It would be fair to assume that chef Blaze Young has little time on her hands, being at the helm of Nieuw Ruin, Foxtrot Unicorn, and Edward and Ida’s. But she has her firm roster of favourites, from coffee shops and bakeries to her go-to under-the-radar dumpling spot. Young shares her top WA picks with Max Brearley for this edition of WA My Way.
Where is home to you and do you have your regular haunts?
I’ve lived in Freo for quite a few years now. I love Ooh Coffee in North Freo. They’re right across the road from the new Wild Bakery as well which is to me the best bakery in Fremantle. I love that they’ve chosen not to compete with each other. So, you can go get a very, very good coffee from Ooh and then walk across and get your croissant from Wild Bakery. All of my friends are currently obsessed with Patio, which is just out the back of Nieuw Ruin. It’s a really nice spot for a sunny pint.
If I’ve got visitors, I’ll always try and take them to the Fremantle Arts Centre as well. On Sundays in summer, they have live music on the grass, and it’s just a beautiful space. I think a really nice stop is a pint at Gage Roads, so you can sit and watch the docks. A pint of Guinness at Darling Darling. And I love the Gin-A-Coladas at Republic of Fremantle – one of my favourites.
If you were pushed to name a Fremantle favourite right now?
At the moment it’s Shirley’s, Kenny McHardy’s new place. He recently sold Manuka and had already opened up Shirley’s next door. It’s tiny, but they’re still in that magical place where he’s on the pans all the time. So, you can walk in and shout at him over the pass and he’ll fix up some food for you. He’s just a phenomenal cook. His food is so wholesome and delicious—no frills, just really nicely done. He’ll have a genuine grin on his face, standing in front of his charcoal grill, and happy to welcome you into his space.
You spend a lot of time in Northbridge these days. Do you have places that have become regulars?
My favourite spot in Northbridge is 7 Grams on Lake Street. It’s like crazy bright lighting and you’re crammed in on all these plastic tables, and it’s always got a huge crowd outside. They do really good Korean fried chicken. I think it used to be a coffee shop, which is why it’s called 7 Grams, and they just kept the name on the front.
It’s pretty much where Miller and Baker is, which would be another Northbridge pick. I work closely with Mark the baker. We just recently went out to the Haggerty’s farm together, which is the family who are growing all of the grains for him. His bread is on another level. We use it in all the venues.
I also love Cheerio Coffee in West Perth. They kind of got us through the opening of Edward and Ida’s with a constant supply of coffee.
Do you have any down south favourites assuming you get a chance to get out of Perth?
Pearl’s Bar in Margaret River was a recent find for us. We absolutely adore it. The food is great, the booze, the service, all really good. I’m really excited to try Evan Hayter’s new place in Margaret River, de’sendent.
We recently did a dinner with Rob Gherardi from Mr. Barval at Niew Ruin and we went down to their winery. His Chardonnay is just unreal, especially for its price point. It’s so delicious. Almost once a week we’ll drink a bottle of McHenry Hohnen Burnside Chardonnay, which is kind of enjoying what we have down south wherever we are. We also really love what Chris from Battles is doing. I think he’s also making some of the best Chardonnay in WA. As you can see, I’m into Chardonnay!
Do you have an under-the-radar spot that’s your go-to after service or days off?
There’s a really good dim sum spot in Leeming, Emperor’s Kitchen. It’s so consistent. They’ve got one of those little dumpling windows where the chefs stand in the front and make the dumplings while you’re waiting. Everything’s handmade and it’s just phenomenal.
They have amazing sticky rice, and my go to would be their prawn and chive dumplings. The pan-fried pork buns are very good too. Finish with the coconut jelly.
And how about a favourite celebration spot?
At the moment, I’d take someone for a martini at Gibney because it’s a pretty gorgeous spot. I really love what Elliot [Sawaris] is doing at Nextdoor. It’s really well priced for what he’s doing. If you want to go and have a big night, get some really good drinks, and get really good steak, that’s the place. And I know everyone talks about it, which is why I don’t want to mention it, but really Sonny’s is doing some of the best food in Perth right now.
Next up, check out WA My Way with Jacob D’Vaus as he dishes on Burmese breakfast, a slice of Australiana, and where to take the kids in Perth.
