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Duende Strikes Back

So, what's been happening in Leederville? Duende (always the best food in Leeerville) has had a bit of a facelift recently (hello http://twitter.com/#!/duendetapas) and has re-opened.

What's changed I hear you ask (yup, no quotes)? Well, the opening hours, that's what. Some of us remember the days when Duende was open for lunch in the week more often than simply a Friday - heck, we went there! Good news. The opening hours have been rethought and we now see 7 days a week dining from 7:30 am until late - most excellent choice there.

Breakfast at Duende? What a concept.

Aha, but have you actually been there? Well yes. we have and we have sampled the fare and can now say: Get down there for some good food (big thumbs up for the spanish pizza) and most excellent coffee.

Duende is back and has safely regained its crown as the best food in Leederville

Duende

What we think:

Cake Rating: 4.5/5 (Love Cake: we love you)

Coffee Rating: 4.5/5 (Short Mac. Excellent. Not topped up by default. We like that)

Food Rating: 4.5/5 (not many venues will hit a 4.5. This is a big thumbs up from the team at adecentfeed)

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16 Moments of Mediocrity in Albany

Ah, the lunch special. This can go one of two ways; you know, that great restaurant that you always have a great dinner at is doing lunches and it is great too OR mediocrity...

Well our tale of the lunch special is a tale of mediocrity. Nonnas in Albany, pioneer of the Albany lunch special is our star today with their $16 lunch special with 16 dishes to choose from served to you in 16 minutes or it is free. Catchy? Yes. Special? No

A chicken calzone in 16 minutes? Well apparently it can be done and served with a glass of a mediocre dry white. What a lunch. So how do you do this? Pre-prepare to death and this inevatably brings something that feels a bit dry and tired.

Our lunch also came with a forgettable pasta dish. We forgot the details but we do remember it was mediocre.

So what would we do in Albany next time? Go somewhere else.  Sorry Nonnas.

Nonnas 
What we think:
Lunch Rating: Mediocre 2.5/5
Wine Rating: Mediocre 2.5/5

The Waroona Bakery

A Country Coffee Tale

It's another day in the South-West of WA. You left Perth early in the morning, perhaps too early for your local coffee shop to have fired up the machine so you leave town in a less than perfect state. Your trip takes you to or through Waroona so there is really only one place worth stopping at: The Waroona Bakery

This isn't one of those mega bakeries (yes, I'm thinking of you Miami & Pinjarra establishments) that has a massive range of pies. This is one of those country establishments with some good looking pies, some rolls that they can fill for you etc, but most importantly, they can reliably make a decent country coffee. Yes, I know I said country coffee, you know the one; less perfect than a city coffee, but not Nescafe. This is a decent (ie verging on good) coffee - worth stopping for (unlike most other establishments in the area).

So what about if you are a bit hungry too? Well the filled rolls (get one made up) are respectable and the Lamingtons are quite nice too. Not a bad place to have to find some food. Although some of the slices looked scary with bright pink and yellow icing. These have been avoided on the basis of unnatural colour. Despite the unnatural colour, we say drop in and say hello and get a coffee.

The Waroona Bakery
What we think:
Filled Roll & Lamington Rating: Decent 3.5/5
Coffee Rating: Decent 3.5/5

Cranking in Leederville

Cranked for Coffee - Cranked for Drinks Coming Soon

Is there a better event than a lunchtime/afternoon coffee in Cranked. A short mac (topped up of you will please), a glass of water and table service; perfection. 

Well yes, as long as you stick to the coffees and cakes as the food can be a bit of a lottery. Let's start with the menu selection, great for a breakfast but not quite to the same standard for Lunch. It is as if after a solid days thought on breakfast the same folks thought about lunch for five minutes. Sad but true. 

Our lunch lottery continues with the food: it may be hot, it may be cold (yes, they did bring out a cold steak sandwich), it will probably be slow. 

So, stick to coffees and cakes and you are on a winner with one of the best coffees in Leederville. Breakfast if you want, but avoid lunch.  


Cranked
What we think:
Cake Rating: Decent 3.5/5
Coffee Rating: Good 4/5
Food Rating: Okay for Breakfast 3/5 poor for Lunch 2/5

A Busselton Experience

The Vasse, Busselton

Busselton Again...
Positives. Busselton (can’t complain), Dinnertime, Good Company
Negatives. The Vasse (no, not the river), the connecting door to the TAB, the clientele (amongst others) and it’s not the Goose.

So, where do we begin? The beer perhaps. The Vasse is a pub so you would expect the basics to be right, yes? Well, the Becks and the other beer that shall remain nameless at the moment did taste a bit funny; the sort of funny that means someone doesn’t believe in clean beer lines (let’s not forget that this is a pub...) - not good. So in addition to the pub 101 item that should be there, good tasting beer, but we should also expect clean glasses... Well, so we are 0 from 2 straight out, not a good start.

So, moving on from the beer, let’s bring our attention to the food. We saw the pizza go by on its way to another table, thought ok and ordered it. Now, having had it delivered to the table, one does have the odd regret. The pizza, although huge, was completely overdone on the cheese front which means that it fails the “a decent feed pizza test” - the topping wants to slide off under its own weight (and it was average cheese too). So we can rate the pizza as a failure.

Pizza wasn’t the only sin ordered by the table, we also ordered

So, how would we rate this establishment. No. Move on, nothing to see here, nothing good to eat here.

The Vasse
What we think:
Food Rating: Poor 2/5
Beer Rating: Poor 2/5

Keep on walking...

A Decent Coffee in Dawesville

Cafe Coast

Sick of bad coffee at roadhouses and servos on your journey south to Bunbury (or back to Perth)?
If so, then Cafe Coast is the answer. Nestling in the quasi venetian area that is Port Bouvard, we have a little gem that serves a decent coffee. 

The two short macchiatos that we ordered (topped up - and yes, they did ask us how we wanted them) were excellent. Served in cups, there was good flavour, excellent temperature and for those of us who must have some sugar, appropriate hang time. 

The lemon and lime tart (normally with cream) was excellent, fresh and had an good mix of zesty flavours - perfect with the requested ice cream. An excellent refresher for those wearied by the journey north after a hard day’s work.

Drawbacks? Winter hours: 9:30 - 16:00 M-F Also open weekends (call 08 9534 2250 for details). No early or late stops in winter please. 

This could be enough to make me rethink the route to Bunbury (from Perth) once the new Forrest Highway (or SGA) is open soon... That good. Worth a stop.

Cafe Coast
What we think:
Cake Rating: Decent 3.5/5
Coffee Rating: Good 4/5

An Average Breakfast in Busselton

Samovar

If you are a single male, over 60 and looking to pick up, then Samovar could be just the ticket for you. Harsh perhaps, but we here at a decent feed, tell it how we find it.

So what can you expect on your breakfast foray into a cafe with such a contemporary interior? Nothing special I’m afraid. This is a menu that contains such items as a bacon and egg breakfast burger; the sort of fare you would expect at the average truck stop, not a cafe in Busselton that tries to hint at exotic north african links.

Avoiding the breakfast ideas from the truck stop we ordered a muesli, the eggs benedict and the toast and jam. Drinks for the morning were the obligatory short macchiatos.

The menu’s macadamia muesli sounded interesting but was a touch overdone; a bowl of packet muesli with added macadamia’s (not a bad thing) but then this was drowned with some fruit, a huge pile of plain yoghurt and honey. Nothing bad really, just not great.

After a long wait, the spoils of the opening course were cleared and the eggs and toast were brought forth. 

Toast first: Not bad, bread was alright. The jam that came with the toast can only be described as “bitter”. This is the edited version. This wasn’t a high point.

Eggs next: Eggs Benedict with Salmon. Two poached eggs served on cool toast (no english muffin here) with a pile of smoked salmon in between. Hollandaise sauce was served cold in a dish on the side (straight from the jar). Perhaps the kitchen forgot that this sauce can be served warm and on the food.

Now the coffees. Not good. That’s all that can be said. 

Recommendation: When in Busselton go to the the Goose instead. If the Goose is closed due to winter hours, try Dunsborough instead  (or keep looking in town: the hippie place round the corner may be better)

Samovar
What we think:
Food Rating: Average 2.5/5
Coffee Rating: Shocking 1/5