Perth – Day Out In Swan Valley With Kangaroos, Wines and Food

BY CK Lam

My six-day five-night Perth trip in September 2015 sponsored by Tourism Western Australia and organized by Foodsion 食尚 truly allows me to discover more of the city. My series about Perth will be published on a weekly basis, focusing mainly on the plethora of culinary offerings in Perth’s food spots while also touching on the travel attractions and accommodation.

Our trip Down Under in Australia had us visiting many places in Perth, including a day out in the countryside of Swan Valley.

Swan Valley is Western Australia’s oldest wine growing region and home to many wineries, breweries, restaurants and food producers. We got out experiencing mother nature and its surroundings, attractions, while also relishing good food and drinks. And if you have yet to know, Swan Valley has been crowned the first Humane Food Region in Australia in 2014. As such, there is a strong commitment to supporting healthier and wholesome produce like locally grown vegetables, seafood, free-range pork and chicken, fresh cage-free eggs  and lots more.

We had a great 25 minutes drive by Perth Luxury Tours from the Perth CBD, making a stopover at Sandalford Wines, Whistler Chocolate Co, Mondo Nougat, Morish Nut, House of Honey, Upper Reach Winery  and Caversham Wildlife Park.

A visit to Swan Valley definitely include a visit to Sandalford Wines, a place that I kept going back during my previous trips. Another feature of the winery is the charming restaurant, where one can sit in for hours with its plenty of wine and food. As it was Father’s Day, we tantalized our taste buds with dishes from the special day set menu accompanied by glasses of wines.

The charcuterie plate of chicken liver pate, pork terrine cornichons, duck rillettes & onion jam whet the palate nicely , followed by the Sandalford shiraz slow braised beef cheek, and pork belly with chorizo, scallops, quinoa and preserved lemon jus. The delightful espresso infused tiramisu was served next with caramelised banana, crunchy almond, and bitter chocolate syrup.

Sandalford Wines
3210 West Swan Road
Caversham
Western Australia 6055
Tel : 08 9374 9374

Sandalford Shiraz slow braised beef cheek

Pork belly, chorizo, scallops, quinoa and preserved lemon jus

A special charcuterie plate for the occasion

Espresso infused tiramisu…an absolute delight

 

After the meal at Sandalford Wines, our next stop was the Whistler Chocolate Co. This Western Australia’s oldest confectionery family-owned company is a must visit for chocolate lovers. Its featured cafe offers savory snacks and favorites including macaroons, fudge and ice cream which are good selections during the visiting time. There is huge playground right behind the cafe for the kids too.

Whistler Chocolate Co
506 Great Northern Highway
Middle Swan
WA 6056
Telephone: (+61 8) 9274 7777

Perfect chocolate gift

 

Next we head for Mondo Nougat, a producer and retailer of traditional Italian nougat. The outlet cum cafe has varieties of crunchy and chewy nougat made with honey and roasted almonds. Besides the nougats, the cafe offers warm beverages, biscotti, gelati and plenty of cakes, some made with nougat. All the products are made in the kitchen where guests can see the chefs at work.

Mondo Nougat
640 Great Northern Hwy
Herne Hill WA 6056
Telephone: (08) 9296 0111

 

Located in the same building with Mondo Nougat is Morish Nut. If you like nuts, then this place is for you, with choices of caramel coated peanuts, cashews and macadamias packed in candy-striped black and white bags. Worthy of a mention is the abalone macadamia nuts.

Their products are free of gluten, lactose, additives, preservatives or colouring agents.

Morish Nut
640 Great Northern Hwy
Herne Hill WA 6056
Telephone: (+61 8) 9221 0214

 

It was a wonderful stop at The House of Honey which specializes in raw, pure, unpasteurized and unadulterated varietal honeys. We tried the many types of honey and beauty products and some of us ended up buying bottles of Jarrah honey to take home.

The House of Honey is also known for its Devonshire tea, and since honey is their speciality, expect to find many desserts with delightful honey such as tea honey scones, and honey ice cream.

House of Honey and the Sticky Spoon Cafe
867 Great Northern Hwy
Herne Hill
Western Australia  6056
Tel: (08) 9296 3635

Honey tasting

One of the highlights of the Swan Valley visit was a morning spent in Caversham Wildlife Park. We walked through the park, watched the farm show and what’s more we took pictures with the wombats, koalas and kangaroos.

Caversham Wildlife Park
Whiteman Park
Lord Street
Whiteman WA 6028
Telephone: (+61 8) 9248 1984