222 Capricorn Esplanade, Yanchep
Ph: (08) 6166 5785
www.yanchepbeachclub.com.au
Room with a view
Perth’s northern suburbs were once home to fishing shacks and holiday bungalows, but over the past few decades, the growth in Perth’s northern coastal corridor has been extraordinary. This is hardly surprising as the area boasts some of the best beaches in Perth. But infrastructure and amenities often struggle to keep pace with growth. Dining options in suburbs such as Yanchep were lacking until now.
Yanchep Beach Club (YBC) opened last year and adds to the growing stable of hospitality venues within the Esqulant Leisure Group (ELG). The venue is located amongst the dunes above Capricorn Beach. Indian Ocean views and alfresco, indoor and private dining options feature, whilst the venue is bathed in natural light.
Diners will notice some menu staples from other venues, but also new inclusions courtesy of Group Executive Chef Steve Finch and Head Chef Nick Cooper. Nick explains it’s important that this venue, as with others in the Group, offers dishes that gives each venue its own identity consistent with its unique environment or terroir.
We started our lunch with two dishes from the Small Plates Menu, choosing Steak Tartare with black garlic aioli, grana padano and beef fat croutes, and Grilled Halloumi with chilli maple and crispy onions. The flavours in the tartare were well-balanced with the rich beef flavours enhanced by the smokey aioli and the finely grated cheese, bringing some sharpness to the plate. The bread medallions were crunchy, indulgent and added beefy earthiness. This dish was matched with 2023 Nietschke Shiraz (Barossa Valley, SA). The bold, dark fruit, tabac and oak characteristics of this classic Barossa Shiraz was a good pairing with the beef.
The Grilled Halloumi portions were generous, well-caramelised, squeaky and salty, and the chilli maple syrup was rich with a good bite of chilli, while the crispy onions provided an extra dimension to taste and texture. This was paired with 2025 Puiattino Pinot Grigio (Veneto, IT). Its honeyed, pear palate with complex minerality worked well with the warm spice and salty chewy cheese flavours of the dish.
Our next two dishes came from the Large Plates Menu. Humpty Doo Barramundi with leek fondue, truffle sauce and confit potato, and YBC Lamb Shank Shepard’s Pie with creamed mash potato. The barramundi skin was golden, crispy and well-seasoned, while the flesh was delicate, moist and flaked apart. The confit potato was well-caramelised on the outside while buttery in the centre, while the leek still retained some texture and added subtle flavours to the earthy truffle sauce. Paired with this dish was 2024 Vasse Felix Premier Chardonnay (Margaret River, WA). The white stone fruit and melon flavours of the wine were underscored by a subtle minerality of oyster shells, and finished with clean citrus that refreshed the palette from the buttery seafood and truffle dish. It was a great food/wine match.
The lamb in the YBC Lamb Shank Shepard’s Pie was slow-cooked with tomato flavours, but the mashed duchess potato decoratively piped on top was the star of the dish. Light as a feather pillow but packed full of flavour. It was well seasoned and liberally blended with cream, butter and egg yolk for extra richness.
We finished our meal with dessert of Apple Crumble Brulée with apple compote and chantilly. The creamy brulée and flamed toffee topping was crowned with lightly simmered and sweetened Granny Smith apple, crumble and a dab of chantilly cream. Lightly torched slices of apple added extra apple dimensions to the dish.
Yanchep Beach Club is fully licensed, available for private functions and is family friendly.
By Chris O’Halloran
