PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAOriginality goes a long way in a small city like Perth so when you discover a place like Fuche, it sticks in your mind like bubble-gum on a shoe. The west end of Perth’s CBD is fast becoming the place for funky little bars and eateries with Fuche being no exception to either. Whoever decorated this place must have had one of the most interesting design briefs ever seen – red velvet walls, Monkey Magic imagery, ceiling paintings illuminated with UV lights and dangling hearts. However you prefer your surroundings, you can’t accuse this place of being boring. With the assistance of groovy music, albeit sometimes a little on the loud side, Fuche pulls a decent sized crowd that swells to maximum capacity on Friday and Saturday nights.
Suiting the atmosphere to a “T”, the menu is all about tapas; and it’s good tapas at that. The portions aren’t overly huge but when I have tapas I prefer the “less is more” rule; that way you can order a wider range of dishes and experience more flavours. The seared lamb cutlets, Mediterranean marinated octopus, smoked salmon roulade and Albondigas Spanish meatballs are always my standard order – you can’t go wrong with this combination. Then there’s a great selection of fresh vegetarian creations to choose from. Being a sucker for a good croquette, the Fuche version passed with flying colours – crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Those with larger appetites or unwilling to share their food with others needn’t miss out as there’s also an a la carte menu offering a range of items from focaccias to tempura barramundi. Although I’m sure this menu is equally as good, the majority of Fuche fans seem to favour tapas. Like they say, “When you’re on to a good thing, stick to it.”
Karen Bilsby, April 2008
