Lot Twenty

I just love to visit a new eatery. All the more so when it’s the second venue for a place I already like, because I figure if I like the first place then invariably I will like the second. So when the illustrious Five Bar crew recently opened Lot Twenty (I like the number theme they have going) I couldn’t wait to go! The opportunity presented last weekend when I turned to my GG and asked if he’d like to head out for lunch. Now one thing that I adore about my GG (from a list that is very, very long) is that he is very agreeable to dining out. So off we set.

Lot Twenty is located on James Street, across the road from Aisuri Sushi, on the Alexander library side. It has quite the funky fit out with a metallic entrance and you also have a choice of outdoor seating options to soak up all the Spring sunshine.

There’s a downstairs bar area with some high tables and chairs or you can wander upstairs into the restaurant which overlooks all of the downstairs activity. It’s not a huge space upstairs and is quite narrow but you have full visibility over the fast paced kitchen action which I enjoyed.

Our friendly waitress brought us menus and we each opted for a pint of Weston’s Stowford Press cider ($8) and then started to study the food options. It was one good lookin’ menu! And I especially loved how they included details about where all the fabulous West Aussie produce has been sourced. They are very much supporting local producers!

At Lot Twenty we work with local producers, meaning we focus on what produce is in season, as a result our menu changes quite frequently and what you see listed is just sample of what we offer as it changes daily.

Ok, so GG and I decided we were starving…..which is often the case and so we ordered:

Our plan was to split the burger and the Cubano and then share the eggs and salad. Everything arrived in a flurry and our table was filled with an ambitious abundance of dishes. But we enjoy a challenge and got stuck in.

I started with the Son In Law Eggs. They had been carefully slow cooked to an oozy yolk perfection and came served with a zesty dressing and sprinkle of red chilli and coriander greenery. It isn’t normally how I would eat my eggs but I did enjoy the interesting flavour combination, plus there is something quite indulgent about so much silken golden yolk in one dish.

From here I tackled my half of the Cubano. I was drawn to this sandwich after recently seeing Chef (a lovely foodie film) where there is a real focus on Cuban food. It was layer upon layer of delicious sliced meat, along with slices of Italian provolone cheese and a combo of sauces which had been toasted in a lovely crisp roll. If I could change one thing I would probably minus the mayo as I’m just not a big mayo fan. It’s not like it has a strong flavour, but it is really more a mental issue, knowing it is there. Regardless, I did enjoy it and there was such a delicious flavour to the roast pork pieces. Even just eating half of it was a very filling affair.

It was burger time next and before slicing the epic tower in half I plucked the two chunky onion rings from the bun. Now I love onion rings. I mean battered onion, what’s not to love? But GG isn’t the biggest fan so I got to eat both. Though he did take a polite nibble and said that it was tasty batter. It really was and it was noted that you could get a full serve of these totes sweet rings. Next time. Now the burger, there was a lot of love about it. The delicious flavoursome patty, a yolky egg, the sweetness from the beetroot, a few greens, a punchy homemade ketchup, it was all very tasty. I’ll admit I was slowing down slightly, so I may not have entirely finished my half, opting to focus on the filling and abandoning some of the bun. It had to be done because I needed room for some freekah!

What a beautiful salad it was. All the freekah. But what is freekah? Well let me tell you, it is a cereal food made from green wheat that goes through a roasting process in its production. And what is farro? Farro is a food product composed of the grains of certain wheat species. And shanklish? Shanklish is a type of cow’s milk or sheep milk cheese in Levantine cuisine. Now that I had all the components identified I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. It tasted entirely delicious! I loved all the flavours and the textural contrast from the different grains and then the creamy cheese. Delicious and so filling! Honestly it was a main in itself. We actually couldn’t quite get through it after all the other dishes we had enjoyed. Though I did make sure that I ate all the juicy pomegranate kernels and the shanklish, being the newest shanklish fan on the block.

I loved my first visit to Lot Twenty and know I’ll be heading back again soon because I didn’t have room for dessert on this visit! For that reason alone, I’ll be giving it a second whirl. Bravo Lot Twenty – just brill!