Froth Craft Brewery
12 Victoria Street, Bunbury
Ph: 0407 718 751
www.frothcraft.com
Pairing Froth and Fusion
The dictionary definition of fusion is the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity. And that is how Froth Craft Brewery, a new addition to the Bunbury CBD dining and live music scene describes their cuisine; well to be more precise, they describe it as ‘Asian-Fusion’.
Centrally located in Bunbury on the prime corner lot of Carey Street and busy Victoria Street, where once stood the iconic Reef Hotel, this is the second venue for Froth Craft Brewery, joining its sister site in Exmouth. As Pete Firth and the management team put it, their goal is to deliver an eclectic but approachable mix of family-friendly restaurant, live music venue, craft micro-brewery and delectable meals, all served in a welcoming and rustic atmosphere.
The new Bunbury site certainly delivers on that score. It’s expansive, yet never feels overwhelming or cavernous. The ‘pier style’ architectural design is engaging on a human-scale, allowing it to operate seamlessly as part brewery, part restaurant, part cultural hub, part family venue, part theatre, part beer garden, part function venue, to simply part local meeting spot. It’s all very stylishly done.
As is their food. With seasonal dishes all pitched as a mid-way alternative between standard pub grub fare and fine dining, Chef Raj Hossain’s kitchen team deliver an array of modern takes on familiar dishes, infusing each with a sublime southern Asian fusion pairing of (not too) sweet plus acidic tang. All their spice mixes and marinades are made in-house, collating the best fresh ingredients from the cuisines of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Japan to flavour the locally-sourced produce. As befits a specialist micro-brewery, each of the dishes I tried came with a recommended alcohol pairing from the extensive beer menu. Not one pairing disappointed; I would urge you to take advantage of their suggestions.
Pairing #1: A menu special dish of roasted vegetables in a light curry sauce – broccoli, pumpkin, chickpeas, with coriander, rice, and papadums, paired with the Stoned Over Hazy Pale Ale. This dish was a standout. Tasty and filling, but without any post-meal bloat. Sometimes simple is best.
Pairing #2: “Lobo’s Lamb Ribs” with pineapple slaw and house-made Asian glaze, paired with the Little Phete Amber Ale. Succulent, juicy, but not too sweet with a slight vinegar tang that truly cuts through.
Pairing #3: Another menu special dish of crab with squid ink linguine, tomatoes, capers, red chili, fresh basil, grated parmesan, paired with the Golden Hour West Oz Summer Ale. A wise old Italian once told me the secret to their cuisine – buy top quality ingredients and after that do whatever you like. This dish is a gem that proves that adage.
Pairing #4: “That’s It, That’s All Folks” chilli caramel crispy pork belly, corn slaw, house-made Asian sauce, nuoc cham and papadums, paired with the Yeah Baby Ginger Ale. That this star dish is proving to be Froth kitchen’s most popular comes as no surprise. What does come as a surprise is the success of its pairing with the ginger ale, a drink I would never have thought to order, but having tasted the combination I now wouldn’t order anything else. One reason for its success – the ginger ale is a marinade ingredient and the two really do set each other off.
Froth Craft Brewery’s version of Asian Fusion cuisine is superb and delivered to a uniformly high standard across its entire menu. Plus, it’s a micro-brewery. Plus, it’s an entertainment venue. Plus, it’s a spot to hang and chill.
Lots of fusion to be getting on with.
By Paul Hindle
