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At Heirloom, it's all about the food

Beautifully crafted food with an emphasis on texture, harmony of flavours and balance. Review of Heirloom restaurant at Fraser Suites, Perth.

Emily Plank

Home / Eats & Drinks / At Heirloom, it's all about the food

Eats & Drinks

At Heirloom, it's all about the food

Beautifully crafted food with an emphasis on texture, harmony of flavours and balance. Review of Heirloom restaurant at Fraser Suites, Perth.

Emily Plank

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A lot has been said about ‘Paleo’ Pete Evans in recent times, whether it be about his staunch personal views on diet, or about the popular MKR show he co-hosts.

What some people may not know, however, is that he is the consultant chef at Heirloom Restaurant, which opened here about a year ago. It’s a modern, understated, perhaps even somewhat corporate setting, befitting its location at Perth’s Fraser Suites, at the eastern end of Adelaide Terrace. Its aim is to “create beautifully crafted food with an emphasis on texture, harmony of flavours and balance”. I have dined here on numerous occasions, and will admit it’s not because of its unique ambiance or extensive wine list; it’s because of the actual food (who’d have thunk it?).

Firstly, there’s no need to freak out about it being focused on paleo or any other fad diet. The comprehensive and frequently changing dinner menu is filled with options to cater to the most mainstream of patrons, with the added twist of most dishes being free from gluten and/or dairy – a huge bonus for anyone with food allergies/intolerances. I know what it’s like to be ‘that person’ who almost always has to ask for at least one of their meals to be modified in some way. Thankfully I can just blend in with the crowd here.

My most recent visit saw me take along my quasi food-gourmet friend with a penchant for all things dairy and a mildly sceptical attitude towards “allergen-friendly” dishes. Ok, let’s give this a whirl. While I skipped entrée, he ordered the seared scallop, parsnip, chorizo, pine nut, pangrattato and lemon oil, and gave it his seal of approval. So far, so good.

Mains took a while to come out, which was admittedly a little disappointing since it was a Sunday evening and the place was nowhere near full. But it made the first bite into the sweet potato chips with aioli all the more delightful. And that was just the side dish. My roasted Cone Bay barramundi came on a bed of smoky chorizo, kale, basil and cherry tomatoes. It was cooked to perfection, and the surrounding flavours all complemented each other excellently. Light, fresh, colourful and healthy. Those sweet potato chips though. They are definitely worthy of a second mention. Just wow.

Heirloom2 — Roasted Cone Bay barramundi with smoky chorizo, kale & basil. Side of sweet potato chips and aioli.

Heirloom3 — Roasted Cone Bay barramundi with smoky chorizo, kale & basil.

My friend ordered the seafood bouillabaisse with prawn, scallop, salmon and a tomato saffron sauce. And while the serve was slightly on the small size, the taste and textures were to his liking. Some of the other mains options available include slow-roasted lamb and 380g ribeye beef at the more expensive end of the spectrum, confit duck and mushroom and hazelnut gnocchi in the mid-price range, and four different types of pizzas for those just wanting a simple, cheaper feed. So there really is something to suit most tastes and budgets.

Heirloom4 — Seafood bouillabaisse with prawn, scallop, salmon, a tomato saffron sauce.

When it comes to non-allergen cooking, I believe desserts are the most challenging. It takes a significant amount of effort and creativity to come up with 5 different “guilt-free” desserts which are attractive to both the eyes and taste buds, while still avoiding gluten and, particularly, dairy. And we’re not just talking sorbets and fruit salads here. With potential contenders being a coconut and pineapple pudding with hazelnut and mango coulis, a raspberry and cashew cheesecake, and an orange and almond cake, I eventually caved to my primal chocoholic desires and went with the chocolate mousse cake with coconut cream and cherry sauce. What came out was more like an artwork, and I paused for several moments of admiration (and happy snapping) before shamelessly destroying it mouthful by glorious mouthful. The smoothness of the log itself contrasted well with the coarser textures of the surrounding biscuit-like crumbs, while the dark chocolatey goodness was given a bit of zing with the dollops of tangy cherry sauce and coconut cream. My palate was partying. And my friend? He gleefully tucked into the one dairy-filled option on offer, the cheese board with lavosh fig and walnut bread.

Heirloom5 — Chocolate mousse cake with coconut cream and cherry sauce (dairy & gluten-free).

There are only a handful of restaurants in Perth which openly cater to more discerning diners with dietary restrictions (see also my review of The Raw Kitchen in Fremantle) as part of their standard menu. Heirloom does this, while still retaining a ‘mainstream’ feel of a classic ‘modern Australian’ restaurant. Its service can be patchy at times, and its wine list is certainly limited, but if it’s high-quality, tasty, healthy food you want in a pleasant, inner-city setting, then you may well want to give Heirloom a go.