Jamies Italian

Street View

The highly anticipated Jamies Italian has finally opened in Perth, the 2nd in Australia after Sydney. After a few articles in the newspaper I’d been regularly checking online to see when they would open… perhaps daily… ok, you got me, several times a day! You see, I’m a big fan of Jamies Italian, having eaten regularly at their Canary Wharf restaurant and a visit or two to their Sydney one. I still can’t believe that they’ve opened in little ole Perth, ahead of Melbourne. I guess Perth isn’t all that small and isolated anymore.

We are visiting with our neighbours and we decide to arrive for 12 noon knowing there’ll be a queue but hopefully not too long of a wait. When we join the queue we’re quickly told there would be a 45 minute wait to reach the door to get our name on the list. It only took 30 minutes overall and we were given glasses of water and offered nibbles from antipasti being bought around. When we got inside we were told there’d be around a one and a half hour wait for a table. We could either go shopping and they’d call us when our table was ready or have a drink by the bar. We chose to have a drink by the bar. Luckily we managed to get a table and chairs but they were not serving bar snacks today. So we all settled on a round of Classic Bellini’s ($9.50) and before we knew it our table was ready.

Bellinis

Bar

Once seated we were welcomed by our waiter and informed of the daily specials. We were also given a complimentary basket of Italian breads to nibble on. Ooh decisions, decisions, so hard when you’re feeling quite hungry! As one of us had specific dietary requirements it was good to learn that almost all pastas can be served with gluten-free pasta. In fact it was noted that there were many gluten-free choices on the menu. So I know you’re desperate to know what we ate!

Bread Basket

We wanted to order some of the risotto balls but they had run out at that time so we all shared a pot of Posh Chips ($6.50) with truffle oil and parmesan. Chips were crunchy on the outside and the hint of truffle oil and tasty parmesan made them very moorish.

Posh Chips

2 of us ordered the daily special Pancetta Arosta ($23.50). Slow roasted Vin San marinated Pork Belly with sweet sticky balsamic potatoes, onions and crispy sage. (I still drool thinking about it) They advertised it on the blackboard as ‘Naughty but Nice’. It was sublime. The pork was tender with ribbons of meat and fat with crisp crackling on top. The potatoes and onions were sticky and flavoursome and each mouthful was savoured.

Pancetta Arosto

There was also a Tagliatelle Bolognese ($19) ordered. Made from a ragu of beef, pork, herbs, chianti and parmesan with crunched herbed breadcrumbs. The tasty ragu, tossed through ribbons of tagliatelle was tasty and the breadcrumbs giving a crunch in texture. It’s one of the best bolognese pastas I’ve ever eaten and I’ve tried this dish at all of Jamies restaurants and the quality is consistent at all venues.

Tagliatelle Bolognese

We also ordered the Wild Rabbit Taglioni Gluten Free ($23). The rabbit coming from MacLeay Valley Rabbits in Kempsey, NSW is slow cooked with herbs, garlic, mascarpone and lemon. The rabbit was tender and moist. We were expecting the ragu to be darker in colour but the dish was light probably due to the marscapone in the sauce. It was well enjoyed.

Wild Rabbit Taglioni

We were then asked if we’d like desserts – most definitely! 2 of us ordered the Tutti Frutti Lemon Meringue Pie ($8.50) made with Limoncello and decorated with crunchy pistachio brittle. The lemon layer sitting above the base was tangy and soft. The meringue part was the most gorgeous marshmallow I’ve ever had with a slightly crunchy top where it had browned. Not a hint of cheap foamy meringue this was smooth, thick and truly indulgent. The brittle adding a crunch in texture and nuttiness.

Tutti Frutti Lemon Meringue Pie

We also ordered the Poached Winter Fruits ($9.50) with vanilla frozen yoghurt and smashed honeycomb. The fruits were cold and we did think they may have been nicer warmed up a little but they were still softly poached and delicious. Even the yoghurt icecream was creamy in texture.

Poached Winter Fruits

Our last dessert ordered was the Tiramisu ($9.50), ribbons of coffee soaked trifle with a large dollop of orange marscapone and grated chocolate on top. It was sinfully good. The rich flavours were perfectly complemented with the orange marscapone.

Tiramisu

We then ordered some Coffee ($4.35) determined to linger that bit longer to savour our experience as much as possible. The coffees were hot and strong in flavour which you’d expect from Fiori which they use.

Flat White

And like that our experience was over. We couldn’t get over how reasonably priced our meal was with the quality and freshness of the food. The friendly attitude of staff and quality service will guarantee Jamies Italian as a popular restaurant in Perth.

If the thought of queuing is not your thing, Jamies are now taking bookings online so you can guarantee a table. They are open 7 days a week from 11am. I’m already planning my next visit! When are you going?