Unit 8/ 569 Stirling Hwy, Cottosloe
Phone: (08) 9383 3431
Wasabi Lamb and Chinese lettuce tacos??
Prestigious Catering Institute finalists nearly every year from 1991 – 2005, Biance and Jack Lau are one of the most respected husband and wife teams in Perth’s hospitality scene. This year they celebrate their 25th anniversary in hospitality and they’re still as alluring and passionate as when they first began.
Boasting the most loyal clientele, get Bianca chatting and you’ll discover the secret behind their successful business: simplicity and balance. They believe they’re blessed with so much pleasure from their clients that they must give something back in return. And they do so in the form of great food, as well as constant refurbishments to the restaurant – all precisely Feng Shui balanced.
So passionate is Bianca that once, her Feng Shui advisor told her that the best time to work on a window was at midnight. So she made sure of it! She welcomed the tradesman in at midnight, and although he simply humoured her and hammered the plasterboard a couple of times before going home, work was still carried out at midnight and Bianca was satisfied!
Besides the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere within the restaurant, the first class meals are the other major ingredient in Jade Court’s success. They are so delicious and solid that they speak for themselves. I had the pleasure of enjoying many dishes on my visit to Jade Court, including their Almond Prawn Balls, the Salt and Pepper Fish made with moist and tender Royal Tasmanian Salmon, and the delicious Sang Choy Bow (or as Scott likes to call them, the ‘Chinese lettuce tacos’).
My favourites however (and no, I simply couldn’t pick one ) were the Seafood Honey Walnut and the Wasabi Lamb.
To the average person, clusters of caramelised nuts served around a nest of mixed seafood and vegetables may seem unusual. However, when it’s teamed together Jack’s way, the Seafood Honey Walnut makes for one of the freshest and unique-tasting dishes on the menu. The mix of fresh seafood with crisp vegetables and the sweet crunch of walnut clusters is like enjoying a theme park in your mouth. When coupled with a glass of Unwooded Salitage Chardonnay, the amalgamation is heavenly.
The magic of the Wasabi Lamb’s sauce is that it allows the meat and crunchy snow peas to release their own flavours and work together to balance one another out. Wonderfully accompanied by a glass of Swan Bay Pinot Noir 2006, the wine is mild-bodied enough not to overpower the delicate, tender lamb.
And I must not forget to mention the outstanding chicken dim sims. Served steamed with only soy sauce, the tender and plump pods just melt in your mouth. The sticky pastry against the salty sauce makes for the tastiest treat.
Over the course of the afternoon, I notice the phones get busier and the staff scurry a little quicker. And Bianca and Jack make no secret that it’s difficult to get good staff who are loyal and reliable. Having been in the industry for decades, they are particularly struggling now to find staff now that the trend for potential employees is drifting further away from hospitality towards the more booming mining industry. Yet despite their struggle, they soldier on as they simply have more and more loyal customers wanting to book in for another hit of their favourite Jade Court meal.
Open Monday to Friday for Lunch and Dinner and on Saturdays and Sundays for dinner only, so book well in advance!
