Lot Twenty

In Sonnets from the Portuguese Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote «How do I love thee? Let me count the ways»; last night at Lot20 it was more a matter of «how to prepare an oyster? Let me count the ways»…and in the hands of Jerry Fraser and Lot20 head chef Justin West we were served up 12 extraordinary examples… well 13 if you count the au naturel version handed out by Jerry as the guests wended their way to their seats.
Part of the EatDrinkPerth festival Lot 20 served up a feast of champagne, sparkling wine, oysters and canapés to the 60 or so who took the opportunity to book tickets and come along. In four courses, with matching wines from distributor Off the Vine, we were served up three oysters at a time, followed by a canapé.
Course 1 saw natural oysters with lime and chilli sorbet — a stunningly good dressing, a little chilli heat combined with tangy, tart citrus flavours made for a zesty, refreshing start — with pickled wakame and ponzu dressing, followed by a steamed oyster accompanied by soy and mirin dressing topped with pickled ginger. Seaweed and pickled ginger — classic accompaniments.
The canapé to follow — a fluffy pancake stuffed with kimchi, a sprinkle of bonito flakes and a splash of creamy Kewpie mayo — excellent sour and zesty flavours complemented by the sweetness of the mayo.
The wine chosen to accompany the first course was Lana NV Prosecco. Made by King Valley, Victoria, winemaker Pizzini from Glera grapes this wine is light straw with tinges of green; a slightly yeasty bouquet with lemon blossom, green apples and Nashi pears aromas. The palate has an elegant lemony acidity, fine bead, and a lingering finish.
Course 2 saw natural oysters with vichyssoise and toasted brioche crumbs; with champagne jelly; and a cold smoked oyster with cucumber coulis. The delicate flavour of the leek and potato soup did not overpower the mollusc, and the nutty element from the brioche gave a nice little textural contrast. I love a smoked oyster — and this one was a fine example, the cucumber liltingly softening the smokiness.
A splodge of feathery whipped chicken livers on toasted bread served as an interval to the next of the oyster courses.
With this course came Marchand and Burch Cremant de Bourgogne; from the house of Margaret River based winery Marchand and Burch this sparkling produced in Burgundy is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir. It has a lifted bouquet of brioche and citrus, with honeyed lemon notes on the palate.
On to Course 3 and a grilled oyster with garlic and herb butter, a battered version with carrot and cabbage slaw and Cajun mayo, and finally natural with mint julep sorbet. From a taste of a Georgia plantation– minty and elegant to a spicy touch of Louisiana, more inspired creations.
Keeping with the Southern US theme our canapé was revealed as a prawn po’boy — crisply fried prawns in a bread roll; sweet, moist flesh with a little silky dressing made for a top interlude.
Laurent Perrier NV Brut was the support act for this course. A pale golden hue this has a fresh and delicate bouquet of citrus, nectarine and toasted bread, while flavours of lemon and apple abounded in the glass and a fine and long lasting bead.
Then the final three — a Bloody Mary oyster shot; oyster rockafella and the only one that didn’t work for me, natural with cold drip coffee, sea salt and shaved dark chocolate. Served in a shot glass the zesty juice perfectly complemented the fresh oyster; while the take on the classic Oyster Rockefeller had a rich buttery sauce softening a toasted crumb topping. The «dessert» oyster didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but others expressed some delight — in any event, to somewhat paraphrase Meat Loaf 12 out of 13 ain’t bad!
To round things out we then were served up a nicely doughy and chewy blini topped with crème fraiche, salmon roe and finger lime pearls — the latter like an explosion of zingy lime in the mouth; lovely.
And our final wine came from Spain — Segura Viudas Brut — this cava from Barcelona has a soft and creamy mouthfeel; some yeasty notes on the nose, while the palate showed acidic citrus with some honeyed and nutty characters.
The food, as is always the case at Lot20, was excellent and innovative — and the oysters supplied by Jerry amazing and fresh. The wine matches were spot on. Of course special mention to the waiters — Lot20 have collected a group of top class professionals, friendly, obliging and knowledgeable.

This is my favourite small bar in Perth. It’s the perfect blend of cool and comfy– hipsters mingle with oldies, families dine alongside the über hot, and no one bats an eye lid. A wide selection of drinks are available to quench your thirst in the cute outdoor area, and there’s nibbles to fill the hole while you’re at it. It’s a great spot to catch up with friends– the old school tunes are at the perfect level to create white noise that doesn’t interrupt. Love.

Fantastic! I had the burger and the gnocchi my partner the son in law eggs and the sardines. My partner found the sauce with the eggs to be a bit sweet but i loved it. Service was a bit slow but otherwise great and friendly staff. Hipster décor well designed. Bonus opportunity to learn french when off to the rest room. Definitely a favourite. Will be back!

Called in here to start our pinball pubcrawl last Saturday and its still a lovely little spot! Friendly quick service and a good array for options with some interesting sparkling soft drink options like Chai & Pear!
Only grabbed a couple tasting plates here, cheese and meats. The cheese selection was delicious and were the pickled veggies and the pumpkin and honey dip!
Always recommend a stop in here, cant wait to go back and sit in the levely outdoor garden.

Late night dining
Great coffee
Awesome wines
Dutch fries
Oysters
High ball espresso martinis
It’s a bar that tickets pretty much every box
Owned by some of perth’s hospitality legends, you can see the care, love and experience that has gone into the venue — and you feel it in all that they do.
They put peanut sauce and mayo on their fries!
On a summer afternoon it’s one of the busiest venues in Northbridge and their intimate restaurant gives you a chance to really get the best of their service.
It always feels fun and energetic and it’s one of those venues that is a pub, bar and date night destination all in one!

I’ve been here a couple of times and it’s a really great addition to the Northbridge scene. The fitout is nice, inside and out and the sunny courtyard is a great place for a daytime drink. They do wonderful cocktails. I haven’t tried much of the food but the fries with satay sauce were nice but a little overpriced at $ 12. The cheese board was nice but needed more bread or crackers. Service was a bit lacklustre on my second visit, but being so close to the State Theatre Centre and Perth Cultural Centre means they’re happy to accommodate orders to fit in with show times.

Well, now whenever I travel to Perth I know exactly where to go — Lot Twenty.
What more do you really need?
+ An awesome and comfy courtyard
+ An air-​conditioned interior
+ Incredible charcuterie boards
+ A good range of craft beers
+ Aperol Spritz the size of your head (and I mean literally the size of your head)
Lot Twenty is the perfect place to spend those warm and lazy Sunday afternoons with a group of your pals.

My friend and I came here late one night after a few drinks and decided to make this our last stop. I had a pretty strong cocktail (can’t remember the name), which I enjoyed. The barman was pretty cool too :). We found a little seat in the corner outside piled with cushions and made ourselves comfortable. We felt peckish, so we ordered the pickled veg and the satay chips. I found the pickles quite overpowering, but I guess that’s to be expected with pickles. The chips were absolutely drowning in sauce. I would normally love that, however it was waaay too much and we couldn’t finish them.
Still a very cute place, that I would happily go back to.

Absolutely LOVE this joint despite stumbling on it haphazardly. I ordered the gnocchi and chicken & kale with a friend and it was absolutely SUPERB. For a bar, these guys can deliver above topnotch quality food. The gnocchi was so soft and fluffy, and I don’t even like gnocchi which in itself is a testament to how good it was!
Although the chicken & kale portion was quite small, it was still cooked so well and the kale was absolutely delicious. The chicken was perfect; their was no dryness and the sauce they used complimented it so well. An issue I usually have is chicken is too dry or too under cooked but lot twenty have nailed it.

From my blog:

Ah what a week this has been! The past couple of days have been jammed packed with running errands, working, blogging, eating and preparing for my end of year trip starting tomorrow! I just came back from a fantastic bloggers event at Lot 20 in Northbridge, hosted by Laura Dew from Unilocal Perth. Tonight was a chance to meet other like-​minded bloggers/​Instgrammers, and to experience what Lot 20 and Unilocal has to offer. This was my first time at Lot 20 and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and vibe that came with the establishment. It’s a small, friendly bar that also has food that’s designed to be shared amongst friends and family.
Upon arrival, we were offered a Aperol Spritz made by Aren. I’m not a big drinker nor am I very adventurous when choosing drinks, so I had no idea what the drink was going to be like. Before attending the Unilocal event, I gathered from Google that Aperol Spritz has three components: three parts prosecco (Italian white wine), two parts of Aperol and one part soda water. I didn’t know much except that it was a lovely orange colour. We were given a big balloon glass of Aperol Spritz with lots of ice and it was so refreshing! It reminded me of sangria, they’re both similar in a way that they’re fruity, sweet and contains wine. The Aperol Spritz was super delicious and a perfect drink for summer, if I ever see this on a drinks menu, I’m definitely going to order it.
Food wise, we were served a variety of Lot 20’s dishes. The first was sardine and capsicum on a piece of toast. The thing I’ve noticed with the dishes at Lot 20, is that it was uncomplicated and they really focused on the flavour of the ingredients. The sardines and capsicum were simple and delicious.
Another fish dish was baked sardines, I wasn’t too sure exactly what the dish was, but from what I could gather, there were red onions, capers, some sort of herb and a slice of buttered toast. Again, much like the first dish, it was simple, clean and delicious. I was expecting it to be a cold dish, but to my surprise it was warm and so enjoyable.
The bean salad was a refreshing change from the naturally oily fish. It was a mix of white beans, cherry tomatoes and greens with a tangy vinaigrette. I really enjoyed the texture of the beans, they weren’t mushy or soggy, instead they had a bite to them.
Our last savoury dish was the ricotta gnocchi. I love, love, love gnocchi. The gnocchi at Lot 20 was beautifully plump and pillowy. Slightly different to the other dishes, the gnocchi was cheesy and warm, and such perfect comfort food.
To finish off, we were treated to a board of lemon macaroons. I loved how each individual macaroon looked different, indicating they were made by hand in-​house. The shells were crispy on the outside and had the perfect amount of chewiness on the inside. I also really appreciated that it wasn’t overly sweet like many macaroons can be. The lemon filling had the perfect balance of sweetness, tartness and lemon flavour. Such a good ending to the night!
Being very new to Unilocal,I’m glad I’ve found it as it’s a great way to view user generated content on, not just food places, but other business such as museums, boutiques and so on. Although it’s still in the process of setup, check out my Unilocal account (click here)!Thank you so much Laura Dew, Unilocal and Lot 20 for hosting a great night and for the invitation. I’ve met so many more wonderful people in Perth and the night was such a great way to enjoy my last day of summer. I’ll be heading to Tokyo, Germany, London and Amsterdam, so stay tuned via my Instagram and blog!

*Whisky and Oysters Masterclass*
There was a myth that said we should only eat oysters in a month with the letter ‘r’ in it. Not exactly sure why but I’m was glad since December was one of the perfect months to enjoy the oysters (and it has the letter ‘r’). There were oysters from four different regions that we tried that night:
· SA pacific oysters
· Tasmanian pacific oysters
· NSW rock oysters
· Albany rock oysters
Jerry was very friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about his oysters especially, since he’s been shucking oysters for the past 35 years. The first course was oysters with beetroot granita, espresso foam and just natural pure Albany rock oysters. Jerry explained that the Albany rock oysters’ farm was closed and won’t be opened until the following 6 months but he managed to get his hands on some due to a function that he ran on the weekend (yay!). The mini palate cleanser that we got was a very delicious root vegetables with buckwheat pancake.
With the first course, we were also presented with knowledge about the Connemara Irish whiskey by Bill which was quite light and sweet in flavour (compared to the other 3 that I tried later on). Bill also showed us how to taste the whisky properly by swirl the glass, bringing our glass to the same level as our nose, opening our mouth and sniffing it to get more of the aroma. Then we took a sip, chew the whisky and let the flavour hit.
Jerry said that he shucked about 6000 oysters per week which explained how his shucking skill looked so eloquent compared to mine! With his yellow thimble and oyster knife, Jerry showed us how to shuck an oyster properly. We were shown the knife that we had to use, how to find the sweet spot on the beak area, popped open the oyster, ran our blade throughout the rooftop of the shell and flipped the oyster so it looked presentable. It was easier to write the steps than actually doing it! I ended up mutilating my oyster instead… poor little guy :-)
Our second course came right away after Megan and I finished our oyster shucking class. All three oysters came accompanied with raw salmon sashimi with vanilla oil and baby mache. We took a sip of our Bowmore whisky which was smokier than Connemara Irish whiskey and matched really well with the raw salmon sashimi!
Laphroaig brought with it a heavier smoky flavour of the malt that was dried over peat fire and we drank it neat. This whisky would be perfect for a cooler weather and was most bloggers’ preferred whisky of the night. Bill explained about how he went to the Laphroaig distillery in Islay, Scotland and gave us the background information on how waves crashed onto the wall of the distillery throughout all the days in a year (yep, all 365 days). I took a sip and immediately tasted the woody flavour, which was quite pleasant and smooth. Bill said that the wood of the barrel will affect the flavour of the whiskey. Some barrels can also be made from a combination of wood such as 30% white oak and 70% red oak.
We had another surprise of the creamy Albany rock oyster on the fourth course and when surveyed, everyone’s favourite was the Albany rock oyster with sweet, rich and soft creamy flavour.
This was offered together with triple distilled whisky with the name that was quite challenging to pronounce: Auchentoshan. This was a light whisky as well but less rich than the Laphroaig that I previously tasted.
I think if I’m allowed I could eat more than a dozen oysters that night especially with all the health benefits that oysters bring. Freshness was paramount in the oysters and oysters need to be shucked after orders were placed as each was still alive until the adductor muscle got cut off.
Jerry explained that one oyster can filter about 30L of water per day and because oysters are filter feeders, we could taste the surrounding area of where the oysters were farmed from. It was very interesting because in one of the oysters (NSW) I could taste the strong mineral explosion in it. Next time you go to a restaurant, ask the server where they got their oysters from and hopefully it’d fulfil your curiosity to try some oysters from different region.
I didn’t finish all of the whiskies because I had to drive home alone but it was a very satisfying event where I gained a wealth of knowledge from both Bill and Jerry!

Have you tried their popcorn chicken?
Yes — You understand the love
No — Your life is incomplete until you do and you must now abandon whatever you are doing and go try it. I’m being serious.
It’s a nice little venue, using a space that was a few years ago a dead part of town. Has the potential to get a little hot in summer during a sunny afternoon, but so does everywhere. Love the feel and the staff are friendly.

Having heard so much about their dutch fries — how could I not make this my very first stop on our ladies night out. Its a place with two sets of outdoor seating and an indoor seating area. By 5.45 this place was busy with two areas booked for events.
I ordered one of their homemade sodas and spiked it with rum. I was tempted to order the piña colada for only 11 dollars but the waitress suggested their sodas. I got a cantaloupe and rose soda spiked with rum. My friend got a spiced ginger beer. We got dutch fries and chicken wings to share.
For $ 12, you get a decent amount of fries which come in a cone shaped container that makes then hard to eat. Dutch fries are essentially fries coated in satay sauce and mayo and topped with chopped onion. How is satay a dutch thing?
It should be Malay fries or indo fries.
Ok they are interesting but nothing to tell stories about. I’ve had chips in truffle oil with aioli and now that is something to talk about. Not these chips. Plus these dutch fries were only coated with peanut sauce on the top. After you get through the top layer, you are left with normal minimally salted fries. Disappointment galore.
The chicken wings — for $ 13 –you get three chicken wings (insane) and they come with blue cheese dip. The chicken wings are ok and the blue cheese dip is nice.
Their homemade soda lacked the taste of melon or rose and just tasted like rum with soda. The rum was super overpowering. Yuck.
Ok now there was this man standing outside tallying people going in and out on a piece of paper. Seriously dude get a clicker or an app with a counter. Get with the times!

Spent a lovely, humid Perth evening sitting outdoors here at a comfortable set of low tables and benches. The menu is wide ranging, features a good selection of local produce (helpfully identified next to each item) and truly has something for everyone. We ate pickled veggies, cornbread, olives, and some thoroughly satisfying and delicious Dutch fries, which comes with cheese and satay sauce.
There’s a limited range of beer on tap, but it’s mostly local. Wine list is quite extensive and features a broad selection of WA, Australian, and international varieties. Would have loved to see an indication of any organics on the list, but it was sadly lacking.
The service was a delight, although be aware that if you’re ordering starters and mains you have to order them separately, which led us to missing out on some amazing sounding main meals as we filled up on Dutch fries. Which are not to be missed.

Lot 20 is one of my favourite hangouts. It doesn’t seem to be well known that their burger is one of the best in Perth, a truly delicious behemoth, and god bless the chef prepared to cook a patty medium rare. Despite initial cynicism I have come to love Dutch Fries. The menu is interesting and varied. There are nice craft beers on tap and the cocktails are tasty. The outdoors area is a great place for a summery Sunday session.

Lot 20 is a really cool little bar. Inside it is all exposed brick and wrought metal and outside there is a sizeable beer garden/​alfresco dining area (we were there on a rainy winters night so the beer garden was off limits but I’m sure on a warm day it would be packed).
Inside there are two floors. On the ground floor is the main eating area with tall tables and stools. Upstairs there is a smaller room with one long table. I guess this is for groups to book.
I was impressed how everything on the menu was locally sourced including the beer. We had the smoked beef brisket and the mushrooms with pickled radish and pea shoots. While the mushrooms were delicious, the beef was very dry which wasn’t helped by it only being served with two massive slices of cornbread.
Overall the atmosphere was great, the drinks list was extensive and the food was tasty. I am definitely planning on returning!

This is a really cute little two storey bar/​restaurant in that convenient spot occupied by the library snd museum between the city and Northbridge. It’s nestled away behind lovely ironwork walls, making you feel away from the city. There’s an outside area, inside area and upstairs area. Both times I’ve been have been upstairs, where you can watch the cooking or the courtyard below.
Food focus is on local produce, divided up into mainly share style plates. If, like me, you have a few non-​sharing types, they have a few burger/​sandwich options.
Menu highlights for me were the tamarind lamb ribs, the modern cubano and the side salad. Yes, the side salad. It changes seasonally, but is a huge bowl of awesomeness for only $ 5. Getting those 3 things to share borders on too much food for my husband and I. The smoked brisket was fairly average, but the cornbread was good, as are the onion rings and eggplant chips with caramel sauce
Novel cocktails and an interesting beer list round it out as a good spot.
Service whilst friendly can be a little slow, mainly due to the upstairs kitchen I think.

I love Lot 20. Especially that they open at 10am on a Sunday. We had been having a mini explore of Northbridge and it had got really hot by 10. Not a lot was open, so when we found the sign out gate open and staff happy to welcome us in we breathed a collective sigh and made ourselves comfortable in their most deliciously air conditioned ground level bar. The bartender cheerfully made our drinks and then as we were getting close to the end of our first round bought iced water and glasses to the table without prompting.
I was lucky enough to attend the Unilocal event here awhile ago so I know their food is awesome! But it was so nice to be so welcomed for just a couple of drinks.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for Lot 20 yet!
From the people who brought you Five Bar, comes this new addition to Northbridge.
The first thing I noticed that I loved about Lot 20 is its versatility. You can drop in for a good coffee and a quick work session in the day (free Wi-​Fi). You could drop in for a drink before or after a show at the State Theatre next door. My advice is to spend hours here on weekend afternoons with a group of friends in the courtyard, ordering rounds of drinks and food, taking advantage of their new range of fancy alcoholic granitas (perfect for warm summer’s days). Which is actually what I am doing on Saturday!
For a slightly more fancy occasion book a table upstairs, and watch the chefs work their magic from your table.
The food is great, the menu is seasonal, so changes constantly. Jerry Faser Oyster King is there Wednesdays and Fridays and he can wax lyrical about oysters as he prepares those salty wonders for you — learning while drinking!
I can’t write this review with out mentioning the staff, probably some of the most attentive and nice in Perth — high fives Team Lot 20. Oh and also the fit-​out and furniture is gorgeous, I’d love to get a couple of those couches for my home!

Visited this funtastic new bar with my work colleagues last Friday night and we had a smashing evening! Rocked in without a booking (heaven forbid who does that on a Friday!) and managed to score seating outside within minutes! I love the choices of seating on offer — low stools, high chairs, benches with large comfy cushions and you can choose to sit inside, outside or upstairs.
The cocktails are amazing — I tried both the Barbadian Rum Swizzle and the Espresso Highball thanks to Krystal H’s recommendation). The Espresso Highball is unique, with a winning combination of espresso, chocolate, vodka and panela sugar — a real standout!
The food menu makes for interesting reading — kudos to the person who concocted it! Who would not be tempted by — Maple glazed roast pumpkin, goat’s cheese and curious seeds or lightly smoked pork belly, chestnut crumbs with cardamom and apple gel! I tried the pumpkin and the lamb ribs with tamarind glaze and fresh herbs! The lamb was Amelia Park and was succulent, it’s flavour was enhanced by the tamarind glaze. It is wonderful to note that the best and the freshest produce is being sourced so as to create meals which are bursting with flavour and goodness.
The service is five star, both the bar staff and the waitstaff are personable, competent and available. We were there on a busy Friday night and yet not once did we have to beckon to the staff. They are also very helpful with suggestions should you need advice about the menu.
Will be booking our Christmas lunch at Lot 20 and am already looking forward to it!