Australian Gourmet Traveller - (01)January 2021 (1)

TH

EREFRESH

Highgate,

WA

I

s it a bar?Is it a nightclub?Is it

a restaurant?Despitebeing

openfortwoyears,SiParadiso

• picturea European-stylebeachclub,
  onlyminusthebeach– continues to
  defypigeonholing.
  Thethirstyflockhereforsharp
  cocktails,localbeersandlo-fiwines
  whilepartygoerscometodiscoand
  swaytolivenu-jazz.Others,meanwhile,
  dropintoeat,eitherinthecourtyard


• washedaggregate,amphitheatre
  andall– orinthesmart-casualdining
  room,a visionof1960sItalo-cool
  starringparquetryfloors,laminate
  tabletopsandtimberpanelling.
  Initially,thefoodwaslimitedto
  puffypizze,antipasti,tinnedfishand
  otheraperitivostaples:notespecially
  groundbreaking,butit suitedSi
  Paradiso’sItalianateambitionsaswell
  as a clientele that, truth be told, spent

longerwiththedrinkslistthanthe

menu.Followingthearrivalofchef

PaulBentley,guestsmight want to

rethinktheirpriorities.

Youcantella lotabouta cookby

thewaysheorheservesrawmeat.

Usingpickledredonionandgingeroil

tosharpenkingfishintheSiParadiso

crudo?Clever.Buttherealpower

moveis kombu-curingthefishto

seasonandfirmupitsflesh.Bentley

frequentlyreferencesJapanwith

pleasingresults,fromteaming

barbecuedoctopuswitha zestychilli

andbloodorangepaste– ananalogue

ofJapan’syuzukosho– tolifting

flash-grilledsquidwitha punchysalsa

ofseaweed,capersandshallots.

Thechefis equallyopen-minded

workingwithturfasheis surf.Fish

saucegetsslippedintothetonnato

used to dress raw beef. A cucumber

Thearrivalofa newchefatSiParadisohasmadethespot

a genuine food destination, writesMAX VEENHUYZEN.

RUN TO PARADISO

Clockwisefromfarleft:roastedpinkoyster

mushroomswithschmaltz,andkingfish

crudowithpickledredonion,gingerand

chillioil;kombu-curedAbrolhosIsland

scallops,pomegranateaguachileand

charred cucumbers; chef Paul Bentley.

juicevinaigrettebringscreamylocal

burrataandpickledgreentomatoes

together.Nutritionalyeastrenders

schmaltz-roastedpinkmushrooms

extra-meaty.Theglobalisationofcucina

Italianacontinuesapace– toa point.

Puristshavelittletocomplainabout

whenit comestothefeatherweight

Naples-stylepizze.Slowofferment,

puffyoflip– thecornicioneto

diehards– andsparseoftopping,

thepiesremainamongPerth’sfinest.

Size-wise,they’remoremeal-for-one

andlessedibletablecentrepiecebut

stillhavetheirplaceina communal

setting:recastthepizzaasanelevated

breadcourse,splitonebetweentwo

orthree,thencontinue charging

throughthemenu.

AsEuropeanasit mightbetodine

alfrescointhecourtyard,dinneris best

takeninthediningroom.Themenu

indoorsis longer,thevolumeis softer,

andfloorstaffhavethetimetofocus

onguestsratherthanlookfor

a silvertablenumberholderina ’90s

streetwearhaystack.(That’snottosay

theserviceinthecourtyardis wanting:

farfromit. Thecrewhereis uniformly

friendly,eventhebouncers).

SiParadiso,whilewell-versedin

theartofshowingguests a good time,

hasn’tnecessarily

beenconsidered

a fooddestination.

Considerthat

changed.Paul

Bentleyandhis

creware,forour

lira,cookingthebest

foodonBeaufort

Street.ThatRoman

• orMilaneseor
  Florentine– holiday
  mightstillbea while
  away,buta night
  outatSiParadisois
  a finewaytokeep
  the fantasy alive.●

SIPARADISO

1/446BeaufortSt,

Highgate,WA

si-paradiso.com

CHEFPaulBentley

OPENINGHOURS

Wed-Thur5pm-10pm;

Fri5pm-1am;

Sat2pm-1am;

Sun2pm-10pm

PRICEGUIDE$$

BOOKINGS

Diningroomonly.

VERDICT

Paradiso, reborn.

QU

ICKLOOK

PHOTOGRAPHY DYLAN MOORE.