483 Hay St, Subiaco
Ph: (08) 9382 1886
Worth Waiting For
An iconic Subiaco landmark – The Oriel, for as long as I can remember, has always been a great place to go before or after a show at the Regal Theatre, Ace Cinemas or Subiaco Oval. Ideally located you can drop in at any time of the day for lunches, snacks, coffee, after work drinks or dinner. It used to be busy all the time, but after changing hands a couple of times and a long closure for renovations the regular crowds had to find other places to go (not hard in Subiaco!). That is all changing now with new owners who are sure to see a resurgence in popularity for the venue, right in the heart of trendy Subiaco. Certainly the quality of the food is excellent.
We decided to sit inside although had the weather been a bit warmer on the day I would have chosen the alfresco area – one of the few outdoor eating areas in Subiaco. We sampled the ‘Tasting Plate’ – a huge square platter holding two elegant glasses of pumpkin puree, a pile of chunky chips, olives, an interesting salad, yummy pieces of salt & pepper squid, a stack of spring rolls and four thick slices of Biroldo (pork & garlic) sausage.
Next we tried the ‘Garlic Prawn’ entree which was served with a fennel and orange salad and a mild chilli dressing. Firm and fresh, the prawns were served with plenty of garlic and more than a hint of chilli.
So far, so good but the best was yet to come – the main courses just blew us away! The daily special was ‘Curry Beef Cheek’ with sauteed potatoes, paprika and sesame seeds served with wilted spinach. The meat was so tender and juicy, you could cut it with a fork and it just melted in the mouth, and the curry flavour was subtle at first building slowly to a pleasant glow. Long, slow cooking is the secret here. This dish was accompanied by a glass of 2008 Kilikanoon “Killerman’s Run” Shiraz (S.A.), a lovely sweet red with a very smooth finish, very easy drinking, and a perfect match with the delicious Beef Cheek.
Next on the menu was a slab of ‘Pork Belly’ braised in a star anise sauce, served on a base of sweet potato smash and apple salsa. This was well matched with a glass of 2008 Charles Melton “The Father In Law” Shiraz – another fine South Australian wine. Once again, the meat was beautifully tender, moist and juicy with the skin making a crisp and tasty crackling, which I could not resist. So after dissecting it into edible portions I was rewarded with a wickedly delicious crunchy treat.
Finally we tried a most unusual ‘Pork Salad’ – moist, tender slices of lean, rare roast pork interspersed with mixed roquette and other salad leaves, thin triangles of crisp apple, pieces of sweet lychee and roughly chopped roasted macadamia nuts. This was a nice light and very tasty dish which we both enjoyed and makes a great healthy lunchtime choice.
Over all the service was good with the consistent delivery of menus followed up with the orders. Staff were attentive, ensuring we enjoyed our meals, topping up our water as necessary while not neglecting our wine glasses.
The good news is The Oriel is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 2am. This is not “fast food”, but definitely food worth waiting for and worth taking the time to savour and appreciate.