our next item, dinner.
The Oyster Bar On The Foreshore
1800-2030: Now, seeing the picture above no doubt meant that we were around the area and indeed , we did step into the premises asking for a meal. However, to our misfortune, the restaurant, which looked quite empty, informed us that it was fully booked. Not wanting to create a scene and nor waste our trip to South Perth, we obliged and vacated the place for greener pastures.
After an extensive search and much indecision, we settled down at a Japanese restaurant located a few doors down which was named Shige.
Location: Shop 13 19-21 Mends Street South Perth WA 6151
Total Bill: AUD65.50
Shige, as it turns out, is named after the Japanese chef who goes by the same name. And authentic as that may be, the cuisine is definitely influenced by long years of being in Australia, which is evidenced by our very first dish.
After an extensive search and much indecision, we settled down at a Japanese restaurant located a few doors down which was named Shige.
Location: Shop 13 19-21 Mends Street South Perth WA 6151
Total Bill: AUD65.50
Shige, as it turns out, is named after the Japanese chef who goes by the same name. And authentic as that may be, the cuisine is definitely influenced by long years of being in Australia, which is evidenced by our very first dish.
Sashimi Platter (Aud 25)
I'm more or less a sucker for good Japanese food and fresh local produce. Thus far in my journey in Australia, the food has been nothing short of fresh, sweet and generally good. The sashimi platter we ordered was pretty good in its own right. Generous portions of various fish with the usual toro, salmon, squid, swordfish and others i can't quite name. The twist and proof that the food has been Australianised, is that some of the sashimi, is half cooked. As you can see above, some pieces have a charred outer layer which is probably pan fried. The result? An interesting fusion taste of raw and cooked fish. Kinda like medium rare beef. Overall, this was pretty good.
Chicken Teriyaki Set (AUD 18.50)
Another Look
My gf had the chicken teriyaki set which comes with the usual assortment of japanese sticky rice and salad. This was a relief after 2 days where we had no rice at all. Now we understand how important a part of our diet this is. The chicken was alright, tender, fresh and soaked in teriyaki sauce which made it very sweet. Goes well with rice but overwhelmingly sweet on its own. The salad, like everything else, is drop dead fresh, crunchy and tasty. Who would have thought simple salads taste this good?
Seafood Pot with Rice (AUD 19.50)
My order of the day consisted of the Japanese seafood pot with miso based soup and rice. This came in a pot filled to the brim with mussels, scallops and prawns. I'm beginning to think these ingredients must be cheap in this country, seeing how much they were willing to indulge for customers when we order. The mussels were smaller then those we had in the afternoon and less satisfying but the scallop, prawns and miso broth more then made up for it. Trust me, nothing tastes better in a cold environment then a burning hot pot of soup. Its peerless.
Day 3 ends with a satisfying dinner and a purchase of yet another bottle of cheap wine. Aud 8 netted me a locally produced chardonnay. I couldn't be happier. In retrospect, the day has been fun, a little scary at times and very interesting for me. I couldn't wait for day 4 to come because thats the day we decided to go for a cruise along swan river.
Day 3 ends with a satisfying dinner and a purchase of yet another bottle of cheap wine. Aud 8 netted me a locally produced chardonnay. I couldn't be happier. In retrospect, the day has been fun, a little scary at times and very interesting for me. I couldn't wait for day 4 to come because thats the day we decided to go for a cruise along swan river.
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