STUDIO 37, Fremantle

by JENNY D’ANGER:

Word filtered upstairs there was a great new cafe in town. Better still, it was just around the corner.

After having my ears chewed off by just about every member of staff I thought I’d better get on down to see, and taste, for myself.

Said eatery is tucked in a corner of the vast heritage-listed warehouse now home to PSI studio. Atmospheric doesn’t begin to describe the “decor”: concrete floors aren’t expensive designer urban grunge, they’re just floors that have seen decades of hard slog. Ditto the rough timber beams and even rougher walls.

I’d dragged an intern out for the day to write home reviews so figured the least I could do was feed the growing lad on the Herald’s dime.

He’s a fan of canned baked beans but valiantly opted for the homemade baked bean and cheddar jaffle ($7).

“A new twist on an old favourite that far surpassed its Heinz equivalent,” he said. I couldn’t go past the rosemary, garlic, mushroom, spinach and feta version. Lovely, crunchy crusts sealed a steaming and delicious centre, and I risked third degree burns as strings of cheese pulled away. The injuries would have been worth it.

There are as many favourite jaffles at the Herald as there is staff, and the turkey and cranberry with emmental and spinach, the free-range tandoor chicken, and the bacon and egg, spinach and brie ($8) versions have been getting a workout from the sounds of things.

Breaking with the jaffle theme, one of the ad reps can’t go past the pumpkin, pesto and brie roll, which he reckons is great value at $7.50.

Studio 37’s menu is small but the contents are delicious, and we finished with a salted caramel brownie sandwich ($3.50).

“Wickedly good indulgence,” young Nick enthused, sipping his “deliciously flavoursome single-origin coffee”.

Where do these young ‘uns get such sophistication from, I sigh, settling for a simple but very good long black.

At the urging of cafe owner Tom I walk away nibbling on a la paleta, a rich and creamy Mexican-inspired icy pole his business partner and sister makes. Its salted caramel was heaven on a stick and is 100 per cent natural with no preservative nasties.

Apparently they’re selling like hot cakes at the South Fremantle farmers market and I predict they’ll be popping up everywhere around town before summer is out.

Studio 37
22 Pakenham Street, Fremantle
open Mon–Fri 7am–4pm,
Sat 8am–1pm
0406 811 118