LOCATIONTuart Hill - northern suburbs - ten minutes from the CBD
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAWinning a handful of awards, including the Gold Plate Award in 2004, Banca Cafe in Perth’s northern suburb of Tuart Hill is quite the surprise. Once home to a bank, the logo and name fit perfectly while the interior smashes all expectations of a typical Italian restaurant. I’m happy to advise there is not a single silk flower, terracotta tile, fairy light or wicker chair in sight at this venue. Instead the interior takes a refreshing contemporary feel with polished concrete floors, warm greys and burgundies, and circular booths at the back. What a relief.
Despite the uniqueness of the interior, the menu is predominantly Italian with a few Mediterranean dishes thrown in for good measure. Their signature dish, North African spiced lamb fillets with Mediterranean vegetables and harissa mayonnaise, is a pure delight and has remained on the menu since the venue’s early days. The lamb is so tender with just the right amount of spice, which contrasts perfectly with the cool harissa mayo. The open kitchen is always a hub of activity – especially when the chefs start tossing the pizza bases for all to see and an element of theatre takes over. In addition to pasta, risotto (the seafood risotto is delish) and Italian classics such as scaloppine, there are also daily specials, with the fish of the day always impressing me with its freshness and well-matched accompaniments. There’s something about grilled fish with a light and creamy lemon butter sauce that gets me every time. Despite its suburban location, the attention to detail and use of quality products, such as Jingilli Olive Oil, draws me back to this place on a regular basis. As they say, leave your comfort zone every now and then and you’ll be surprised what you discover.
Karen Bilsby, November 2008
