A crowd-pleaser mixing scale, style and a menu that roams across Asia.
This is Fremantle dining with the volume turned up – an adventurous, modern eatery taking its name from a trading ship that carried tea and spices from England to WA via Asia in the days of the early colony, which was ship-wrecked at South Bay in the early 1900s. Lobster, prawn and Manjimup black truffle dumplings are both hefty and pleasingly plump; rendang bao come soft and spiced, while beef massaman curry with coconut, star anise and lime leaf is slow-braised comfort. Sticky lamb ribs glazed with black vinegar and ginger caramel are a standout, tender to the fork and lifted by lemongrass and lime. Kingfish ceviche, sharp with coconut water vinegar, chilli and rice crisp is a zippy salve that sings with a chilled white. Add crisp greens and perfectly steamed rice, and the generosity shines. Everything unfolds in a space that moves easily from languid lunch to lively dinner, the courtyard shaded by a jacaranda and bright umbrellas, the interior chic and expansive with high ceilings and a bold mural of an imagined Emily Taylor (the wife of the ship’s owner) by local artist Tessa MacKay. Modern Freo meets its maritime past.
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