I JUST love a birthday! In fact I just love a celebration – I’ll drink to that! 

I’ve wanted to try the Sweetwater Rooftop Bar for some time now. 

Asian-style food, cocktails and stunning views, what more can I ask for? 

Zen had made the booking and ticked the box for their birthday and was therefore presented with a glass of very drinkable bubbles on arrival.

Zen had also insisted on an Uber so Mama could try a cocktail or two and I did.

Particularly enjoyed the Singapore Sling while Zen’s Lost in the Clouds sounded like a Pina Colada, tasted like one but did in fact look like a mushroom cloud was about to emerge. 

I have to say the menu was right up my alley and my only regret was not leaving room for either of their duck dishes. 

Being a greedy soul, I would have ordered it anyway and struggled, but Zen wisely suggested we order some smaller dishes and see how we go. 

By the time we got through those, we were done!

So we kicked off with Charred Street Corn Fritters ($14): tasty mashed corn deep fried and served with their own kim chi and nahm prik pao (Thai chilli jam) which was a very suitable accompaniment to the subtle flavour of the fritters. 

Then on to Salt & Pepper Szechuan Cuttlefish ($16): miso mayo Wok-tossed Salt & Pepper Cuttlefish with a chilli & tomato sambal, green onion and coriander. 

I’m a big fan of fried squid, but was unsure of the difference between squid and cuttlefish.

Turns out (thanks Dr. Google) that there is a very slight difference – this was chewier than well-cooked squid should be but certainly not tough. 

Zingy

Apparently cuttlefish has more flavour than squid. The salt and pepper coating was nutty, the sambal zingy; I just loved it.

The Pork and Ginger pot stickers couldn’t compete with our favourite yum cha joint and I could get side-tracked on this “pot sticker” name. Aren’t they the dish formerly known as Shanghai dumplings? 

The Shark Bay Tiger Prawns with a tingling Sichuan dressing, coriander, and spring onion were poached and soaked in a subtle but tangy marinade, “tingly” in fact. 

The five large, juicy steamed tiger prawns, even at $24 for a small plate seemed quite reasonable. Divine!

Heaven

Prawn & Snapper Wontons ($18) Malaysian laksa, fresh herb, crispy shallots, sounded right up my alley, as I believe laksa is what you eat when you go to heaven and any wonton will do me. 

They were tasty, but a little overwhelmed by the very hot laksa. I’m a fan of chilli but a heat warning would be helpful. 

By this stage we had applied ourselves and there would be no room for the duck, just a shared dessert perhaps? 

The Valrhona Dark Chocolate Semi-Freddo ($16) was rich, but not too sweet. 

Grazing from small plates is such a social and relaxed way to eat. 

All in all a great meal and we were more than happy to get an Uber.

Sweetwater Rooftop Bar
Level 6/1 Silas St, East Fremantle WA 6158
9460 9988
Wednesday/Thursdaay 12noon – 10pm
Friday/Saturday noon – midnight
Sunday 11am – 10pm

by FELICITY NEWMAN