The annual celebration bringing venues and producers together makes June a rather special month for food lovers. Participating venues each create a hero dish for the occasion that elevates Western Australian produce – and you can be sure our bellies are the winners.
We know you love local as much as we do, so here are a few final suggestions to encourage you to book a table before we tick over into July.
You can also check out the full range at Plating Up WA – Venues. Bon appetit!
Filipino flavours
Can’t settle on a favourite Southeast Asian cuisine? At Miss Mi Perth, you can have them all. Led by Filipino-born chef Alex De Leon, this relative newcomer to the city scene has quickly made a splash.
Designed for sharing, the lovingly created plates will take you from the tea houses of Hong Kong to the mountains of Myanmar and everywhere in between.
For Plating Up WA, the chef has returned to his roots with Filipino lechon. Succulent pork belly is stuffed with coconut-spiced braised kale and served with a spiced vinegar dipping sauce and Asian salad.
The meat comes from Linley Valley Pork, producers who have built a reputation for quality, raising pigs in the cleanest environment to the highest standard. Taste the difference yourself.
Kashmiri kick
Nestled on a corner between the WA Museum Boola Bardip and the State Theatre Centre, Sauma offers a cultural experience of its own. And what an inviting one it is, too.
Drawn in by the sensational smells wafting out the door, you’re soon wrapped in the warm atmosphere, perusing a menu that celebrates the finest Indian cuisine while catering for everyone, from families to vegans.
Sauma’s Plating Up WA dish is perfect for winter – slow-cooked lamb shoulder given some spice with fresh chillies and Kashmiri garam masala. Caramelised onions, tomatoes, ginger, saffron and chickpeas complete the mouthwatering picture.
Available for lunch or dinner, it’s big enough for two, though we totally understand if you can’t bear to share it.
A taste of Peru
If Peru isn’t already on your bucket list, it will be after sampling the culinary delights at UMA. Led by executive chef Xerxes Bodhanwala, the restaurant uses the finest and freshest local ingredients to put new twists on traditional Peruvian dishes.
A fusion of influences brought to the South American country from Spain, Italy, Africa, Japan and China, Peruvian cuisine is a real melting pot of flavours that takes skill to navigate without overwhelming the palate.
Part of Pan Pacific Perth’s dining options, UMA’s dishes are as elegant as the room in which they are served. Take this year’s Plating Up WA offering, for instance.
Tiradito de conchas is a beautiful rendition of a classical dish, with Abrolhos scallops poached in kaffir lime leaf and avocado coconut tiger’s milk. Topped with beetroot, pickled shallots, crispy jamon, black salt and lemon balm, it is Insta-worthy – if you can stop yourself from digging in immediately.
Earthy delights
Bib & Tucker co-owner and executive chef Scott Bridger is this year’s chef liaison for Plating Up WA.
But anyone who has been a regular at the relaxed restaurant overlooking Leighton Beach knows he’s been promoting local produce forever, not just in the ingredients he buys fresh daily but in the way he presents them.
His signature dish for Plating Up WA is no exception. It’s built around the fabulous fungi from the Mushroom Guys, urban farmers growing more than 14 varieties of mushrooms so popular with chefs they crowned them Producer of the Year at the WA Good Food Guide Awards.
Here, woodfired mushrooms have been married with nettle and potatoes in a rich risotto, and topped with wattleseed and stracciatella from La Delizia Latticini, another winning West Australian producer. Try to resist!
Don’t be late for an important date
With just a few days left before the June celebrations come to an end, don’t miss your chance to lock in a date with deliciousness during Plating Up WA.
If you have run out of time in your diary, there’s no need to despair, however. There’s always plenty of lovely local fare on the menu at restaurants, cafes and wineries around the State.
And, of course, we’ll be doing it all again next year! See you at the table soon.