Chez Pierre

LOCATION
Just 5km from the Perth CBD in the western suburbs.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
When contemplating the origins of gastronomy, anyone with the slightest passion for food will no doubt consider France as a major influence. In kitchens all around the globe, the French are highly regarded for providing the culinary world with classic cooking techniques, fine fusions of flavours and a deep seeded passion for food. For the French, the love of cooking is often learned at home, as it was for Pierre Ichallalene – owner of Chez Pierre in Nedlands. After closely watching his parents run successful restaurants in Western Australia, Pierre spent some time at Cordon Bleu school in Paris honing his culinary skills before opening his own eatery. Occupying the venue that once housed the highly regarded Turkish restaurant Eminem, Pierre has given the place a complete transformation. The result is a cosy French bistro complete with a lounge for pre-dinner cocktails.

Dining at Chez Pierre is an experience you’re likely to remember for a while. In addition to slick service and a relaxed ambience, the food is undeniably fabulous. The a la carte menu showcases the best of French provincial cuisine, starting with entrees like the foie gras, St Jacque au Champagne (seared WA scallops wrapped in pancetta with saffron and champagne veloute) and escargot. Once your tastebuds have acclimatised to this sumptuous style of classic French dining, you’ll be ready for mains like the delicious duck a l’orange, selle de chevreuil (pan-fried Margaret River venison fillet) and filet de boef (Harvey butter field fillet of beef with mushroom tortellini). For those yearning a little bit of everything, the degustation menu is quite superb and very good value. But value is not why you come to a French restaurant of this calibre. No, this place is all about eating food the way the French intended – with maximum indulgence.

Karen Bilsby