South East Asian flavours marry with the best of the state’s backyard ingredients at Will St, Leederville’s sizzling 120-seat diner.
There’s alchemy in the way a new restaurant can just hit all the right notes: service that is both knowledgeable and friendly; a fit-out that blends dried flowers and an earthy palate; and a menu that seems to know exactly what you want before you do. Will St, under Will Meyrick – who honed his skills in Sydney and Melbourne, while honing his palate in South East Asia – is just that. While the chef divides his time between Bali and Perth, the restaurant doesn’t miss a beat.
Knockout dishes such as smoked eel on betel leaf is a textbook combination of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours.
Knockout dishes such as smoked eel on betel leaf is a textbook combination of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours. From the sandstone wall, to the bentwood chairs and banquettes the colour of palm sugar, there’s class in the space as well as on the plate. So much so it can be hard to choose from the 30 or so dishes. Fresh, tangy Akoya oysters with buttermilk dressing and a hint of chilli are delightful. And goat curry with mustard oil and warrigal greens is taken way beyond its homely roots. And if you order the sticky char siu pork hock, served with Peking duck-style pancakes and (seriously good) miso-grilled cabbage, you’d better be hungry. Or at least be prepared to take some home.
