THE dreaded burbs.
Home to kids’ trampolines, speed bumps and the distant hum of dads mowing the lawn.
Situated in the heart of the Attadale burbs, The Neighbourhood Kitchen is part of a row of shops straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
The cafe has always piqued my interest, so my wife and I paid a visit last week.
Neighbourhood’s breakfast/lunch menu had a nice variety of dishes with everything from beef brisket to porridge.
There was also a decent range of drinks including kombucha, cold pressed juices, smoothies and the usual teas and coffees.
The cafe was pretty busy on a Friday lunchtime, but we secured a table right at the edge of the alfresco.
The pavement sloped away quiet steeply and our table was at an angle, creating the feeling we were eating lunch on The Titanic.
As we waited for our meal we enjoyed a couple of cool drinks.
My wife’s smoothie ($8.50) was so thick and green it looked like a blood sample from The Incredible Hulk – “I can feel the vitamins coursing through my body. It’s a great smoothie and packed with flavour.”
My cold pressed alphabet juice ($7) was equally good, with apple, beetroot and carrot creating a refreshing zing. Delicious drinks and a good start.
The waitress was soon back with my prawn tacos ($18).
Gourmet tacos seem to be in vogue and I’ve seen them on a few menus, with some places even specialising in them (La Cabana in South Fremantle).
These tacos certainly looked the part with charred corn, tomato, red cabbage and carrot sprinkled over a generous serve of panko-crumbed prawns.
The jumbo prawns were thick and juicy and all the veggies were nice and fresh, but the chipotle aioli was a bit underwhelming and reminded me of a limp thousand island dressing.
The dish needed a citrus burst and a better salsa to bring everything together, but it was still very enjoyable.
At the starboard side of the table, my wife was nibbling her green fritters ($19).
“The zucchini and minted broccoli filling is really nice, and the almonds give the dish a bit of crunch and texture,” she said.
“The feta cheese and blistered tomatoes go really well together, and the fritters taste great when dipped in the avocado sauce.”
Rounding her dish off was the obligatory mountain of fresh rocket.
Throughout the meal we shared a large pot of loose leaf Earl Grey tea ($10), which was incredibly smooth and had lovely fragrant overtones. The accompanying milk came in a dinky glass bottle, which was a cute touch.
The cafe was pet friendly, providing free pooch bikkies and water, and the service was good throughout the meal.
Interestingly the cafe is also a boutique bottleshop, focussing on small local producers and craft beers. A good angle to generate money outside of kitchen hours.
If you dare to venture into the burbs, the Neighbourhood Kitchen is a solid bet for a pleasant lunch in Attadale.
By STEPHEN POLLOCK
The Neighbourhood Kitchen and Coffee
88 Moreing Road, Attadale
6153 1334