The Food Project: Mashawi Moroccan & Middle Eastern

There’s no need for any preamble here, so I’m just going to come out and say it – Mashawi Moroccan & Middle Eastern is, hands down, one of my favourite Perth restaurants.

In a gorgeous space with high ceilings and a great big wooden feature wall, in a prime spot on Mt Lawyley’s Beaufort Street, with very attentive staff, a large menu and SO MANY absolutely delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes, there really is a lot to love here.

Mashawi is a friendly and unpretentious spot – high ceilings, large windows looking out over Beaufort Street, bright decorative touches including recurrent pomegranate motifs. The tables are a little on the small side (especially when you want to try as much from the menu as possible) but the place regularly gets booked out, resulting in a lively and eclectic atmosphere.

The Food Project: Health Freak Café Ellenbrook

Back in December, before the Christmas madness took hold, I was invited to the opening day event for Health Freak Café in Ellenbrook. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Health Freak so I was super excited to come along and check out the latest addition to their family.

Now Ellenbrook isn’t normally my first choice when I’m looking to head out for brekky or lunch, but at only 20km from the CBD it’s a rapidly growing suburb with lots of families, so it’s the perfect spot for a healthy café. It also happens to be where one of my best friends lives, so this was just the excuse I needed to pop out for a late brekky with her and her two young girls.

The Food Project: Health Freak Café

It would be so easy for me to start this review with just a bunch of heart-eye emojis, but I guess I owe it to a place I love so much to write a bit more than that!

So yes, I love Health Freak Café and I am so excited that there are finally places like this around – where there are loads of vegetarian and vegan goodies on the menu, alongside meals to make the omnivores happy. At Health Freak Cafes absolutely everything is gluten and refined sugar free, and the whole idea is that whatever you order you can feel good about eating it.

The Food Project: The Guildford Hotel

Have you been to Guilford yet? For those not in the know, it’s a gorgeous town close to the Swan Valley that is steeped in history with The Guildford Hotel at its heart.

The hotel has been around since 1886, but in more recent history it’s been through three iterations. First up in my memory, it was a typical ‘local pub’ with a drive-through Bottle-o, where you could play pool and get in on some karaoke, nothing special but in a great spot and in a beautiful old building. Unfortunately it burned down in 2008 and for the best part of the next decade the old building remained gutted while activists constantly fought to bring it back to life.

Luckily for us that happened earlier this year, and The Guildford is now back bigger, better, and more beautiful than ever.

The best places to visit in the Swan Valley – Part 1

There’s a lot to love about the Swan Valley – including award winning wineries and breweries, incredible food and fresh local produce. But best of all? It’s only a quick 20 minute trip from the CBD (and even closer from my place). If it’s been awhile since you’ve visited, here’s part one of my top picks of things to see/eat/do in the Swan Valley.

The Food Project: The Little Shop of Plenty

Away from the bustle of Whatley Crescent, just across from the Maylands train station on Railway Parade, is a gem of a café that is all about eating well to feel well.

The Little Shop of Plenty has been open for a year now, serving up delicious vegetarian and vegan goodies to remind the people of Perth that a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be boring.

The Food Project: Beaufort Local

A couple of weeks ago we popped out for a lazy Sunday brekky at a spot I’ve been wanting to try for a while now – Beaufort Local. The space was previously occupied by the Beaufort Street Merchant which was a favourite of mine thanks to its tasty cakes and pretty salads.

It has now been completely revamped – the bottle shop was gutted, additional seating added, and the place fitted out with lots of greenery, some cute booths, an open kitchen and gorgeous light fittings. With the added bonus of the garden bar out the back, Beaufort Local was born.

Where to find a good veggie burger in Perth

It’s no secret that I LOVE a good veggie burger! My ideal veggie burger has a patty made with chickpeas or lentils and I’m always partial to a burger with cheese and a good aioli.

The Food Project: Ribs & Burgers

You might think that a place called Ribs & Burgers wouldn’t be high on the ‘must visit’ list for a vegetarian, but thanks to their delicious veggie burger, you’d be wrong.

A couple of nights ago I caught up with a bunch of girls that I used to work with in the city, and looking for something cheap but delicious we decided to head to Rib & Burgers at 140 William Street. They don’t currently have a liquor license for this location, so we met for a quick drink at The Boheme and then it was just a short walk to Ribs & Burgers.

The Food Project: tbsp.

It’s not often that I can pop out to a café that is close to home and also be treated to great service and a delicious breakfast that will keep me full well into the evening. Thankfully, tbsp. managed to do all three with a bang.

This modern, warm and uncluttered café gets a lot of things right, starting with location. Bayswater’s King William Street has been crying out for new venues, and I can only hope other aspiring restaurant/café owners take note of its success and help this suburb meet its potential.

While tbsp. is packed on weekends, often with a line out the door, on the Friday morning I went it was pleasantly busy but not crowded, and we were easily able to secure a table for four adults, two babies and a toddler. The atmosphere at tbsp. was friendly and relaxed, and it was refreshingly spacious – it was a nice change not to bump into the chair behind me or be able to hear the conversation at the next table.