december-2010

CLOCKWISE: From
fashion to food,
shopaholics can indulge
at the new enex100
shopping mall; delicious
local produce at Clarkes;
chef Matt Stone visits the
Greenhouse herb garden
Graham Partridge, chairman of arena
owner Venueswest, says Perth Arena aims
to be the fi nest entertainment venue in
Australia. “It has been designed to be a fl exible
building, allowing for many uses with a quick
changeover in between,” he says.
Perth is also set to receive its fi rst six-star
hotel, with the luxurious Aman Resort Group
confi rming its fi rst Australian venture to be
a 46-suite boutique hotel in the CBD’s Old
Treasury Building. Work is expected to begin
late next year and will be part of a major
redevelopment of the St Georges Terrace
Cathedral Heritage Precinct.
For those who love shopping, Perth has a
host of new and revitalised shopping hubs.
Among them is enex100, a new city mall
stretching from Hay Street to 100 St Georges
Terrace. Spread over three levels, enex100
has a range of upmarket fashion outlets like
Lisa Ho, Satch, Calibre, Jack London, Veronika
Maine and lululemon athletica — as well as
businesses offering makeovers, massages,
fashion, food, electronic equipment and more.
Claremont Quarter in Claremont’s western
suburb is yet another hot shopping haunt
in the middle of a massive facelift. Its new
look will be unveiled in three months — but
LOUIS VUITTON,
GUCCI AND BALLY
ARE LUXURY
LABELS THAT NOW
CARRY A KING
STREET ADDRESS
shoppers can already visit its wide range of
speciality stores.
For dedicated followers of high-end fashion,
King Street at the western end of the CBD
is the place to shop. Louis Vuitton, Tiffany
& Co, Wheels and Doll Baby, Ruth Tarvydas,
Gucci and Bally are among a swag of luxury
labels that now carry a King Street address,
with Prada enroute. Many cafés and eateries
are also nestled on this semi-cobbled street,
which is lined with Federation-style buildings
dating from the turn of the 20th century.
Perth’s dining scene is set to sizzle with
acclaimed Australian chef Neil Perry venturing
west to give diners a taste of his unique
steakhouse cuisine. Rockpool Bar & Grill
Perth will be located at the Burswood Casino
complex, and both Perry and head chef Dan
Masters say they’re looking forward to working
with fresh West Australian produce.
Also growing in acclaim since it opened
last year is Greenhouse. The European-style
eatery has bars both upstairs and downstairs,
and according to part-owner Paul Aron,
continues to draw plenty of attention with a
façade made up of 3,750 potted ivy plants. But
Greenhouse’s eye-catching exterior, the funky
creation of Dutch-born designer Joost Bakker,
is not its only unusual feature.
A roof-top garden that supplies fresh
ingredients to the bars and kitchen (headed
by chef Matt Stone, Gourmet Traveller awardwinner
for 2010’s best new talent), furniture
and fi ttings made from recycled materials,
and improvised eating utensils guarantee an
unconventional dining experience.
Meanwhile, up the coast, award-winning
Clarkes of North Beach continues to serve
up food fi t for royalty with three-time WA
chef of the year Stephen Clarke designing
menus of creative, modern Australian fare.
British-born Clarke, who really did feed the
royals while working as personal chef to the
Earl and Countess of Leicester in 2000, says
pork dishes are his speciality — with whole
young pigs handpicked from a property at the
foothills of Perth’s Stirling Ranges, a feature.
“We use every bit of the pig, from the head to
the trotters,” says Clarke.
Another feature that distinguishes Clarkes
from other fi ne-dining establishments is its
informal surrounds and BYO status. “A lot of
our customers have amazing cellars, so we
create dishes that they can enjoy with their
beautiful wines in a relaxed and informal
setting,” he explains.
DECEMBER 2010 65