Subiaco: Eat Shop Live Autumn Winter 2024

Flower Power

Subi Blooms keeps us coming back for more

From the editor ...

WITH SUBI SPRITZ and Subi Blooms just around the corner, as well as a whole host of Perth Comedy Festival shows rolling into Subiaco, you'll be hard-pressed to find a livelier place to be during the next few months.

Many venues in Subiaco will be throwing open their doors to host guests during Subi Spritz, with food and drink events designed to transport us all to the Mediterranean in March.

Then during Mother's Day weekend the hugely popular Subi Blooms will make the streets of Subi explode in a riot of colour created by some very talented florists from far and wide.

Meanwhile, life goes on in beautiful Subi and our writers have been busy researching stories to whet your appetite next time you're in town. They've put together stories showcasing the bar men and women who shake, brew and mix our favourite beverages, where to eat when the weather turns chilly and meeting the team behind Commune Wine Store, who are opening up a new store in ONE Subiaco. There's also a round-up of places to take your pooch for a run, who can fix your sore back and the 'Comeback Kids' of Subi, who've returned to make 6008 their home after time away.

A new regular feature called Spotlight on . . . this time showcases the little Denis Street enclave where you'll find a thriving community including Yiamas, A Little Wax Shop, Mimosa and Coffee & Cake Co. among others.

I hope you enjoy discovering all that Subiaco has to offer - happy reading! Gabi

Subiaco

Editor Gabi Mills

Design Cally Browning

Advertising Shelley Tamsitt

Fashion and Shopping Desmond Eddy

Photography Matt Jelonek

Contributors Sloane Carvell, Monique Ceccato, Brooke Evans-Butler, Brooke Hunter, Beverly Ligman, Lisa O'Neill, Gail Williams.

Cover image Subi Blooms.

Where you'll find our contributors this autumn . . .

Gabi: You’ll find me above Subiaco Bookshop, continuing my adventures in art with Emily and her Artigo Studio students. And during Subi Spritz this year, I can’t wait for the Long, Long Lunch.

Cally: As the weather cools I start thinking about soups and preserves so I'll be heading to Subi Farmers Markets for some autumn produce to grace the pot.

Shelley: I will be reminding myself not to forget to look up occasionally while walking around the amazing streets of Subiaco. The diverse architecture is a sight to behold.

Bev: It's the perfect time for a glow-up facial at Mecca, followed by a l ate lunch at Dilly Dally with the girls. I also love a good quiz night plus wine at Bark or The Subi Hotel.

Des: I'm excited for the change in season and waiting in anticipation for the floral installations, created by some of Perth's most talented florists in May. Apart from that, I'll be hitting the Subi Urban Cocktail Trail to whet my whistle while waiting.

Gail: Come a balmy Thursday or Friday night soon, you just might find me and a few mates basking in Italian al fresco glory at The Wholefood Circus. Top of my to-do list will be working my way through Portuguese sardines and an added bonus? It’s BYO. That’s classy!

Sloane: I'm looking forward to some authentic aperitivos during Subi Spritz!

Lisa: I'll be chauffeuring my kids to winter sports, then refuelling with coffee and pastries from Community Coffee Co or Grain Bakery, booking weeks ahead to get a table at Lulu La Delizia and enjoying the crisp air walking Cookie the cavoodle around the Rosalie ovals.

Monique: This autumn/winter, I’ll be perfecting the art of sourdough baking and likely getting way too invested in it.

Brooke EB: This autumn I will be making the most of the cooler weather and trying out as many hot chocolates as I can from Subiaco’s iconic cafés.

Brooke H: This autumn and winter, you'll find me exploring Subiaco's bookstores and coffee shops by day, while at night, I'll be checking out all the delicious cuisine on offer throughout Subiaco's streets.

news

WE HAVE OUR FINGERS ON THE PULSE OF SUBI’S VIBRANT FOOD, DRINK AND RETAIL SCENE. CHECK OUT THESE GREEN SHOOTS LIVENING UP OUR CITY OF SOUL.

BY Gabi Mills & Gail Williams

Fashion stars shine in Subi

WHEN TWO OF the most stylish luminaries in the Perth fashion world team up to bring an exciting new fashion store to Subi, you know they – and the suburb – are on a winner.

Between them, Liz Carberry and Jill Hoad – both long term Subi residents – have 80 years of experience in the Perth fashion industry.

Liz, a former model, stylist and business owner is the perfect foil for long time buddy, Gill, an accessories specialist who ran her own Clinique franchise in Subi.

They’ve now opened their boutique Mara Collective on Rokeby Road at the corner of New Arcade, promising to fill a gap in the market for curated

fashion pieces while offering a styling service for customers on getting the best out of the clothes in their own wardrobes. A range of their own labels of cashmere products and kaftans will also feature in the store along with artworks by Aurelio Costarella.

Says Liz “We're all about longterm relationships and service over sales. We chose Subi because we both eat, live and love Subiaco. It is the focal point of our lives, lifestyles and activities. There is nowhere more community-minded than Subiaco, we can feel it re-emerging as a fashion destination in Perth and we're thrilled to be a part of it.”

With a long bench inside the space for customers they promise that the kettle will always be on.

Drumroll for D-Luxe

NAME A SUBI woman who doesn’t love a good linen shirt.

Who doesn’t feel comfy and classy in timeless and effortless active wear or denim?

Thank former Perth girl, Tania Austin, for some of that style on fashionable streets as customers swan into Rokeby Road’s Decjuba, one of 140 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Tua and Power go High Voltage

WHEN SHUI SUBIACO boys, Ben Tua and Leigh Power, turn their hands to highly-chargedhospitality, sparks tend to fly.

So expect some energetic action at the bottom end of Rokeby Road when, on the cusp of opening Larry’s Charcoal Chicken at ONE Subiaco, the duo commence plans to take over the old Wagamama site just down the road.

But first, a little history lesson. After much hype, including boasting that Kylie Minogue was

a huge fan, the Japanese noodle franchise closed in 2014.

The prominent corner venue caught the eyes of Power and Tua, even while they had their hands busy with opening two new venues elsewhere in the city.

In terms of the currently vacant Wagamama spot though, it's a case of watch this space.

One thing we can share, though, is that, after toying with the idea of calling it Little Death, they shelved that name. We are so grateful they did.

Espousing her philosophy of “infinitely wearable pieces that are made under a sustainability strategy and mission”, Austin’s $170 million empire took off after walking away from her huge success at Cotton On. Austin, who grew up in Warwick, built Decjuba up from five stores and now she’s adding to the love on Rokeby Road.

Decjuba (pronounced De Cuba) has a sub brand D-Luxe which takes over the old Decjuba Kids store on the corner of Rokeby and Barker.

D-Luxe is all about linen made from 100% European flax. Think, also, lounge wear and tracksuits made from a blend of Good Earth Cotton and recycled polyester.

And think puffer jackets made with 100% recycled fibres, and denim made with Australian Cotton. The range also includes dresses, accessories and activewear.

Since opening, D-Luxe has been capturing the foot traffic as customers, aged between their 20s and 40s, find comfort in finding just the right piece for the after work drinks look, which is right at home across the road at Bar Amelie.

And one of the best things about D-Luxe is that you can, unlike Decjuba, pronounce it with absolute confidence.

Luxury linen adds to the fabric of Rokeby Road

FOR THE PAST 37 years, Plane Tree Farm has been a purveyor of exquisite Egyptian cotton bed linen, Italian and Irish table linens, hand towels and other luxury items for the well-stocked linen press in Subiaco.

Started by owner Jeni Cross, whose love of fine linens brought

to Australia by her European grandparents sent her travelling to textile trade fairs overseas in search of the fabrics from which her beautiful collections are made. Today, Plane Tree Farm remains to many in Subi and surrounds a byword for the finest quality and workmanship in

linens for the home.

“Our meticulous seamstress cuts and makes up each beautiful piece in the workroom at the rear of our Subiaco store,” says Jeni.

“Together with the cotton and linens made there exclusively, our clients can choose from items on the shop shelves, or Plane Tree Farm will custom-make bespoke sizes as required for imported beds and unique tables.”

There is also a constantly changing collection of cashmere and fine wool blankets and throws, Egyptian cotton bath towels, Italian, Portuguese and Belgian woven bath mats and wonderful Moulin Roty toys from France.

“We also stock exclusively imported toiletries, fragrances and soaps, along with ever-changing luxury desirables for the house and body.”

Visit Plane Tree Farm at 275 Rokeby Road, Subiaco, or call 9382 1075.

DOGS of SUBIACO

Q Tell me about your dog, Luna. What age, breed and personality is she?

NG She’s a gorgeous little black eight-year-old cavoodle who is the sweetest, loving dog we know. She’s not food driven but definitely loves a snuggle. She’s like a lap dog but just a bit too big. She is obsessed with playing ball and her dad! She is a total Daddy’s girl and only has eyes for him – oh, and toddlers. She loves toddlers for some reason, so if you are under two-years-old you will have a devoted cavoodle on your chubby little hands. She will always make a beeline for the youngest in the park and drop the ball for them at their feet.

The cavvy is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles and poodle and if you frequent the dog parks in Subi, you will know all the different types of “oodles” love the other “oodles” no matter what the mix. There are always oodles of oodles!

Q Where do you walk Luna in Subiaco?

NG Mostly around Olive Street, Bedford Street and Barker Street but we always end up in Richard Diggins Park on Park Street with the rest of the neighbourhood dogs and their humans.

Q Which Subiaco venues do you find are most 'Luna-friendly' and why?

NG The Harmony Post Office, Blacklist Coffee and Community Coffee. I mean, she is so cute most

Sponsored by Subiaco

of the venues love it when we come in but we frequently go for coffee around the ‘hood and she’s always welcome. Subi is great for being able to bring dogs in with you. Often a bowl of water or a treat will make an appearance too.

Q Does Luna ever come with you to the Subi Night Market? What makes the Subi Night Market so special?

NG Every week! She loves it. She knows the word “markets” (like some know ‘walkies’) now and jumps up ready to go. I think she fancies herself as the queen foodie of Subi Night Market. The vendors all know her and plenty of kids like to pat and play with her (if they can get her away from the toddlers).

Q Tell me about what is on the cards for the Subi Night Market this year. What are you excited about and what can people expect?

NG Subi Night Market has been so well received by everyone in the community. It’s exactly the village feel we wanted to create and nurture. I think it’s so nice to see everyone out and about, relaxing in our gorgeous parks and sharing food and stories with each other. At the end of the day all we really want to do is connect and the market allows us a beautiful space to do this each week.

Find Subi Night Market every Saturday from 4 until 9pm until April 6, Market Square, Subiaco.

Dr Kin

CATS ARE INDEPENDENT pets and are more likely to accommodate busy, modern lifestyles along with smaller living spaces than larger dogs. Cats offer hours of companionship, love and silent affection. They are also highly trainable which may be a surprise to some who have been given the cold shoulder by a sulky tabby. Here are some tips to keeping your furry friends happy and engaged.

• Offer basic needs; a good quality diet and water, along with a litter tray. It is advisable to have one litter tray per cat plus one extra.

• Provide comfortable bedding and access to hiding places within the home.

• Keep them active. Cats sleep several hours a day but also require exercise when awake. Window hammocks, cat castles and towers serve as horizontal and vertical climbing spaces. .

• Switching up toys daily to keep them interested

• Provide stimulation and enrichment.

As much as we strive to keep our furry friend at home happy, remember that they too provide us much joy and company. Visit greencrossvets.com.au

Veterinary Director of Greencross Vets Subiaco, and pet parent to Ashleigh, Bella, Sparkle & Spunky.

LUNA (and her owner, Event Director of Subi Night Market, Nikki Graski)

Miller and Baker Score Runs at Home Base

THERE’S NOW EVEN more reason for Subi women to send out a search party when their partners duck out to Bunnings to look at hedge trimmers.

Thanks to Miller and Baker setting up a sister site to their Lake Street bakery which mills its own flour, there will be more than then nearby sausage sizzle to make shoppers linger longer. Some very welcome PR followed in February after superstar musician Stormzy dropped in for some pies before his Laneway set.

In December, Miller and Baker’s owners, Rachel and Mark Taylor, took up their Homebase spot, and the hungry hordes came. They were lured in by the smell of freshlymade baguettes, sourdough and Scandinavian rye bread, ardamom

DON’T MISS

BEST FOOT FORWARD AT DIMARIO

buns, sausage rolls and croissants.

According to Taylor, a former oil and gas data manager, the interest from shoppers at nearby Growers Lane, Pet Barn and Bunning’s has been overwhelming for what could be seen as an unassuming site.

A NEW SEASON can mean only one thing at Dimario Italian Shoes - plenty of new arrivals in store for customers to discover. From stylish Roberto Cavali ankle boots (below) and colourful pumps to Patrizia Pepe bags. Dimario is your go-to destination for exclusive designer Italian branded leather footwear and accessories at their stunning store on Hay Street.

“People stop in for a Daylight Coffee and a sandwich while they’re getting their car washed,” she says.

“Every Saturday, we offer freshlybaked loaves from the Lake Street ovens, saving you from the weekend rush at our main store.”

Everybody’s Doing the Lifestyle Motion

A SECOND REFERENCE to Kylie in this issue’s news section and we couldn’t be happier to tip our hat to one of her original hits but actually, it’s the Motion Lifestyle they’re doing.

And it’s now in Subiaco, thanks to Jane Crump and Wendy Eastland who have expanded their Cottesloe active-wear store to the bottom end of Rokeby Road.

According to Crump, Subiaco has a plethora of gyms and pilates studios catering to our ultra fit Subiaco women. And they can’t get enough of stylish gym gear which takes them

straight from exercise to coffee.

Motion Lifestyle steps in to offer a huge range of international and designer brands with just the right crop tops, sweaters and leggings to fit the bill. Add a Hoka Clifton, Adidas or New Balance shoe to complete the outfit and you’re ready to hang out with the cool kids at Community Coffee.

It was nine years ago when Crump, an accountant, was travelling in Sydney and looking for active wear that she stumbled across the idea of creating a good quality alternative to lululemon

which was all the rage at the time.

“Wendy had been in retail, selling skateboards and I put the idea to her and we began importing international and Australian quality designers when we opened in Cottesloe,” she says. “It took off and we established a lot of loyal customers.”

It seems that since opening two months ago in Subiaco, local women have welcomed them in the same way.

“We have customers in their 70s and 80s who are very fit and exercise daily, who have popped in and thanked us for opening here,” says Crump.

Hub for better health and wellbeing

ESTABLISHED IN 2012 by renowned paediatrician and leading child development researcher, Dr James Fitzpatrick, Patches Australia was founded upon a bold vision: to make high-quality assessment and therapy services accessible to all Australians.

Over the past decade, Patches has grown significantly, with clinics in Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Victoria, and the capacity to reach those living in hardto-reach locations through its telehealth and remote outreach services.

But it’s in Patches' holistic care model, that the company found its niche. It is one of the only national service providers to offer a comprehensive spectrum of services, encompassing paediatrics, psychology, and allied health services, all under one roof.

Specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Patches empowers clients with access to a multidisciplinary clinical team who support them through every facet of their journey.

Dr Fitzpatrick proudly leads his team from the Homebase Centre in Subiaco, where the company's headquarters also serves as a vibrant assessment and therapy hub.

“We opened our Subiaco clinic just over one year ago and I am very proud of the high quality of our clinical services, and our commitment to care," he said.

"Our clients have embraced the move to this convenient and lively location. We are passionate about innovation, with state-of-the-art technology, that adds value to more traditional, evidence-based assessment and therapy approaches. We’re proud to be a part of Subiaco’s vibrant community and it is our priority to service surrounding localities.”

With a commitment to excellence and a genuine passion for making a difference in the world, we’re excited for more great things to come from this dynamic organisation.

Bag a bagel or two

BAGELS, SANDWICHES and cool vibes? We had you at bagels didn’t we? There’s good news for bagel bandits in Subiaco. No longer do they have to drive to Mount Lawley to get their fill of cream cheese, smoked salmon and dill sandwiched between two crackly, delicious slices of blistery bagel. The Bagel O’s Delicatessen is coming to town. And, though the brains behind the move to Rokeby Road outlet are too shy to talk to us about it yet, they have confirmed it’s coming to the old Brunch Makers site at 115 Rokeby. They might be calling our interest premature but passers-by are already commenting on the cute signage on the window featuring a chubby, round blistering bagel with a big smile on his face. That will soon be transferred to eager customers of not only bagels, but glazed doughnuts, peanut butter cookies and BLTs.

Ozrif Burgers hit the spot

YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN glowing reels drooling over Ozrif Burgers offerings on Insta, and we can attest that they are indeed a brilliant addition to the burger pantheon. Owners Sumie and Rief Gilbert have brought something really new to ONE Subiaco, offering a taste of Asia in every burger bite. The star attraction on the menu is their Ozrif Signature Burger, a fusion of juicy beef patties with Indonesian - Malaysian spices and garnishes. The couple also promise to deliver classic cheeseburgers with quality ingredients sourced from local farms and suppliers.

Burger love is definitely in the air and comes with a side serve of fries and a huge selection of your favourite bevies.

How a-musing

A ROSE BY any other name would smell as sweet. So said Willy Shakespeare. But we beg to differ. When it comes to naming a dress hire shop, nothing fires the imagination like Be Your Own Muse. Muse: a source of inspiration and guiding genius. It’s a name that makes you want to lift up your dress hem and swirl to a catchy Doris Day song, like Que Sera Sera. And that’s just what women are doing when they pop into Radka Krivkova’s new dress hire studio in Jolimont to choose an elegant designer label for a special occasion.

Not only are they solving that difficult problem of what to wear to a wedding or ball, but by hiring instead of buying they are contributing to a more environmentally conscious world. Renting reduces fashion waste, minimises the carbon footprint, and promotes circular fashion economy.

That’s what the effervescent Krivkova says as she styles her clients into dresses they may have never imagined themselves wearing.

“It’s just like being a little girl again,” says Krivkova, whose market is predominantly the over 35 group.

“I just love seeing the looks on women’s faces when I encourage them to try on something that they may not have previously thought of.”

Krivkova’s background is in finance but she came up with the idea of opening a rental boutique

offering mainly Australian designer labels when thinking about a business she could run as she enters her own middle age and saw a gap in the market for dress hire.

She also offers a consignment service for women wondering what to do with the seldom worn outfits in their wardrobes.

“I can put them in my studio and hire them out and the customer will get a percentage of the rental,” she says.

“I am also about to start doing workshops on style and fashion in the evenings in the studio,” she adds. “I want to create a little community for women where they feel comfortable talking about women’s issues and things like that.”

Ques Sera Sera, whatever will be will be. Guiding genius. You’ll find Be Your Own Muse at 1/14 Jersey Street, Jolimont.

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?

Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition that causes pain under the heel of the foot and may extend into the arch area. The pain is worse first steps out of bed in the mornings, or after sitting for long periods of time. Several risk factors including over-pronation (rolling inwards of foot), tight calf muscles, and long periods of being on hard floors have been well established.

WHY SEE SUBIACO FOOT & ANKLE?

Plantar fasciitis is a complex foot issue, but it is VERY treatable. At Subiaco Foot & Ankle we have Podiatrists that are highly trained foot professionals with vast experience in treating heel pain, and all patients are evaluated and treated using the latest available technology.

TREATMENT

Our clinic offers the following and more:

Shockwave therapy

• Custom foot orthotics

• Corticosteroid injection

Exercise Rehabilitation

• Manual therapy

Community supports

Diamond Collective girls

AFTER A TERRIFYING robbery in January at Diamond Collective on Rokeby Road, there was a heartwarming expression of support from the Subiaco business community and customers for owners Parys McClean and Kate Bishop. Captured on CCTV, the moment a robber held up the retail outlet with a crowbar and made off with some of the valuable goods shocked all those who saw it.

“From all of us at DC, we just wanted to say a huge heartfelt

Service with a smile

GONE ARE THE days when the high street was home to multiple banking outlets. Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pushed to find a high street bank with an actual high street presence – unless you live in Subiaco. Fortunately, Bank of Queensland still places a high value on the power of personal service and with their unique owner/ manager model, you can guarantee that as a customer of BOQ, you’ll still be warmly welcomed for all your banking needs.

Subiaco’s owner/manager, Tania Watton, takes the business of banking seriously and over the past 20-plus years, has been the bank manager of choice for many Subiaco businesses.

“It’s important to me that the Subiaco customers of Bank of Queensland are able to visit their bank in person – not just online,” says Tania. “Building strong personal and business relationships over the years has reinforced my view that maintaining a high street presence is a vital part of the way BOQ operates here in Subiaco.”

To find out more, visit Tania and her team for all your home lending, every day banking and business banking requirements at Shop 8, Crossways Shopping Centre, 184 Rokeby Road, Subiaco or call 9287 9288.

thank you for the outpouring of love, support and well wishes we have received in the last few days,” the pair wrote on their Instagram account.

“We are so grateful to have such a beautiful community of friends, families, clients and fellow business owners surrounding us.”

Thankfully, WA Police have made an arrest and the resilient team at Diamond Collective were back at work just a few days later.

Makes you proud to be a Subi-ite.

STOP PRESS ...

Say hello to a Subiaco outpost of Roberts on Oxford, a bar that will be serving cocktails, beer and fine wine in the near future. Also if you've always wanted to store your precious sneaker collection, head to Schumi Boxes on Hay Street.

events

It’s Subi Spritz season!

8 – 17 March | Various venues

Live la dolce vita with us this autumn as Subi Spritz brings a taste of Southern Europe to Subiaco. From 8 to 17 March, Subiaco will be transformed into a Mediterranean playground, from lazy long lunches and pop-up pasta laneways, wine workshops and cooking masterclasses, European dining experiences, film nights, and plenty of European flare.

All the best things in life, wrapped up in 10 delicious days. Now, that's what we call il paradiso.

Organisers of the event, AHOY Management Joint Director Brianna Delaporte said the 2024 festival would be the biggest yet, with more than 25 European-themed events across the 10 days.

“Many festival favourites are making a comeback like the Long, Long Lunch where we build a pop-up restaurant in Subiaco Theatre Gardens and invite four WA chefs to come play, as well as the Conti Roll Contest which sees conti roll creators from across Perth battle it out to be crowned conti roll champions,” she said.

“We’re so excited to bring a

brand-new concept to the festival this year called Pasta Lane, which will see three of Subiaco’s laneways transformed into alfresco dining hotspots, serving up delicious meals in the style of a traditional Italian streetside trattoria.”

Subiaco: Eat Shop Live’s top picks:

 Outdoor Cinema at Subi Night Market

Saturday 9 March, 7pm - 9pm at Market Square Park (free event) Subi Spritz teams up with the Subi Night Market for one night only,

bringing the charming family-friendly movie, Ferdinand, to Subiaco's Market Square Park. Stroll the night market and purchase some dinner before finding a spot on the nearby sprawling grass for a cinema under the stars. The film depicts the story of Ferdinand; a Spanish bull with a big heart who, after being mistaken for a dangerous beast, is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. BYO picnic blanket, beanbag or low backed chair.

 Floral Fresco:

A Collaborative Mural

16 & 17 March, 9am – 3pm at Postal Walk (free event)

Add your creative flair to a family friendly, group art mural in the form of a floral wall at Postal Walk across the second weekend of Subi Spritz. South West artist, Nathan Gardiner, heads to Subiaco to lead a participatory art piece, where guests can contribute to an ever-evolving flower wall depicting the iconic flowers of Europe. Sit and create your own paper flower, or simply choose a pre-made one to contribute to the mural and be part of the fun!

 Laneway Spritz Fest at Bar Banter

8 & 9 March, 4.30pm – 9.30pm at Bar Banter

Bar Banter spills into the streets for a laneway party dedicated to one of Italy’s best exports, the Aperol Spritz. Following their hugely popular Laneway Margarita Fest, Bar Banter is bringing in food stalls and DJs for two evenings of spritz-tastic fun. Round up your friends and head down to Bar Banter for dancing, spritz drink specials and more.

 Continental Spritz & Oysters

13 & 14 March, 4pm – 8pm at Subi Continental Soak up the sun alfresco on Subi Continental’s front terrace with a spritz in one hand and a freshly

shucked oyster in the other. Find a table on the terrace and settle in for an afternoon of seasonal Albany Rock Oysters from the pop-up oyster bar, spritz specials and drink offerings from Idle Hands. Smooth DJ tunes will set the tone for a perfect afternoon of aperitivo. Stay on for dinner if you desire.

 Golden Sesh

16 March, 4pm – 7pm at Golden West Brewing Co (free event)

Settle in for a chilled afternoon in Golden West’s sun-soaked beer garden! They're blending craft beer

vibes with refreshing Spritz cocktails. Sip on delicious drinks, munch on tasty Euro bites, and soak up the casual, outdoor vibe whilst listening to live acoustic music. The perfect way to spend a Saturday in Subi!

 Aperitivo Trail with Aperol Spritz 8 – 17 March, check website for participating venues

Every day of Subi Spritz, enjoy the treasured Italian ritual of aperitivo with a collection of specially curated cocktails dotted through the heart of Subi. Italy’s favourite aperitif, Aperol, will be joins forces with a bunch of Subi’s favourite bars including Golden West, Little Things, Lums and Subi Hotel. They’ll be adding their flair to the oldest of Southern European traditions serving up their take on the pre-meal cocktail.

Subi Spritz events sell-out every year, so make sure you head to the website and snap up your tickets quick-smart!

Visit subispritz.com.au for more information and tickets.

Subi Night Market continues until April

Every Saturday until 6 April

4 – 9pm | Market Square

The Subi Night Market has been a huge hit with locals and visitors alike, kicking off the season with more than 5,000 people coming down each week to grab a bite to eat from dozens of Perth’s best food trucks.

Keep an eye out for exciting event cross-overs with Subi Spritz and Strings in Subi in March, topping off the Subi Night Market experience with a free movie screening and string quartet performances.

The markets will be at Market Square Park until Saturday 6 April, so don’t miss your chance to bring a picnic rug and dine under the stars. Visit subinightmarket.com.au

Strings in Subi

23 March | 10am – 8pm

Various locations

Presented by Tender is the Night and supported by See Subiaco, Strings in Subi brings a trail of four free pop-up performances to events and spaces along Rokeby Road for one day only on Saturday 23 March.

WA artists including Abbe May, Grace Barbe and more will be

complemented by a beautiful string quartet, performing at some of Subiaco's favourite venues and events. Take your pick or indulge in all four micro-concerts over the course of the day.

The trail of shows starts at the Subi Farmers Market at 10am with multi-award-winning country artist Natasha Shanks from The Little Lord Street Band. Browse the local craft stalls and fresh produce while enjoying Natasha’s heartfelt songs.

At 12pm, Postal Walk will come alive with the stunning three-part harmonies of folk artists Simone and Girlfunkle. While you’re there, grab some lunch from nearby cafes and explore the book shops, record stores and other specialty boutiques along Rokeby Road.

At 2.30pm, Strings in Subi will bring the indie sounds of Joe Caddy of Figurehead and Tanaya Harper to Golden West Brewing Co. Come enjoy the courtyard sun and freshly brewed beers, with drink specials available on the day.

The finale will be held at the Subi Night Market at Market Square Park from 5.30pm, a destination which features over 40 international cuisines and thrift fashions stalls.

Bring your picnic rugs, find some delicious food from the stalls and enjoy the stunning music under the stars.

For more info seesubiaco.com.au/ whats-on

Follow the Urban Cocktail Trail

13 April | Various venues Shake, rattle and stroll your way around Subiaco, with cocktails in hand.

Urban Cocktail Trail is making its long-awaited debut in Subiaco and bringing with it some sumptuous sips. Choose your own adventure as you taste, walk and explore your way through a raft of Subi’s best venues, who are ready and waiting with a new cocktail creation around each corner. So, gather a group and get your hands on tickets before it sells out!

To whet your appetite further, here are the participating venues:

• Bar Amelie

• Bar Banter

• Refuge Small Bar

• Storehouse Subiaco

• Subi Continental

• Subiaco Hotel

For more info, visit neighbourhoodeventsco.com.au

Urban Cocktail Trail

Abbe May

Subi Night Market

There’s always something to look forward to in Subi.

From brand new eateries to exciting offers and events, Subi has everything you need to escape the ordinary.

Share your story with #SeeSubiaco

Scan to see what’s on

Subi Blooms bursts into life

10 – 12 May | Various locations

The biggest, most breathtaking display of floral artistry in Western Australia is back and better than ever. Take a journey through the streets of Subiaco this Mother’s Day weekend from 10 to 12 May and immerse yourself in stunning floral displays adding bright pops of colour to the urban landscape.

Many florists fight for a spot to

display their incredible skills during this innovative event which draws thousands of visitors to Subiaco, keen to bag a photo or two. Expect show stoppers from Fox & Rabbit, Pop Floral, The Flower Girl and Signature Floral Design, with other displays by local Subi florist Cottage Garden and Perth-based designers Gilded Florals, Emma and Daisy, Lotte & Aud and more.

Plus, stay tuned for a new surprise or two along the way.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN STUNNING FLORAL DISPLAYS ADDING BRIGHT POPS OF COLOUR TO THE URBAN LANDSCAPE.

DON’T MISS . . .

Barracking for the Umpire

Subiaco Arts Centre –

23 April to 5 May

After a best on ground performance in 2022, Barracking for the Umpire returns for an encore Perth season before hitting the road on a regional WA tour.

This family drama tackles head-on the fragility of the human body and the impacts of the great game on our players, our family and our community. A must-see theatrical event.

Tickets from hello@blackswantheatre.com.au, from $30.

Cooking with Opera

23 March – 6 April

Back for an encore, this popular event between See Subiaco and WA Opera is a highlight for those with a love of opera and the dishes which inspire some of the world’s most beautiful classical music.

Visit seesubiaco.com.au for more information.

Books in the Brewery

Golden West Brewing Co, Hay Street | Second Wednesday of every month | From 6pm

Golden West Brewing Co are hosting a fun and unique community book club - ‘Books in the Brewery’, on the second Wednesday of every month at 6pm. Books in the Brewery is a free, casual event combining great beer with good chat and an Aussie novel. Readers and drinkers are invited to take part in a guided conversation with our resident host, while enjoying drink and food specials on the night. They're also encouraged to think and talk about books in a safe and supportive space. Expect to be discussing books from both award-winning Australian authors and new voices from around the country.

REGAL THEATRE SHOWS

March

LAURA RAMOSO

 Thu 7 March

If you’re a fan of Laura Ramoso’s Instagram personas, this is your chance to catch the multi-lingual character comedian as she invites you over for dinner with her German Mom, Italian Dad, and more in this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud, tour de force. Just remember to keep your elbows off the table and please clean your closet, Laura.

NICK GIANNOPOULOS – LIVE ON STAGE IN WOG LIFE

 8 to 10 March

Nick Giannopoulos will be appearing live on stage in his brand new oneman comedy show Wog Life which will feature his hilarious stand up plus two of Nick’s most popular stage characters - The Cleaning Lady and The Taxi Driver.

BANG ON LIVE – MYF WARHURST & ZAN ROWE

Fri 15 March

Bang On brings together two of Australia's most respected and loved music journalists and presenters (who also happen to be great mates), for your one-stop shop of music, art, life, and stuff. It’s all the conversations you need to be across each week (but don't have the time to read a think-piece about).

MARTIK

 Wed 20 March

Martik is a Persian singer, songwriter, and actor. He has released many albums and singles throughout his career and gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with his distinctive style of singing and his romantic ballads. Some of his well-known songs include "Mehmooni," "Man Az To," and "Bahar." Join Martik at the Regal for an exotic evening of traditional songs.

DIESEL

 Fri 22 March

Australian icon, Diesel (aka Mark Lizotte), is gearing up for the release of his 16th studio album, Bootleg Melancholy, set to hit the shelves soon. To celebrate, he's embarking on a 2024 Australian Forever Tour. Get ready to rock, people.

PETER

GARRETT & THE ALTER EGOS

 Fri 22 March

Peter Garrett has spent a lifetime exploring the beaten and unbeaten tracks that run through this country and its people. He’s releasing a new solo album in March called The True North, recorded with his band The Alter Egos (which includes Martin Rotsey from the Oils on guitar), and to celebrate, you can catch him performing live at the Regal. Expect a deeply personal reflection on his singular journey, drawing inspiration and sustenance from the living colours of Australia’s natural environment and the sights and sounds of modern Oz.

David O'Doherty

Diesel

Peter Garrett

April

ANNIE THE MUSICAL

 6 to 14 April

The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is coming back to Perth so get ready to sing along to It’s A Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow and Maybe. The show will give a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic musical about never giving up hope. Boasting one of Broadway's most memorable scores, Annie is one of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time. Keep an eye out for Sandy too – the loveable mutt who always steals theatre-goers hearts.

PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL 2024: SWAMPLESQUE

 26 to 28 April

Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, burlesque parody show taking Australia by storm, offering its audience a smorgasbord of performance styles including burlesque, drag, musical theatre and even opera. Don't be green with envy and miss out on this hilarious, raunchy and naughty show. Please note: strictly for over 18s.

DAVID O’DOHERTY

 Tue 30 April

The David O’Doherty of comedy is back! Having trained his body and mind to the point of peak perfection, he has used a very nice pen to write

a new concert of talking and songs. Now it’s time to say it out loud. He’s got fresh batteries for his keyboard and a splendid new hat for his head. He is ready. Are you?

May

THE PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL GALA

 1, 8 and 15 May

It’s the biggest night of comedy in Perth! The Perth Comedy Festival Gala brings together a dazzling line-up of the Festival’s funniest international stars, Australian legends and next-big-things for a spectacular night of comedy at Subiaco’s Regal Theatre.

LUKE HEGGIE

 Fri 3 May

These are the tribulations of

someone just trying to stay alive until he's dead, while attempting to remain a man of the people. The people aren't really honouring their end of the bargain. Besides nothing, the crushing majority of people don't know anything. In fact, most of them are heading in the right direction for a smack.

RHYS NICHOLSON

 Fri 10 May

On this, the year of our Lord 2024, it’s a brand new, hour-long, standup comedy concert from your ol’ pal Rhys Nicholson! Only a coward wouldn’t attend.

JASON LEONG

 Sat 11 May

Fresh off his sold-out Brain Drain World Tour in 2023, Dr Jason Leong is back with a brand new show. Filled with never-before-seen jokes and revealing anecdotes, Dr Jason tries his best to examine his own personality but predicts that by the end, most will still be asking "Why is he like this?"

NAZEEM HUSSAIN

 Fri 17 May

Nazeem's back after a two year break and as 'Totally Normal' as ever. 'Totally Normal' is Nazeem's brand new stand-up show, and he'll be hitting stages around Australia in 2024. Whether you've laughed at

Rhys Nicholson

Swamplesque

him on TV, followed him on TikTok, or perhaps tailed him in real life (creepy, but he appreciates the commitment), now's your chance to strap in for a full dose of Nazeem, live and up-close.

ATTACK OF THE MELANIE BRACEWELL

 Fri 17 May

Ahhhh! Watch out! It's Melanie Bracewell! You may have seen her on her hit show, the Cheap Seats, or embarrass herself on Taskmaster NZ. Now is your chance to see her live as she brings her brand-new stand-up show to venues across Australia and New Zealand in 2024. Melanie promises to bring you her signature brand of relatable, goofy and punchline-heavy stand up comedy. She promises she won't actually attack you.

STEPHEN K AMOS

 Sat 18 May

Stephen K Amos is back with a

brand-new show, after treading the boards of London's West End in the smash hit musical My Fair Lady. What a mad couple of years it’s been! How did you get through it all? Stephen’s solution . . . find the funny. The opportunity in the crisis, the joy in the sadness, the wisdom of fools, after all comedy equals tragedy.

THE SOUNDS OF NASHVILLE

 Sat 25 May

Sounds of Nashville Music City brings Americana - Country, Rock, Bluegrass and Gospel to The Regal Theatre at 7.30pm on Saturday 25 May, in a 2-hour spectacular with triple British Country Music Awards recipient, Darcy Crawford, and Lyndel Gayle, accompanied by the Tennessee Five and Musical Director Quinton Dunne.

June

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

 Sat 15 June

Australia's biggest and best comedy spectacular is setting off on its 26th annual road trip around the country. Showcasing the finest talents from the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we're delivering a dose of laughter right to your doorstep.

THE WORLD OF MUSICALS

 Wed 19 June

Following a sellout 2022 Australia/New Zealand tour - The World of Musicals in Concert returns to Australia and New Zealand in 2024 featuring an all-new show. Featuring a world-class ensemble of multi-talented artists who exquisitely perform classic hits, it’s a show that’s fused with emotive ballads, big-screen anthems and iconic show tunes.

JOEL CREASEY

 Sat 22 June

After several years break from the festival circuit riding the radio airwaves as part of the countries #1 drive time show, Australia's 'Crown Prince of Comedy' and Perth boy returns to his natural habitat. Join Joel as he does what he does best, shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his ridiculous, rollercoaster of a life. From family, friends and fame. Nobody is safe. Unless of course you've got a ticket to the show... Joel prefers to talk behind people's back. It's more polite. And funnier.

Nazeem Hussain

Stephen K Amos

Melanie Bracewell

Look up

THE ICONIC PMH SMOKESTACK IN THE 1909 SUBI EAST PRECINCT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A THING OF BEAUTY BY A COUPLE OF WORLD RENOWNED ARTISTS.

MOMO, an experimental artist from San Francisco and Perth-born Abdul Abdullah have collaborated on the former PMH chimney stack project to create a new artwork called ‘Here Together’. Designed to celebrate connection and community, the artwork was completed over several weeks in December with vibrant mural and innovative lighting elements.

The 53-metre-tall chimney stack is the centrepiece of the 1909 development which will see the site transform into a vibrant inner-city village.

Watch this space, literally.

To find out more about the story behind ‘Here Together’ and other arts and culture activities in the City of Subiaco, grab your copy of ARTForm, a new magazine celebrating all of the above. Out in March 2024.

Due

SOUTH

LUKE FOYLE, THE INDEFATIGABLE FORCE OF NATURE BEHIND JUANITA’S ON ROKEBY ROAD, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SUBI SPRITZ YEAR AFTER YEAR. BROOKE HUNTER FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES THIS PARTICULAR CHEF TICK.

Revellers won’t need to leave Subiaco to experience the Mediterranean this year, with Subi Spritz taking over for 10 glorious days in March.

Featuring more than 35 local businesses across 30 events, this year’s Spritz program builds on everyone’s love affair with Southern Europe.

The third instalment will celebrate life’s simple pleasures; think lazy long lunches in the park, pop-up pasta restaurants in hidden laneways, daily aperitivo hour, cooking workshops, European wine tastings, live music and more.

There’ll be masterclasses on negronis, burrata, pizza, limoncello and cannoli, not to mention a range of European-style wines. Plus, the 2024 event sees the return of the sellout Conti Roll Contest, celebrating the Western Australian lunch staple we do so well here in Subi.

Is your mouth watering yet? Well, without Subiaco businesses, the event would be a lot less delicious.

Erin Molloy from Ahoy Management, the team behind Subiaco Spritz, said the festival was a celebration of Subiaco’s incredible and growing number of local

businesses.

One of those participating businesses is the ever-lively, everquirky Juanita’s. I sat down with Head Chef Luke Foyle to chat all things Subi Spritz and his participation in this year’s Long Long Lunch on March 8 and 9.

BH What inspired you to work in the food industry? Tell me a little bit about what you’ve been up to since becoming a chef?

LF For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a chef. My Mum tells everyone I started saying I

wanted to be a chef when I was five years old.

I worked as a Kitchen Hand after school when I was 14 and then left school after Year 10 to start my apprenticeship. In August this year, I will have been cooking professionally for 19 years. Some of the more notable restaurants I’ve worked at in Perth are Cantina 663 in Mt Lawley, Bivouac and The Old Crow in Northbridge and my last job before I bought Juanita’s was being part of the opening team at Lulu La Delizia here in Subi. I also spent almost two years living in Montreal where I was working at a restaurant called Joe Beef - regarded as one of the best restaurants in Canada.

BH Tell us about Juanita’s and how you came to be head chef?

LF I’m one of the two owners of Juanita’s. My business partner - Anthony Princi - and myself purchased the bar in December of 2017. We met when I started working for Anthony and his wife Amanda in 2011 when they opened Bivouac Canteen in Northbridge. I came on board in the kitchen and we quickly became close friends. We decided that one day we would go into business together and then when Juanita’s became available in 2017, we snapped it up.

BH What do you love about working at Juanitas and in Subi?

LF It’s a beautiful community to be a part of here in Subi. The locals are, and always have been, so lovely and supportive of our kooky little bar. I’ve made so many amazing friends just serving people over the bar.

BH What do you think Juanita’s brings to Subi that nowhere else does in Perth?

LF It sounds super naff and tacky but I’ve always really liked the show Cheers. So that’s what we do here, we want to know all our regular’s names, who they are, what they like and

have a good time together. I always tell people that I want them to be comfortable here, and for the bar to feel like an extension of their home.

BH Can you tell me how you came to be involved with Subi Spritz?

LF Bri and Erin from Ahoy hit me up one day not long after they were first asked to run Subi Spritz. They asked if I wanted to be involved and if I had any ideas for events. I’ve always liked doing bigger events with other chefs, so I put forward the idea of a four-chefs, four courses lunch. They took the idea and refined it into the ‘Long Long Lunch’ and made it pretty awesome.

BH What can people expect from Subi Spritz in 2024?

LF A hell of a good time. Over the last THE LOCALS ARE, AND

ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, SO LOVELY AND SUPPORTIVE OF OUR KOOKY LITTLE BAR"

two years, every venue involved in an event has absolutely nailed it. It has only gotten bigger and better so it’s a safe bet that the same will happen again this year.

BH What events will you be involved in this year?

LF The Long Long Lunch and also the Progressive Lunch which is where guests will start at Juanita’s for a snack and an Aperitivo and then progress to Bar Amelie, Dilly Dally and Lums, having a course and a drink or two at each. I have done similar roaming lunch events in other neighbourhoods and its always a very fun event.

BH Tell me about this year’s Long Long Lunch? How will it transport guests to Europe?

LF This year the chefs involved include myself, Calum (Lalla Rookh), Riccardo (Dilly Dally) and Melissa (Young George & Ethos). We will each serve a course flaunting our own European flair.

Having four very different chefs come together to create a menu is always fun and exciting, and I don’t wanna give anything away but what we are working on is pretty special. With the four of us on the food, Marchand and Burch serving their beautiful wine, and Aperol providing Euro Summer in a glass (the titular Spritz), I feel that guests are in for a real treat.

The last two years we have just done one sitting on one day, but after how successful the last Long Lunches were, and after a huge demand for tickets for last year’s Long Long Lunch, we are doing two sittings over two days, and everyone involved is going all out. No doubt this year will be the best one yet.

This year’s Subi Spritz Long Long Lunch will take place from 8 to 9 March under the leafy trees of the Subiaco Theatre Gardens. Tickets are from $185 per person.

the Denis Street enclave

IN A NEW REGULAR FEATURE IN SUBIACO: EAT SHOP LIVE, LISA O’NEILL TAKES A STROLL DOWN ONE OF SUBIACO’S STREETS AND DISCOVERS WHAT MAKES IT TICK.

1 Yiamas

26 Denis Street, Subiaco

Did the street cred of Denis Street immediately skyrocket when the Community Coffee Co. dynamos launched their smoking hot Greek restaurant Yiamas last year? We think yes.

This quiet nook of Subiaco is having a renaissance of sorts with its corner cafe hosting very photogenic bottomless brunches, one Greek restaurant out and instantly replaced with another (and scoring very highly when newspaper critics come to call), and whispers of new shops ready to fill the empty spaces of Denis and Forrest Streets in coming months. There are plenty of reasons to visit this off the beaten track Subiaco hot spot, many of which involve your stomach. Yiamas (cheers) to that!

Co-owners Michael Roach, Phillip Arnold and Laurence Greenfield saw an opportunity to offer some authentically Greek coal-grilled meat favourites, an adventurous wine list from across the Mediterranean and make mullets cool again (the fish variety, of course).

While many Subi locals wept at the closure of long-time favourite George’s Meze, their tears swiftly evaporated as the space was rejuvenated, one of the most beautiful bathrooms in Perth was installed and tzatziki, dolmades and fire-roasted fish and lamb were served here again - albeit featuring a few fresh twists.

An evening or weekend lunch here is best started with an icy

AEGEAN DREAM

Head straight to the Greek islands with a long lunch or dinner alfresco at Yiamas.

Denis Street

Hay Street

Forest Street

Rokeby Road

Yiamas spritz or olive leaf martini and finished with a perfectly sweet slice of Eleni’s baklava. In between, feast upon the sour cherry dolmades, hummus with braised lamb and charred eggplant and haloumi koupes (fried pastries). Or, better yet, dust your hands of choice and simply order the ‘Giorti’ feast option and let the chefs spoil you with their favourite dishes.

VERDICT: It’s the Aegean literally on our doorstep.

2 Cake and Coffee Co

4/1 Forrest Street, Subiaco

This small but mighty café is run by the passionate Claire Keenan, a culinary artist who creates her cakes, savoury tarts and fresh salads from sustainably sourced, all-natural ingredients. Keenan opened her cafe five years ago and makes every creation lining her shelves. The beetroot, sweet potato and feta with chia seed pastry is one of the most wholesome lunches you’ll find in Subi, especially with one of the daily salads by its side. The cakes range from, well, anything your heart desires, as Claire offers custom-made ordering

Cake and Coffee Co.

Cake and Coffee Co.

Mimosa

including gluten-free options, but the exotic Persian Love cake, strawberry black pepper cake or chocolate orange cake are our picks.

VERDICT: Arrive hungry and open to adventures in baking.

3 Mimosa

1 Forrest Street, Subiaco

One of the first cafes in Subiaco to dish out top notch coffee as Milkd, (now renamed as Mimosa) still absolutely delivers on the brew front but has expanded its offering to both a la carte and bottomless brunch and lunch, seven days a week. Celebrate a birthday, baby shower or just life in general over a two-hour window with free-flowing cocktails, an appetiser and main. The local faves are the brunch gnocchi with spicy shakshuka ragu, soft egg and sauteed spinach, the wagyu beef burger or all the veggies in Mimosa’s superfood salad.

Plane Tree Farm – purveyors of the finest Egyptian cotton bed linen – Italian & Irish table linen in Subiaco for 37 years.

Mimosa

THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO VISIT THIS OFF THE BEATEN TRACK SUBIACO HOT SPOT, MANY OF WHICH INVOLVE YOUR STOMACH.

Make sure you book ahead, as this light and bright café gets popular especially around the weekend.

VERDICT: Insta beautiful creations from a venue that pretty much created the current craze for bottomless brunches.

4 Fast and Delicious Chinese Takeaway 1/1 Forrest Street, Subiaco

You’ve got to love a place that lives up to its name. Fast and Delicious Chinese Takeaway, open for both lunch and dinner, has a menu with a Japanese influence but with less oil and a lighter touch. It also features chicken katsu don and a teriyaki option for lunch bowls, but there are also plenty of classic Chinese options to whet the appetite of a

traditionalist. The sticky deliciousness of honey chicken is done to perfection here, plus you’ll find sweet and sour pork (or choose from a large list of proteins), chow mein and king prawn fried rice to round out a hearty selection. Fast and Delicious is the best option for Friday nights in but be warned - they’re closed Saturdays and Sundays.

VERDICT: A takeaway that takes you away to a higher place, taste-wise.

and plenty of discretion with zero signage and simply a tell-tale green couch in her front window to alert new customers where she is (tucked neatly between Cake and Coffee Co and the Chinese takeaway). The menu features top to bottom waxing options, eye lash and brow tinting, and a smaller selection of waxing services for men, too.

VERDICT: No need to shout about your next Brazilian – owner Stacey will keep mum.

5 A Little Wax Shop 2/1

Forrest Street, Subiaco

If you are a stickler for waxing studios to deliver their essentiall services in a subtle way then you're in luck? A Little Wax Shop is the answer to your privacy-loving prayers. Owner Stacey Bell is all about great service

6 Sora Hair Boutique 3/1 Forrest Street, Subiaco

It’s common to see the amusing sight of alfoil-clad heads wandering into Mimosa for takeaway cappuccinos. They’re happy customers of Sora Hair Boutique, with owner Taylar

Roberts and team known for creating the dreamiest shades of blonde from their equally beautiful salon. They also create an incredible range of colours, offer hair and make up packages and those alfoil shapes evolve into beautifully blow-dried manes. Students - run don’t walk, Sora offers those studying a very generous discount.

VERDICT: If your ambition is to be blonde this autumn, Sora will tease your tresses to perfection.

PAMPER TIME Sora Hair Boutique and A Little Wax Shop are your go-to venues for a little me time.

Kitchen

Sloane

Sloane's Crazy days

AS THE HEAT OF SUMMER SUBSIDES, IT’S TIME TO WELCOME BACK WARMING SOUPS AND STEWS ONTO THE MENU

Michael, or Mr Fisho as I call him, at The Fisho at Subi Farmers Market, (pictured above) can tell you a thing or two about fish. He is passionate about seafood and has a vast knowledge of the subject to share with you. All his stall’s fish is caught in Australian waters, arrives within a day of being caught and is fresh or snap frozen as soon as it is caught.

In honour of the Subi Spritz festival, I am sharing my recipe for Fish in ‘Crazy Water’ or as it’s known in Italian ‘Pesce all’Acqua Pazza’ which I’ve made with beautiful Robinson Bream from The Fisho. Fortunately, the recipe is not as mad as it sounds. It’s a simple Italian dish, with poached white fish in a light broth of tomatoes, wine and herbs but it packs so much good flavour. It originates from the Amalfi coast where fishermen would cook the catch of the day in seawater and tomatoes. The broth can vary but usually has garlic, tomatoes and herbs like parsley and oregano. It’s lovely with some crusty bread for dipping in the broth.

The Robinson Bream fillets were my fish of choice because they’re easy to steam. You could also use a whole fish for this recipe. Choose a firm white fish like snapper, barramundi or cod.

For wine in this dish a Chardonnay or a dry white blend is good to add depth of flavour to the dish.

Fish in Crazy Water

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

500g of white firm fish fillets – bream, snapper, barramundi.

I used Robinson Bream fillets from The Fisho.

A bunch of parsley

Half a fennel bulb, finely sliced

6 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

20ml of white wine

250ml of fish stock or water

4 sprigs of oregano, leaves removed from stem

Salt and cracked pepper for seasoning Olive oil

METHOD

1. Cut the stalks off the parsley and tie about six of them together with some kitchen string. Keep the leaves aside for later.

2. Sauté the fennel in olive oil in a non-stick pan with a lid big enough to hold the fish. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for about four minutes to soften the fennel.

3. Add the bunch of tied parsley stalks, chopped tomatoes, white wine, stock and oregano leaves to the pan and bring to boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the fish with a little salt and place it in the broth. Cover pan with lid and simmer for about 15 minutes until the fish is white and cooked and not translucent.

5. Remove the fish and the parsley bundle from the pan. Keep fish warm while you finish the broth.

6. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and keep some aside for garnish. Add the parsley to the broth and stir in and simmer for about three minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Check broth and season with salt and cracked pepper if necessary.

7. To serve, spoon the broth in a shallow soup bowl or platter and top with the fish. Drizzle olive oil and add parsley and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

GOLD STANDARD

IT’S A CASE OF AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES FOR SUBIACO’S RESTAURANTS AND CAFES AS AWARD SEASON LEAVES SEVERAL VENUES WINNING GONGS REWARDING THEIR EXCELLENCE.

MONIQUE CECCATO FINDS OUT MORE.

Subiaco’s bars, restaurants and cafes don’t need a swathe of accolades on the walls to prove their stripes; sit down at any of them to enjoy a meal or beverage and their brilliance is abundantly clear. In the case of an exceptional few, winning awards is almost unavoidable. Their food, wine and service are of a calibre so high they’ve been deemed worthy of more widespread public acknowledgment.

Layers Bakery | Subiaco Square

Winning gold at the 2023 Perth Royal Bread and Pastry Awards for your traditional French baguette is no mean feat, not least for a selftaught baker. But, the owner of

Layers Bakery and former fine-dining chef Bertrand Hofman has been perfecting his sourdough and pastry skills for over five years, proving that dedication does pay off.

It all began with a desire to share his French culture with Perth through the great unifier of bread and pastry. After a year of practice at home, Layers opened in 2020, and Hofman’s finessed creations quickly garnered a cult following.

The baguette is a shining example of Hofman’s baking and patisserie skills, praised by judges for its elegant scored and seeded appearance, chewy crust, and true-to-Paris taste. His rendition of another French staple - the croissant - earned him a bronze medal at the same awards. Made from layer upon layer of buttery 72-hour dough, it flakes, crunches and chews perfectly once baked.

But bread and croissants aren’t Hofman’s only wheelhouses; his penchant for pâtisseries is too good to ignore. The cabinets at the Subiaco Square boulangerie and pâtisserie are picture-perfect, lined with delicately decorated entremets and berry-topped tarts. Their flavours and fillings change to reflect the seasons, ensuring an ever-changing range of sweets week on week.

Lulu La Delizia | Forrest Walk

A whole is only as good as the sum of its parts, and at Lulu La Delizia, each part pulls its weight and then some. Take, for example, head sommelier Simone Ratti. Not only is he credited for enhancing and expanding the pasta-centric restaurant’s wine list, bringing it more in line with the owner-chef Joel Valvasori's Friulian roots, but he was also named the West Australian Good Food Guide’s Sommelier of the Year in 2024. Ratti follows in the footsteps of Kailis Group’s Nina Throsby, both celebrated as some of the state’s most outstanding talents in wine.

Though the wine list at Lulu’s

Bertrand Hofman

is impressive, it’s not the star of the show. It complements Valvasori’s short, sharp menu of share plates and house-cut pasta, which ultimately scored him the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ title in the 2023 awards. Valvosori and his kitchen team are unapologetic in their cooking, tackling classic northern Italian dishes like veal, pork and red wine tagliatelle with their signature finesse and without compromise (don’t expect to see gluten-free pasta on the menu).

With its friendly floor staff and approachable food and wine menus, this humble pasta bar proves that silver service and waistcoats an award-winner does not (necessarily) make.

Caleb Restaurant & Bar

| 23 Railway Road

Chef Caleb Azuka has a big heart. In a move deserving of an award in its own right, he dons his apron every Monday - his only day offto prepare and serve a free pasta lunch to people who need a good feed. It’s called ‘Free Food Monday’, and he’s got around 20 volunteers who join him in the kitchen at Restaurant Caleb to help him pull it off. Azuka’s generosity goes a long way, feeding around 75 people, with any leftover meals handed out around Subiaco to anyone who appears as though they might be living rough.

While he hasn’t received any formal recognition for his community efforts (yet), Azuka has accumulated quite the list of awards for his cooking and business acumen. In 2022, Restaurant Caleb won the

Australian Good Food Guide’s Reader’s Choice Award and the Premier’s Award (the highest overall score from any category) at the Gold Plate Awards. Add to that a 40 Under 40 win in 2023, and Azuka is etching out a strong name for himself on both a local and national stage.

Azuka brings his many years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and the USA to Subiaco through his sevencourse fine dining menu. He was raised in Bologna, and his modern take on cooking is firmly rooted in the traditions and flavours of Northern Italy. Book a table and expect to see dishes like kangaroo and wagyu ragu and burrata with truffled honey.

Caleb Azuka

Joel Valvasori

Keepin’ it

toasty

SOME MAY LIKE IT HOT – BUT WE LIKE IT TOASTY HERE IN SUBI, SAYS MONIQUE CECCATO, AS SHE SETTLES IN FOR SOME HEARTWARMING TIPPLES AND TREATS.

When the temperature drops, Subiaco’s cafes, restaurants and bars are the hottest place to be. Whether it be for their cosy atmosphere, hearty menu, or a combination of the two, these establishments are more than worthy of a visitm any time of year.

Little Rokeby Café

269 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

A winter without soup is like a purple ocean; it just isn’t right. It’s the unofficial dish of the season, and it makes its way onto the menu at Little Rokeby Cafe daily. Some days it’ll be a classic - like pea and ham or potato and leek - served with a side of toasted sourdough for dipping and mopping up. On other days, the soup of the day is influenced by south east Asia, packed with tofu, chilli, and noodles.

Mistelle

205 Nicholson Road, Shenton Park

Blue-sky winter days are undeniably beautiful, but they’re bitingly cold. Beat the frost and thaw out in the warmth of the sun-bathed dining room at French bistro, Mistelle. While the winter sun gets to work from the outside, a hearty plate of beef bourguignon with silky Paris mash or confit duck leg will get to work from the inside. Pair it with a glass

of Malbec from Cahors, and you’ll be toasty warm in no time.

Layers Bakery

Shop 10/29 Station Street, Subiaco Winter smells like mulled wine and burning log fires, cinnamon and freshly baked pastries. At Layers Bakery, you’ll find the latter by the tray-load. Sink your teeth into the crispy, cinnamon-sugar-covered exterior of a pillowy cruffin, or opt for something a little more traditional, like a warm pain aux raisin or pain aux chocolat. Even the savoury pastries get a winter glow-up here, with freshly shaved Manjimup truffle known to appear atop limited edition danishes, tarts, and sandwiches.

Architects and Heroes

25 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

A good morning coffee hits differently in the dark and cold of winter. It’s the all-important pick-me-up on days when the weather is less than ideal. Architects and Heroes take their coffee seriously, so you’ll always start your day in the best way possible. Pop in for the usual, or indulge yourself with one of their espressotasting flights. Absolutely no judgement if you start your day with a ‘choc starter’ — a double espresso over melted chocolate — either.

Pobbles Café

121A Hay Street, Subiaco Pobbles isn’t your conventional cafe; it’s bright blue, named after the owners’ two dogs (Popcorn and Bubbles), and serves a fun fusion of brunch foods and Malaysian cuisine. Come winter, their pipinghot toasties are the perfect coldweather antidote, filled with anything from chickpeas and tomato to a meat-lovers combination of salami, pepperoni, chicken ham, and pizza sauce. But it’s their seafood and chicken laksas that really steal the show. Wrap your hands and tastebuds around a bowl of the fragrant, coconut-based broth, and you’ll forget all about the rain and cold outside.

Mistelle

layers Pobbles Café

Refuge Small Bar

5/50 Subiaco Square Road, Subiaco Pasta is a meal that transcends seasons, served with seafood and lemon in summer and rich, slowcooked ragus in winter. At Refuge Bar, they have the art of pastamaking down to a tee. It’s a regular on the menu, but every Thursday, they showcase their thick homemade pasta ribbons with a limited-run sauce. Escape the winter rain and cosy up at a table in the corner with a big bowl of slow-braised beef cheek

pasta. Lean into the hearty winter flavours and add a bottle of Mount Barker Cabernet Sauvignon to the table, too.

1982 Food + Coffee

Shop 3/1 Rokeby Road, Subiaco Coffee drinkers are well-covered when it comes to finding a spot in Subiaco for a winter pick-me-up. And at 1982 Food and Coffee, the caffeine-free contingent is, too. Their menu is chockfull of alternative hot drinks, from a straight green tea to a milky matcha

latte. However, the most interesting picks of the lot are the turmeric, taro or hõjicha (roasted matcha) lattes. There’s a similar breadth in the milk range as well, so the lactose-adverse aren’t limited in choice.

Cherubino City Cellar

169-171 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

On the most blustery of winter days, hiding out in a white-washed venue full of rattan and banana palms doesn’t seem quite right. Instead, find solace in the moody dark timber, velvet armchairs and wine bottlelined walls at Cherubino City Cellar. Enter through the laneway behind Simon Johnson and climb the stairs to your little slice of wintery paradise. Bring a binge-worthy book, order a glass of Frankland River Shiraz, and sink into one of the armchairs as the rain beats down outside.

Community Coffee Co.

292a Barker Road, Subiaco

Early risers and those on the go can get their toasty treats from the espresso bar and roastery, Community Coffee Co. Opening at 6:30 am each morning, they’re doling out hot drinks before the sun has even made an appearance above the horizon. Hungry? Their thick-breaded takeaway sandwiches receive just as much praise as their creamy coffee. Come winter, they even beef their humble ‘egg sando’ up with some shavings of fresh Manjimup truffle.

The Red Chair

Crossways Shopping Centre, 184 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

The menu behind the counter at The Red Chair has a long list of sandwiches and breakfasts to order from, but it’s their exciting Vietnamese-Malay fusion menu that you want to turn your attention to. On it is their famed curry laksa — known around Perth as one of the best for its rich, aromatic and spicy broth. Loaded with your choice of chicken, seafood, or vegetables, it’s one of the best

Cherubino City Cellar

Community Coffee Co.

1982 Food + Coffee

value lunches around and will surely add some heat to a cold winter day.

Bark

502 Hay Street, Subiaco

If ever there were a bar made for winter, it’s Bark. On any day of the week, you can pop down and order a hot, cheesy jaffle (as is or with Vegemite, ham or jalapeños) or steak sandwich to munch on while you lose hours to a game of Scrabble. It’s not the only boardgame they’ve got stashed away, with Uno and Connect

COFFEE DRINKERS ARE WELLCOVERED WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING A SPOT IN SUBIACO FOR A WINTER PICK-ME-UP

SPOILT FOR CHOICE Whether it's the best laksa in town at The Red Chair, a perfectly brewed coffee at Community Coffee Co, or a glass of Cab Sauv at Cherubino City Cellar, Subiaco has it all.

Book a table and receive a complimentary glass of sparkling for every guest*

Come and see for yourself why Restaurant Caleb is one of the most awarded venues in Subiaco.

2/23 Railway Road, Subiaco bookings@restaurantcaleb.com.au

Ph 9382 2208

www.restaurantcaleb.com.au

(*Mention Subiaco Magazine when booking. Max 8 guests)

The Red Chair

Cherubino City Cellar

Community Coffee Co.

4 also firm favourites. Staying a while? Add some Beerfarm Milk Stouts or espresso martinis to the table, too. And if you really want that added extra touch of warmth, there’s even a fake fireplace playing on the TV on extra chilly days.

Lums Wine Bar

433 Hay Street, Subiaco Lums was one of those rare things – an instant hit from the moment

it opened its doors. This isn’t a surprise when you think about the team behind it (the same bunch of hospo legends who run Bark) but it’s pleasing to see that this particular incarnation of the neighbourhood wine bar hasn’t rested on its renovated laurels. Several menu styles have come and gone, but the present version is particularly suited to an autumnal Pinot and platter. Veering towards the Mediterranean

with its vibe, with tapas and larger bowls to share being a popular choice, it’s hard to go past the slow cooked pork belly with Jerusalem artichokes and roasted quince cauli puree. Or umami-packed jamon and pea croquetas and patatas bravas. And if it’s something sweet you crave, let us pray to all that is holy and thank our good fortune that the Lums Chocolate Share Board exists. Amen.

Lums Wine Bar Bark

UNSOLD

CURATED FOOD STALLS LIVE MUSIC • MARKET STALLS SPIRIT OF LITTLE THINGS GIN BAR

4PM - 9PM • 11 NOVEMBER - 6 APRIL MARKET SQUARE, SUBIACO

SATURDAY EVENINGS

On the tools

THEY’RE THE AFFABLE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MAKE OUR FAVOURITE BEVERAGES BEHIND THE BARS AND COUNTERS OF SUBIACO. GAIL WILLIAMS GETS TO KNOW A FEW OF OUR HARD-WORKING BARISTAS AND MIXOLOGISTS.

Ziggy Campbell | Barman Shui, 12 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

An English man walks into a Glasgow bar and asks for a "lager and lime". The Barman replies "sorry we don't do cocktails".

Word of warning: if you try that one on Scottish-born Ziggy Campbell when ordering a nightcap at Shui, be prepared for an eye roll.

Campbell has heard all the lame jokes during his bar tending career which began with him as a glassy at Leederville’s Oxford Hotel back in 2013 while studying geology at Curtin.

“Sugar? No, I’m sweet enough already!” Boom Boom!

“EFTPOS a bit slow? The drinks must be free!” Ba-Dum-Tish!”

But, being a good-natured Glaswegian dude, Campbell politely reacts to all the “funny” lines –whether they come from famous customers like Daniel Ricciardo or Tim Minchin ordering exquisite wines or from an unknown “guest” as he prefers to call customers.

It’s a gift he learnt while doing casual shifts behind the stick at some of Perth’s coolest bars such as L’Chaim, a theatrical little speakeasy in Fremantle’s Old Synagogue.

Wearing a white sports coat and a pink carnation, he honed his craft while manning his tools – shaker, strainer, tweezers, bar spoon, jiggers and cloths – and garnered a following for his distinctive shaking style.

He loved it so much he ditched his studies and turned mixing mojitos and martinis into his day job. And his night job. And his weekend job.

One year ago, when former colleagues Leigh Power and Ben Tua opened their modern Asian restaurant, Shui at the bottom end of Rokeby, Campbell, who had worked with them for five years, the former Scotch College boy was, well, a shoein for the bar tender’s role.

Today, amongst the beautiful wicker hanging lighting, uptempo

beats and warm timber, Campbell plies his trade by shaking - on a busy shift - between 150 and 200 cocktails including WA’s most popular bevvys - espresso martinis, spicy margaritas and - for the hens - cosmopolitans.

“I was mentored by household names like Dean Buchanan, James Connolly (Long Chim) and Matt Bodycote (State Buildings), the best in the business,” he says.

“What I loved was not just how creative you can be with mixing cocktails but, more importantly, the role you play in society – the third place between home and work for that in-between recreation time. Our guests have chosen to come and spend time with us and our job is to make it as comfortable and pleasurable as possible. You don’t have to be an extrovert to do it well. Introverts can be caring and are well able to create a sense of community.”

Order a virgin mojito at your peril, though. It’s not Campbell’s favourite. Nor is the 23-year-old customer who ordered a Pappy Van Winkle (an expensive 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey) with Coke Zero.

“That sells for around $4,000 a bottle,” he says. “What a waste! Sacrilege!”

Shui has a dispenser bar where drink orders are taken by waiters and waitresses so there is less interaction between Campbell and guests.

The rotating list of cocktails is the result of lengthy consultation between owner chef, Leigh Power and Campbell as they work out a balance of flavours between food and drink.

Some come with floral garnishes, some with the popular bubble on top and Campbell admits he’s not averse to umbrellas (“they have their place, probably in tiki bars”) –

Pop in for a Silent Disco, Baby Blossom, Yuzu Sour, Nashi Nashi or Only Fams Martini which will set you back around $22.

Smoky Tommys are currently very on trend - a mix of tequila, mezcal, agave syrup, lime and bitters served

in an Old Fashioned tumbler and garnished with a smoked salt rim.

Of course, all the bar staff practice responsible service of alcohol and Campbell has had to ask the odd patron, politely, to give it a rest.

“It’s been compared to adult babysitting,” he laughs. “It’s not rocket science.”

He’s also been on the receiving end of abuse and violence and is always on the watch out for drink spiking.

“It’s very rare,” he says.

And, at the end of a long shift he might head, with the kitchen crew, next door to Subi Continental or somewhere in Fremantle for a quiet tipple and a wind down.

He might have a Yuzu Sour and a chat with the bar staff.

But one thing’s for sure, he won’t be asking the bar tender if he or she has heard the one about the horse who walks into a bar.

“Why the long face?” asks the bar tender.

“Why the arts degree?” asks the horse.

Boom boom.

Christina Radu

| General Manager

Squires Loft, Subiaco Village, 12F/531 Hay Street, Subiaco

With Christina Radu on the tools at Squires Loft perhaps the bar would be better known as Squirette’s Loft.

Or Lady’s Loft.

Whatever the label, one thing’s for sure. Christina Radu’s affable good nature has earned her a spot into Subi bar culture.

In between mixing Cinnamon Sours and Limoncello Spritzes, she will show off her terrific barista technique as she turns out double macchiatos and espressos from the coffee machine.

And, if that’s not enough, the formally-trained chef will also rattle pans in the kitchen when required and turn her dab hand to the grill delivering mouth-watering steaks, lamb and chicken skewers with the

Squires’ signature basting.

Radu welcomes new customers along with old regulars like Peter Collier MLC, a Subi local, and restaurateur, Caleb Azuka, who pops in when he wants a night off the pans.

Radu, who hails from Romania, via France, has been at Squires Loft for three years.

So where does she go after a busy shift? Either to Bark for a Pav made with Old Young’s pavolva vodka and Turkish delight liquer or to the Subi Hotel.

“Both are always great for a wind down,” she says.

Rebecca Frontino

| Owner-Barista

Allora Perth, 1/391 Hay Street, Subiaco

Let’s just call her Bec. Everybody else does, from Allora regulars to first time customers who wander in from Hay Street lured in by the Darkstar Coffee aromas wafting from the intimate little cafe.

There Bec proudly stands tall, behind the La Marzocco coffee machine.

She smiles as she tamps, froths, foams, grinds and seasons - not necessarily in that order. And then does whatever baristas do to create cute coffee art. Sometimes she’ll even write “I Love You” on the takeaway cup.

Why wouldn’t she have her own fan club gushing about her on Trip Advisor?

“Bec’s Toastie” is a bloody good

toastie. Coffee was also delicious” says one.

“Great coffee every time, remembers your name and order. Wonderful staff. Great feel. Also simple but yummy menu.” says another.

It’s how Bec’s rolled in the bustling Hay Street precinct for eight years but she nonchalantly dismisses what she brings to the (coffee) table with a confident shrug.

“I am the owner and head barista and I bring the vibe!” she says. “Some people call me Subi’s coffee queen.

Born in Italy, the spiritual home of coffee, it’s all in her genes. As is her love of people.

Clearly, it’s a job for extroverts but she says it also requires meticulous attention to detail. It starts with perfectly roasted beans, then comes precision measuring, strong arms to tamp, a beautiful smile and a creative mind for latte art.

Whether it’s a good old classic cappuccino or latte or the latest in on trend brews - a magic (steamed milk is added to a double ristretto) or shot in the dark (a drip coffee with a shot of espresso poured on top).

For those considering a career as a barista, it might be an idea to start each day with a double espresso. Or two.

According to Bec, the best baristas need loads of energy as well as a great personality and the ability to work under pressure.

Latte art? Hmm ... that might involve a whole new feature story. Best to advise you to pop in and see Bec in action. While you’re there check out Bec’s shoes.

Her favourite store is next door, Dimario, owned by her Mum.

Now that’s what we call the perfect accompaniment to coffee. A marriage made in coffee heaven.

Jonathan Maltman | Bar Manager

Dilly Dally & Bar Loiter

If you want to see the personification of excellent bar tending, just wander off Rokeby Road into the confidently cool confines of Dilly Dally.

If you’re lucky, you’ll spot Jonathan Maltman standing sentinel as he subtly does his bit to make the Dilly Dally and Bar Loiter customers feel like champagne bubbles are fizzing in their hearts and stars are dancing in their eyes.

Over the top? No. Maltman operates on the principle that the only over the top thing is an overdiluted Negroni.

You won’t see any such adulterations served on his watch or the other faux pas of inexperienced bar tenders – a salt rim on a

Margarita.

“None of that salt rim nonsense here.” he laughs.

“Seriously though, what makes a good bar tender is someone who is personable and knowledgeable. You have to make the customer feel welcome in the space, and that they can engage with you on a level that's something more than just "get me a drink.”

Then obviously you have to be able to make them a killer drink.”

When it comes to making a killer Negroni, Maltman has a deft touch.

“It’s equal parts Campari, a good quality sweet vermouth, and dry gin over ice with a fresh twist of orange,” he says. “The trick is to not over-stir it up front, the drink will dilute itself over time.

I've had some fun over the past few years finding other spirits to sub out for the classic ingredients, but nothing beats a classic. That’s why it's a classic.

“Side note, I always have a bottle of this pre-batched in my freezer to pull out at any time. It's never too early (or late) for a Negroni!”

It takes a lot to get on the wrong side of Maltman, always cheerful and always up for a chinwag with customers. But, if you are having a banter with him over

the bar and feel like a certain coffee flavoured drink, please don’t ask for an 'Expresso Martini'.

Late night discussion topics at the end of a hard day’s night often include how customers could establish a better rapport with bar tenders.

A no-brainer, says Maltman.

“Treat your bartenders as equals rather than people beneath you. At the end of the day, we want to look after you, and look after you well, give you good drinks, and make sure you're having the time of your life. We're more than someone who just slings a pint and a glass of wine.”

And when he’s hung up the tools after a busy shift you may find him having a cheeky drink or three at Bark, Lums for a snack and Yiamas for a solid Greek feast.

And, as if it were not already apparent, he loves Subi and its people.

“It makes my job way more fun getting to work with patrons to help them find their new favourite drink. I/we here at Dilly Dally & Bar Loiter have made some very good friends of some Subi locals, and it always brings a smile to my face to see them walk through the door ... their drinks are usually on the way before they've even sat down!”

Jonathan Diaz | Venue Manager Cherubino City Cellar

Take one shaker, add a decent slug of good quality alcohol, give it a whirl with a flavour blaster, pour in a generous slurp of fun and – voila! – you have the perfect starter for a night of whoopee at Cherubino City Cellar.

Oh, we forgot the secret ingredient. That comes in the form of the charming maestro who goes under the name of Jonathan Diaz. Diaz took over the reins as venue manager about 18 months ago and the popular bar has not looked back.

Especially when it comes to the cocktails on the list, even though it is predominantly a wine venue.

“I have just updated our cocktail list with 10 brand new, fresh cocktails based on fresh seasonal fruit,” says Diaz.

“There’s something to suit every type of drinker. We also have our barrel aged cocktails which are our classic cocktails such as the classic Negroni, the Boulevardier, the Sazerac and the classic Manhattan which have all been aged in oak barrels for at least 6 weeks to give another dimension and amazing taste to these classic cocktails.”

Diaz says it helps to be an extrovert.

“At the bar you are always facing people and often the customers sitting at the bar want to interact with you, so it helps to like a chat,” he says.

A good test of a bar tender, too, is upholding a certain code of discretion, when it comes to the antics they observe. We all know the stories about customers getting drunk and making out at the bar, the one about the regular turning up with a drinking buddy who is not the regular partner and the countless times a bar tender

WE ALSO HAVE OUR BARREL AGED COCKTAILS WHICH ARE CLASSIC COCKTAILS SUCH AS THE CLASSIC NEGRONI, THE BOULEVARDIER, THE SAZERAC AND THE CLASSIC MANHATTAN

has to play counsellor.

Diaz has seen the odd incident but prefers not to divulge. And, with Cherubino having a reputation for being a classy, upmarket venue there is a smattering of well known punters popping in for a premium Budworth Cab Sauv.

“Professional secret, I can’t disclose, but yes of course, many!” he says. “Due to the fact that I grew up in a different country I often don’t know who they are. For example it took me a year and a half to know that one of my regular customers was a very successful sporting legend and I had no clue! Or when I had a whole private dining room full of AFL players and I also had no clue.”

And on a day off does Diaz hit the booze trail?

“No,” he says. “You’ll find me on the golf course enjoying the peace and quiet.”

Subiaco

333 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Ph 08 9381 7968

Open Monday to Friday, 7am ~ 5pm Saturday, 7:30am ~ 1:30pm

West Leederville

26 Oxford Close, West Leederville

Ph 08 9381 1235

Open Monday to Friday, 6:30am ~ 2:30pm Saturday, 8am ~ 1:30pm

www.chezjeanclaudepatisserie.com.au

Glass half full

IT’S THE TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL WINE STORE WITH A CULT FOLLOWING, AND NOW SUBIACO IS GETTING ITS VERY OWN BRANCH OF COMMUNE WINE STORE.

BY Monique Ceccato

Under the baking Sicilian sun, Chris Ford and winemaker Salvatore ‘Turi’ Marino sit vine-side and talk vino. Turi has pulled a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven to share, and chilled Catarratto - a bright bianco bursting with white flowers and Mediterranean herbs - is free-flowing. It’s one of just three natural wine varieties bottled on his small vineyard in Pachino, southeast Sicily. And, thanks to this humble

shared moment, it’s now one of the wines sitting on the shelves of Ford’s specialist bottle shop, Commune Wine Store.

Wine lovers will know the Commune name well. Their wildly successful Maylands outpost broke ground for a new kind of boutique wine store in Perth, one where the small-batch and grassroots operators from home and beyond take centre stage. Since opening in 2020,

Ford and co-owners Paul Heatley and Peter Baker have built a core following of wine lovers, more like friends of the family than customers.

“We’d been looking for other places for a while because the Maylands shop is doing crazy,” says Ford. “These guys [ONE Subiaco] approached us twice because the architect lives in Maylands and comes in to Commune. He suggested this space, and we were like: “OK, let’s do it. Subiaco is coming back, and I feel like we’re on the crest of the wave.”

Just moments from Miles Hull’s sprawling Subi Continental, Commune Wine Store will command a two-store space opposite the Seddon St carpark (behind the old Dome). There will be a legion of bottles to peruse, from small-scale local and international

producers populating the shelves; some are cult-classics among boutique wine lovers, others relatively unheard of in Perth until now.

“We promote smaller, independent wineries and wines that have stories, as opposed to generic Dan Murphy’s wines,” says Ford, whose collectoresque approach to stocking the store ensures each and every wine is unique in its own right.

It’s an involved process, bringing back the best expressions from the vineyards visited, and winemakers befriended on his travels.

“We’re also pushing a lot of West Australian winemakers,” says Ford. “We’re the biggest buyer of wine for 15 to 20 different WA wineriesChouette, Express Winemakers and Skigh, to name a few - who otherwise wouldn’t have this opportunity to sell

TAKE YOUR PICK The Commune Wine Store crew have built up a devoted following of their relaxed approach to selling wines from around the world.

DRINK

their wine because they’re so small.”

For customers, it means that there’s an eclectic and ever-changing collection to choose from.

When faced with a field of unfamiliar varieties and makers, that choice can be daunting, but the Commune team are more than qualified to assist.

“Everyone who works in the store is an active winemaker, has a degree in winemaking or has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) level three or higher. And Daisy, who works in our Maylands store, is doing her WSET diploma; only about six people in WA have it,” says Ford.

It’s the authoritative seal on pairing suggestions and tasting notes you just don’t get from your weekend casual at the supermarket chain liquor store.

Around the store’s oversized tasting table, Ford and the team will invite you to familiarise yourself with their wines on a more intimate level. Each Friday night at 4pm, bottles

IT’S THE AUTHORITATIVE SEAL ON PAIRING SUGGESTIONS AND TASTING NOTES YOU JUST DON’T GET FROM YOUR WEEKEND CASUAL AT THE SUPERMARKET CHAIN LIQUOR STORE.

will be cracked, and a different local winemaker - announced weekly on Instagram - will get pouring. It will be a chance to try before you buy, hearing the stories behind their wines firsthand and mingling with fellow like-minded wine lovers.

Though the store is a street front mouthpiece for new-wave winemakers who mightn’t otherwise have the platform to sell en masse, it’s not all skin contact wines, pet nats, and sediment-heavy organic wines. Vasse Felix’s sparkling wine project Idée Fixe - which is as close to traditional champagne as you can get - has earned a spot along the

wall. As has LS Merchant’s ‘Margies’ Shiraz, as fine of an example of the variety as you can get from Wilyabrup. They even produce a Communebranded wine that shatters all preconceived ideas about house wine.

“Each year, we make a sparkling, a white and a chilled red,” says Ford. “We want it to be the best wine you can get for less than $25.00.”

Last year, Ford teamed up with Garth Cliff and Kristen McGann at Vino Volta in the Swan Valley for their release, which proved exceedingly popular among the cohorts. This year, they’re working with Yallingup Siding-based, Skigh Wine.

The co-branded bottles are a natural progression for Commune, taking their ethos of fostering worldwide local connections that one step further.

“Lots of our wines are from people we know personally or vineyards we’ve been to,” says Ford.

“We curate our selection carefully so there’s this tangible connection between producer and buyer.” It’s as close as you can get to being there in Sicily with the winemaker yourself. Commune Wine Store, ONE Subiaco is opening soon.

Chris’s winter warmers

Blue Poles “Allouran” 2020

“An extraordinarily great value Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend from Margaret River. It’s got hints of violet, spice, and plum.”

Hochkirch Maximus

Pinot Noir 2021

“This is a biodynamic and organic wine from Western Victoria. It could almost be from Burgundy; it’s understated with layers of complexity, sweet fruit, spice and fine tannins.”

Torzi Matthews

“Francesca”

Grillo Syrah 2022

“A more natural and much softer expression of Barossa Shiraz –think black fruit, violet and pepper”.

Occhipinti

“SP68” Rosso 2021

“Sicilian indigenous varieties Nero d’Avola and Frappato are the stars of the show in this wine. It’s fresh and juicy and has hints of dusty cherry and sarsaparilla. I visited this winery twice in the last year, and it completely floored me.”

La Violetta

“Syrah Soul” 2020

“A spicy Syrah from Frankland River in the Great Southern; cool climate, minimal intervention, red fruit, spicy aromatics and a cool herbal lift.”

DRESS UP OR DOWN AS THE SEASONS CHANGE AND INVEST IN SOME KEY FASHION STATEMENT PIECES TO REINVENT YOUR LOOK IN 2024. TOP TIP: BEING UNIQUELY YOU IS VERY MUCH IN THIS YEAR..

Fabrizio Lipari

1. Trim black hat, $59.95, St Lucia Boutique 2. Sunset Dance Argyle Pink Diamond Ring $45,800, Linneys 3. Green crop blazer, $409.99, iisie Boutique 4. Diamond claw set Tennis Bracelet, $6,990, Allure 5. Black pearl neckpiece $34.99, iisie Boutique 6. Marquise Diamond Halo Earrings, $11,790, Linneys 7. Elena knit, Stone $129.99, and Santino pant, Copper, $139.99, Picnic 8. Beije sand rib knit top, $115, Mara Collective 9. E. Qudo interchangeable rings; silver ring $124.95, red Saphire gold ring $134.95, Kul Kul 10. Estelle Trench Coat, Nutmeg, $219.95, Decjuba 11. Patterned print scarf $39.95, St Lucia Boutique 12. Black shoulder bag, $20, iisie Boutique 13. Lemon Jelly Wren Khaki ankle boots, $149, Marie Claire 14. Claudio shoulder bag, $125.95, Kul Kul 15. 18ct white gold diamond engagement ring with pink diamond accents, POA Thomas Meihofer 16. Beaded Huggie Detachable Pearl Earrings, $2,990, Allure 17. Gold Fallon Boot, $895, Flannel 18. Beije Ecru knit crossover top, $199, & knit pant, $199, Mara Collective 19. Orange terry slippers, $25.99, Pharmacy 777 20. D-Luxe sleeveless denim hoodie, midnight blue, $219.95, Dejuba 21. Black CC buckle belt, $39.95, St Lucia Boutique 22. Midlength Poets Tunic, $189, and slouch pants, $189, BedTonic 23. Masahiro Maruyama metal split lens glasses, $1,550, Quinn Eyeworks 24. 18ct white gold rose quartz and diamond earrings, $2,990, Thomas Meihofer 25. Nataly Amalfi Court Pumps, $499, Dimario 26. Lady Love Puff Chevron Classic Bag, $1,100, Dimario. 27. South Sea Pearl 11mm bracelet, $2,400. Smales.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND DEFINITELY NOT RUN OF THE MILL? HEAD TO SUBIACO'S STORES TO REJUVENATE YOUR WARDROBE AND HOME DECOR.

1. Whisky Made Me Do It $25.00, Spoilt 2. Eddie Betts: The Boy from Boomerang Crescent $34.99, Dymocks 3. Gentlemen’s travel wallet $56.99, Pharmacy 777 4. Gentlemen’s bamboo socks $16.95 each, Kul Kul 5. Bellroy bronze smart phone holder $169, Devlins 6. American Crew matte clay duo $39.95, Gentleman's Hair Lounge 7. Horse sculpture on stand $59.95, Bed, Bath & Table 8. LOrganic for Men Seaweed Clay & Lime face & body mudmask, $29.95, Gentleman's Hair Lounge 9. Bookaroo Tech Tidy, $71.99, Dymocks 10. Capt Fawcett beard brush, $42.95, Gentleman's Hair Lounge 11. Globe on stand $149.95, Bed, Bath & Table 12. Non Iron Dobby Plain Long Sleeve Shirt, Navy $119, Performance Sportscoat, Navy, $299, Modern Chino Pant, Canvas, $99.95, Gazman 13. Gold nugget neoprene bracelet $1,990, Smales 14. Mister Six piece grooming kit $14.99, Pharmacy 777 15. Rocky Potel copper 5 flame lighter $173.90, Devlins.

FROM THE CUTEST CUDDLY TOYS TO THE MOST ADORABLE BABY KNITS, WE'VE GONE ALL IN ON CHOOSING THE SWEETEST GIFTS AROUND FOR YOUR LLITTLE ONES.

1. Bebe beanie $34.95, Hidden Lace 2. Toshi beanie popcorn $39.95, Spoilt 3. WToshi beanie Ginger $39.95, Spoilt 4. Moulin Roty Les Broc n Roll's Elvis the Dog, $125, Plane Tree Farm 5. Halcyon nights knit jumper $79.95, Spoilt 6. Huggable black cat, $22, Cottage Garden 7. Clay sheep animal sculpt $15, Cottage Garden 8. Mini & Me organic cotton jersy wrap, $39.95, Hidden Lace 9. Wilson and Frenchy rose ruffle cardigan $66.95, & rose stripe legging $29.95 Spoilt 10. Huggable blue bird $18, Cottage Garden 11. Dog door stopper $59, Cottage Garden 12. OB Designs Dave the dog $45.95, Hidden Lace 13. Organic cotton jersey wrap & cap $63.95, Hidden Lace.

HEAD TO THE FAR EAST AND AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING 6008 WITH SOME BEAUTIFUL HOMEWARES TO ELEVATE YOUR INTERIOR SPACE.

1. Lumiere Quilt Set, $895, Flannel 2. Gold cake stand $79.95, Dalimores 3. Saarde carafe $149, & wine glasses, $49.95 each, Simon Johnson

4. Devendra Pearl rug, 2700 x 3600mm, $13,005, Rug Establishment 5. Eva Solo black Nordic kitchen jug, $149.95, Table Culture 6. Madras Link candle holders, large $119, & medium $89.95, Dalimores 7. Ashley & Co Parakeets & Pearls candle $69.95, Table Culture 8. Typhoon black stove top kettle, $79.95, Dalimores 9. Concept Japan Wasabi 4 piece Donburi bowl set, $59.95, Table Culture 10. Jonas & Co Parker vase $69.95, Spoilt 11. Palm Springs panache candle, $59.99, Pharmacy 777 12. House Cat book $49.99, Dymocks 13. Fur hot water bottle cover, $29.99, Pharmacy 777 14. Elitis cushion $399, Heather Levi 15. Salus cotton wash cloth $15, Spoilt 16. Concept Japan set of 5 chopsticks, $34.95, Table Culture 17. Jaquard Francais tea towel $45 each, Plane Tree Farm 18. Café lights, $240 each, Heather Levi.

LINNEYS master jewellers bring works of art to life in Subiaco workshop

ALL THAT glitters ...

IT’S NOT JUST GOLD WHICH CATCHES OUR EYE IN A JEWELLER’S SHOP WINDOW AND IN SUBIACO, THERE ARE PLENTY OF GEMS AND PRECIOUS METALS WHICH ARE CREATIVELY TURNED INTO DESIRABLE HEIRLOOMS.

BY LISA O’NEILL.

Above, Allure Windjana Gorge Keshi Pearl Earrings $4,190

Left, Allan Linney, Founder, and Justin Linney, Creative Director of Linneys, work closely together.

Far left, Linneys Underwater Garden South Sea Pearl and Diamond Necklace $4,530

Below, Managing Director of Allure South Sea Pearls

Lindsay Youd and his son, Louis, retail manager.

If you’re on the hunt for precious gems, a wearable piece of art or treasured family heirloom then Subiaco has a host of options for you to explore. Many jewellers offer Western Australian treasures including pearls sourced from our spectacular coastline and locallymined diamonds, while others have an international flair created overseas many moons ago. Whatever you’re looking for, you’re bound to find something special and sparkly on the streets of Subi.

Allure South Sea Pearls

316 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Allure South Sea Pearls is a proud family business with over 40 years of knowledge and experience, providing clients with friendly and personalised service, and known for their timeless pieces of jewellery. Allure pearls are sourced from the pristine waters off the coast of Western Australia, Tahiti and the Philippines, and are known for their ‘orient’ lustre and range in size from eight to an enormous 18-millimetres. Pearls have been in the Allure family for multiple generations, with Managing Director

Lindsay Youd being a second generation jeweller who first came to appreciate the natural beauty of South Sea pearls as a child in his father’s workshop. Now his own son, Louis has joined him at Allure as retail manager making it truly a family affair.

Linneys

37 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Another family business, Linneys, celebrated 50 years in the jewellery business in 2022, with 40 of those spent in Subiaco. Founder Alan

Linney has set an impeccable standard for high quality pieces that not only look beautiful but last the test of time and his son Justin followed suit, leaving behind a law degree to major in jewellery design and create his own masterpieces. Linneys is known for its bold and contemporary style of jewellery, frequently adorned with Australian South Sea pearls. They also source pink and white Argyle diamonds to create spectacular engagement and wedding rings, all handcrafted on site behind their Subiaco showroom.

Thomas Meihofer

Jewellery

171 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Swiss-born jewellery designer Thomas Meihofer may prefer Northern-European style jewellery with its chunkiness and bold lines, but in his 30 years working from Subiaco, he has created an incredible variety of designs with one common theme - integrity. Thomas works with the timeless charm of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires predominantly but also loves creating pieces with not-so-precious gems such as garnets, tourmalines and the intense orange of fire opal. Thomas works closely with his clients to design beautiful, bespoke pieces while also presenting his own stunning collections in his Subiaco showroom.

Subiaco Antiques and Fine Jewellery

Shop 9, Forrest Walk, 97 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Jewellery runs in the blood of husband and wife team Eddie and Emma Gryg, owners of this treasure

UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL

Left and inset, spend time at Subiaco Antiques and Fine Jewellery and you'll find a truly one-off treasure. Below right, Thomas Meihofer at work Opposite top, owner of Kul Kul, Cheryl Burton in her store on Rokeby Road. Below, Diamond rings from Diamond Collective.

trove of both collector’s items and modern, bespoke pieces. Secondgeneration jeweller Eddie started his career aged eight, helping his family business The Gemmology House in the 70s and now creates jewellery for special occasions. Emma has followed her antique dealer mother’s footsteps and travels the globe to source jewellery from the prestige of European auction houses to the wild world of American vintage malls. You could spend hours poring over the resulting pieces Emma has collected and Eddie designed, so set aside plenty of time to visit Subiaco Antiques.

Diamond Collective

77 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Relative newcomer to the Subiaco jewellery scene, Diamond Collective

is run by female directors Parys McClean and Kate Skinner who are diamond specialists providing an uber-modern, bespoke experience. Customers choose their own diamond, from natural to lab-grown options, via 3D videos that showcase the gems from all around the world. Once the perfect diamond is found, Diamond Collective brings it in and designs the piece to the client’s taste while enhancing the chosen gem.

Smales

143 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

This family-owned business originated in Kalgoorlie over 80 years ago and is a Subiaco stalwart in the jewellery scene. Ron Smales Jr opened the Subiaco store almost 35 years ago until his passing

in 2018, now his brother Tony Smales has taken the reins and continued the family legacy retail. While custom-made, fine jewellery is a big part of its collection, Smales also boasts being the sole Perth retailer for luxury watch brand Grand Seiko. World-class diamonds ‘Hearts on

We weren’t joking about Subi being ‘the one’ for jewellery shopping. Here are a couple more honourable mentions.

Ecali Fine Jewellery

91 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Another bespoke jewellery option for beautiful engagement rings, but we particularly love Ecali for its interesting play with more colourful gems such as amethyst, green tourmaline and aquamarine. Visit them for a playful, rainbow-hued twist on jewellery design.

Kavalri Diamonds & Jewellery

Level 1/177 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

Another studio using a mix of natural and lab-grown diamonds, Kavalri is a national brand with its Perth presence in Subiaco. Using 100% recycled gold as much as possible is also part of its operating model, making Kavalri a sustainable jewellery option.

Fire’ are also exclusively sold through Smales, their only Western Australian stockist.

Kul Kul

151 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

And the most colourful award goes to . . . Kul Kul, laden with vibrant and quirky jewellery at a more affordable price point than the aforementioned luxury brands. 19 years of brightening our suburb, Kul Kul’s shelves are filled with sterling silver, semi-precious stones and pearl jewellery (plus some fashion and giftware) from local and international designers from Mexico, Spain, Israel and the UK. If you’re on the hunt for some cute earrings to make a blah outfit brilliant or a birthday gift, this is the boutique for you.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Above, Ron Smales (Snr) and son Ron, Kalgoorlie; diamond ruby swirl studs $2,750, Smales.

18ct yellow gold morganite and diamond ring, $4,490 Thomas Meihofer

WITH | Beverly Ligman

You beauty

THE BIGGER AND BETTER MECCA STORE LOOKS RIGHT AT HOME ON ROKEBY ROAD AND IS PROVING TO BE A BIG DRAWCARD FOR BEAUTY HUNTERS, SAYS BEVERLY LIGMAN

The new MECCA store on Rokeby Road has an effortlessly elegant aesthetic. Featuring heritage stained glass windows, an exquisite atrium and fabulously helpful staff, its allure is simply irresistible. I spoke to Vlada Erturk, MECCA State Manager (WA) about what the new and improved store means for MECCA fans.

BL The new Mecca store is a beauty. Why was it time for Subi to get a gorgeous new MECCA?

VE We knew our Subiaco customers were seeking more space to shop for beauty, so the new store was the perfect opportunity to give locals an all-in-one beauty destination that is highly personalised with the prestige products and services that Subi customers crave.

BL What new beauty services are available now in-store, and how do we book them?

VE With more dedicated space for services and a beautiful Perfumeria, our new store offers a range of fragrance services where customers can discover their perfect scent with a personalised consultation from a MECCA Fragrance Specialist. There’s a complimentary 15-minute Introduction to Fragrance consultation, which is perfect for those who aren’t sure where to start with picking a scent or need guidance navigating the Perfumeria. For a more in-depth and immersive fragrance experience, there’s a 45-minute Individual Fragrance Consultation ($75) or a 60-minute service for two ($100), with both services fully redeemable in-store. Outside of that, we’re excited to continue to offer our “always on” makeup and skin services (including the MECCA Facial) in store, which we know our customers love. With the new strikingly beautiful atrium allowing streams of natural light to flow through and anchor our artistry and skin space, it’s a unique

experience. All services can be booked in-store or on the MECCA website.

BL Does a bigger store, mean a bigger range of products?

VE Absolutely! With double the original space, we’ve been able to expand our range across every category and bring more exciting brands to our Subiaco customers.

BL Is there anything exclusive to the Subi store?

VE What sets this store apart is its design where you just want to dwell. Overlaid with accents of WA, you’re welcomed into the store by a patterned stone floor, with elements of Pilbara marble dotted throughout. Australian spotted gum timber, deep bronze brass and custom accent lighting bring warmth and a local connection to the space. To round out the local touches, we’ve included a stunning piece of artwork by local

PRETTY AWESOME Manager of Mecca on Rokeby Road Vlada Erturk, pictured left, with her team, is loving the buzz around the newly expanded store.

WA contemporary artist Penny Coss. Penny’s work is a response to the incredibly rich and expansive WA geology, biology and landscape systems, making it the perfect complement to the space.

BL Tell us about the history of the store, it has stained glass windows that allow such pretty light in and it's in such a central Subi position - why did MECCA choose it?

VE We fell in love with the heritage features of the building and how it fits into the leafy Rokeby Road strip. Over the years, the store became a true neighbourhood go-to for anything from picking up your beauty essentials to getting your makeup done for that special occasion. There’s a true local feeling about our Subiaco store and every interaction feels so personal. We wanted to retain that with the expansion and I’m happy to say that it’s only changed for the better.

BL What sets MECCA apart?

VE What’s unique about MECCA is our laser-sharp focus on the customer, obsessing over every detail to make sure they always leave our stores feeling their absolute best, with a pep in their step.

BL Subiaco is thriving right now - is MECCA proud to be part of its renaissance?

VE We are so thrilled to see Subiaco shine bright and are incredibly excited to see the strip and wider Subi become a shopping and dining destination for greater Perth once more.

Find MECCA at Shop 5-7, 1 Rokeby Road. For all bookings visit www.mecca.com

Brush with brilliance

ARTIGO STUDIO IS OFFERING THOSE KEEN TO TAP INTO THEIR ARTISTIC SKILLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET COLOURFUL AND PAINT WHEREVER THEIR SOUL TAKES THEM.

BY GABI MILLS .

First of all, a disclaimer. I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of an artist in hiding but lack the technical skills to translate these lofty ambitions into anything really approaching proper art which would ever grace a gallery.

Fortunately, that’s just the type of wannabe artist owner of Artigo Studio Emily Eldrige prefers. Not a fan of traditional fine art rules and regulations, Emily is all about going with the flow. It’s much more free and

easy at this lovely studio above the Subiaco Bookshop off Rokeby Road and very much my cup of tea. Emily’s students are encouraged to go with the flow and do what feels right rather than what the rule books say we must do to achieve a perfect end product.

So that’s why on a Sunday morning, you would have found me and my fellow students being encouraged to take our shoes off, to really ground ourselves before tackling the task ahead. The table is set up ready for our efforts: an easel, canvas, acrylic paints, brushes and palette knife awaits. I’ve had some experience with acrylic painting and watercolours but never wielded a palette knife before.

We’re all there to paint a version of a golden tree – with many examples to draw on around the studio from past students and Emily herself. The studio may be pint-sized but it packs a big punch in terms of feelgood positivity for those who find themselves under Emily’s tutelage. This is almost art therapy for us souls who’ve been through the wringer over the years and Emily’s gentle approach certainly caters for those who may lack confidence to take that first step with paint onto canvas.

On the same floor, you’ll find other creative entrepreneurs including a music teacher and sewing guru.

The philosophy at Artigo is simple: to make creating, painting, owning and exploring art accessible to all. You may consider yourself to have zero artistic ability but if my experience was anything to go by, I guarantee that after two hours in Emily’s company, you’ll end up with something pretty beautiful to adorn your home.

“There’s no pretence, no hierarchy, just good people sharing their skills and empowering others,” says Emily. So far, so welcoming. With other working artists, Artigo aims to open up the possibilities of being an artist to all via workshops aimed at unleashing your inner Rothko, Picasso or Monet.

Classes are kept small and there’s wine and other drinks on offer as well as nibbles to sustain the muse throughout each session. The two ladies I painted my tree with were equally focused on creating something unique and I was surprised how different our trees turned out, despite using the same colours and approach.

There’s private tuition and bespoke workshops for groups on offer too, the perfect way to work and play together if you’ve got a birthday coming up or something to celebrate.

“Our artists offer a range of workshops- from resins, alcohol ink and lino prints to watercolours, acrylic painting and more,” says Emily, who splits her time between Perth and Margaret River where she’s

building up quite a following as an emerging expressionist artist.

As I get busy layering some luscious magenta and copper acyrlics on my canvas, it comes as no surprise to learn that Emily lives in the heart of a forest down south, and is inspired by the marri trees which surround her studio.

She’s all about emphasising the connection to country and the land, and the rich palette her own work displays reinforces the jewel-like colours of the oceans and trees that she calls home.

I’m surprisingly impressed with my palette knife work and find myself fantasising about a life which involves less laptop eyestrain and more painterly smears on my apron. We add layers of metallic paint, shimmering orbs and splatter golden ink across the tree’s bark. Somehow, it miraculously evolves into something really quite mystic and moving.

By the end of this all-too brief session, I’m convinced my future lies in paint. I’ll be back for one of Artigo’s ‘Find Your Artistic Voice’ sessions. It’s a class where you’ll receive guidance, feedback and support but no judgement if your brushstrokes take you off piste.

Visit artigostudio.com

Suite 6/113 Rokeby Road, Subiaco (down the laneway next to Subiaco Bookshop)

CREATIVE JUICES

Join

Back talk

IF YOU’VE EVER HAD A BAD BACK, YOU’LL KNOW THE RELIEF FELT WHEN A CHIROPRACTOR WORKS THEIR MAGIC. LISA O’NEILL PUTS HERSELF IN GOOD HANDS AND MET SOME OF SUBI’S BEST PRACTITIONERS.

There’s nothing quite so debilitating as a bad back that impacts each step, movement and even sleep. Of the various treatments available, chiropractic is a great choice with its primary focus on the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine.

One of Subiaco’s longest standing practitioners, Hay Street Chiropractic’s Dr Nathalie Laurendeau says while people associate chiropractic treatment with fixing back pain, it’s far from the only reason clients visit.

“Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek healthcare at a chiropractor, but we also see people with disc injuries, neck pain, headaches, vertigo, joint pain from shoulders to feet, nerve pain and sports injuries,” Nathalie explained.

Using a variety of adjustments learned over years of education and

training, chiropractors precisely adjust multiple areas of the body, including elbows and ankles, to bring alignment to clients’ bodies which often leads to restoring overall health, too.

“The speed at which patients experience relief after chiropractic treatment varies widely depending on the condition being treated and its severity, but it’s not uncommon for patients to feel immediate postadjustment effects, such as improved range of motion, reduced muscle tension and a sense of relaxation,” Nathalie said.

While some of us sound like bubble wrap during a morning stretch, Nathalie discourages any intentional cracking at home, especially messing around with the delicate infrastructure of our spines.

“Improper manipulation can have unintended consequences including sprains, strains or even more serious

HANDS ON Above, Dr Nathalie Laurendeau of Hay Street Chiropractic.

issues such as joint damage or nerve injury,” Nathalie said. “I understand how joint popping or cracking might provide temporary relief for some people, but often individuals have underlying health conditions causing the discomfort which a professional will identify and treat.”

Another common misconception about chiropractic treatment is that patients might choose it over another treatment such as physiotherapy or massage. While it might seem like they’re in direct opposition, Nathalie says each form of health care has its place in treating ailments.

“Chiropractic care, physiotherapy and massage therapy are distinct forms of treatment each with their own strengths and focus with some overlap,” Nathalie explained. Chiropractors focus on:

• The spine and nervous system

• Spinal conditions such as misalignments of the spine or disc herniation

• Joint dysfunction

• Headaches relating to musculoskeletal issues. Physiotherapists focus on:

• A wide range of musculoskeletal injuries affecting the muscles,

joints and soft tissues

• Sprains, strains and post-surgical rehabilitation

• Functional movement issues

• Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Massage therapists focus on:

• Manipulating soft tissues to alleviate muscle tension and knots, and improve blood circulation

• Stress relief and relaxation

• Address muscle soreness and improve recovery.

According to Nathalie, many healthcare professionals recognise the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and collaborate to help patients recover from injuries and enhance physical wellbeing. In the meantime, if you’re in need of a realignment, Subiaco is spoilt for choice with many wellregarded clinics in the area. Here are a few we love:

Hay Street Chiropractic

Nathalie has been treating clients in Subiaco for over 20 years and is passionate about helping people achieve good overall wellbeing on top of excellent spinal health. Her reception is filled with photos of athletes achieving great things such as triathlons, marathons, kayaking and cycling. A seasoned triathlete and cyclist herself, Nathalie understands the needs of athletes and the importance of being injury-free. Unit 10, 513 Hay Street, Subiaco

Pillar Chiropractic and Pilates

Owner and founder, Dr Amy Lauren was introduced to chiropractic treatment during her time as a Western Australian Institute of Sport gymnast. The holistic approach of chiropractic care combined with determining and treating the root cause of injuries led to her choosing it for her own career path. This award-winning chiropractor has created a beautiful treatment space

at Pillar with the added bonus of its Pilates offering.

198 Nicholson Road, Subiaco

Wild Chiropractic

Husband and wife team Dr Matt Hamilton and Dr Kyna Hamilton run their lifestyle-based space using chiropractic treatments to help clients achieve good health and greater purpose. Kyna specialises in pregnancy and postpartum chiropractic care while Matt was once WA State Chair for Sports Chiropractic Australia, while both are passionate about helping all members of the community achieve a healthy body and mind.

160 Onslow Road, Shenton Park

Capacity Health

Dr Paul Patterson followed in his father’s footsteps to become a second generation chiropractor, opening Capacity Health after

starting his career at his family’s practice. With a background in sports and a special interest in pregnancy and paediatric care (and five kids of his own), Paul uses a variety of adjustment styles including Active Release Technique, Cranial therapy and running technique analysis. Shop 1/220 Nicholson Road, Subiaco.

Vivify Health & Chiropractic You might recognise Vivify’s owner Dr Iain Hennessy is also a Les Mills

fitness trainer at Lords with a cult following. His passion for restoring people’s health, fitness and range of movement extends into his chiropractic practice. Supported by another experienced and passionate chiropractor Dr Georgie Neaves, Vivify gets extra points for its feathered friends Monkey and Otis. Two rescued lorikeets visit the practice daily to brighten clients’ days.

Unit 2/590 Hay Street, Subiaco.

SUBIACO IS HARD TO LEAVE BUT FOR THOSE WHO DO DEPART ITS TREE-LINED STREETS, COMING HOME IS SUCH A SWEET MOMENT. LISA O’ NEILL MEETS THOSE WHO COME BACK FOR MORE.

The village vibe of Subiaco has existed for decades, living in the hearts of many who grew up here. For some, the comfort of someone passing by on Rokeby Road who knows your name was too great to live anywhere else. We speak to local residents who have returned, who share about the city that once was, the iterations they have seen, and why they so love to call it home.

TheComeback Kids

Sue Davis and Becky Parker

This mother-daughter duo has a rich and colourful history in our cosmopolitan suburb, laced with smells, tastes and sounds so quintessentially ‘Subi’. Sue arrived in Daglish as an eight-year-old in 1959, attended Jolimont Primary School and delighted in the raw freedom they had.

“We had huge classes, it was the time of baby boomers, and when I looked at my old photos I found 45 in one class and 48 in another and just one teacher!” Sue said. “It was a wonder we learnt anything at all, those poor teachers!”

The journey to school was a far

cry from Teslas navigating smooth bitumen roads around Cliff Sadlier Park, instead the zone from Troy Terrace to the primary school was entirely bushland.

“It was all bush back then and filled with really tall lupins,” Sue explained. “We’d ride through the lupins to school and you couldn’t see where the dips were so you’d literally lose your friends and disappear as you rode through – it was really exciting!”

The weekends were equally exhilarating for the 60s’ Subi kids, who used the railway lines and swamps as their playgrounds.

“The railway lines weren’t fenced off back then, so the big game was waiting for the train to come by feeling

and listening for it,” Sue laughed.

“And Lake Jualbup was all but a swamp, not nearly as nice as it is now, but we loved playing there because you could catch tadpoles!”

Inner Subiaco was slightly more refined, known for its shops with awnings stretching to the footpath, propped up with poles. From long-time draper Timewells where Pharmacy 777 now stands to the ‘great big toy shop’ at Crossways which Sue bought all her friends’ birthday presents from the floor-to-ceiling shelves laden with toys and games, Rokeby Road was once lined with ‘one off’ shops, not a chain store to be found.

“You went to the butcher, the greengrocer and the baker – and they all delivered!” Sue recalled.

Following a sweet childhood, Sue trained to be a nurse at Charlie Gairdner Hospital where she had to live within the nurses’ quarters in order to earn her qualification.

“It was the best fun,” she said,

indicating a whole new story would be necessary for details but her resulting career was impressive, culminating as Head of Nursing at Charlie’s.

After a period living abroad, Sue returned with her family and Becky’s Subiaco childhood began where railway play was out and back lane hang outs were in.

“We’d play in the back lanes constantly, riding over the speed bumps and go from house to house for icy poles on hot days – we’d be out all day and only go home when we were hungry,” Becky said.

When it became too hot, the Subiaco Primary School swimming pool was the hottest ticket in town. Rules were looser in the 80s and 90s, with only a handful of families acquiring the pool key.

“There were no lifeguards and in the mornings the mums would bring croissants for breakfasts and afternoons it was bottles of

champagne,” Becky said, laughing. “We’d all take our mates in and the only rule was no going in when it was dark – things have tightened up now, which is probably a good idea!”

Becky lived abroad with her own family but returned officially in 2012 so her own kids were brought up in the Subiaco village.

“The primary school has expanded so much with double the students, but it’s amazing how the smell is the same – my memory was instantly triggered by the school hall smells,” Becky said.

“It has changed in so many ways, it’s become a lot trendier in Subiaco, it was daggy but fun when I was growing up and an older demographic but now it’s filled with young families and so many good coffee shops!

“The feel now is different, but it’s still such a lovely place to live.”

Jemma Gryl

A street filled with kids from toddlers to teens riding bikes, scrawling on the sidewalks with chalk and playing cricket seems like a scene from yesteryear and it is. But Jemma Gryl says the street she grew up on, and since moved back to, hasn’t changed a bit.

“Well, maybe there was more rollerblading back then, but my kids now climb the same tree we did,” Jemma said. “Everyone on the street claimed a branch and we used to eat our dinner out there.”

The love of Shenton Park runs in Jemma’s blood with six generations residing in Shenton Park over many years.

“My grandfather’s parents lived on the end of Derby Road and were some of the founding members of the Irish Club in Subiaco,” Jemma said. “My great-great grandmother lived on the corner of Onslow and

.../Continued from page 73

Commercial, although all of their old houses are no longer there.”

Jemma’s parents moved to the area in the early 1970s and aside from the idyllic, quiet street where kids roamed freely en masse, her other Shenton Park childhood memories from the 80s turn her children green with envy.

“We had four lolly shops on Onslow Road alone, my favourite was on the corner of James Street which sold lollies from huge, old-fashioned jars,” Jemma recalled.

The other culinary hit was a Chinese restaurant in the Onslow shopping village, where Lawleys Bakery now stands, so popular that tourist buses regularly flooded in. Jemma frequented the strip with her mum for halva at the health food shop and the best fruit and vegetables at the local greengrocer.

With the 50c lolly bags and golden strips of honey chicken long gone, Jemma’s reasons for returning to the hood all came back to the neighbourly vibes other suburbs lacked.

“I struggled living elsewhere, because I was so used to the close proximity and neighbourly noise,

and the connection with people that comes from that,” Jemma said. “It’s not that I didn’t try, but people weren’t used to it and seemed to think I was quite weird that I wanted to make friends with my neighbours!”

Jemma laughs at the contrast of her current Shenton Park home, where you couldn’t hide from your neighbours even if you wanted to.

“When we open our loungeroom window, you can see three or four houses down, which is hilarious,” Jemma said. “If my eldest is babysitting his siblings, someone will say to call through the window if he needs anything, which he’s never needed to, but it’s just nice to know that he can, isn’t it?”

If she could bring back one item from the 80s, it would be the Subiaco markets, the hallowed halls where families shopped, ate and spent time together.

“And all the large trees that have been chopped down, I hope this slows because they’re crucial for the passage of the red-tailed cockatoos,” Jemma said.

Belinda Poh

In 1977, Belinda was one of seven children in the first year of the Beehive Montessori School run out of the Scout Hall on Murchison Street in Shenton Park. While the vegemite sandwiches and joyful shrieks are gone, the historic building remains despite becoming chic housing.

“The space was shared with the Scouts in the evening, so I remember we’d pack away our tables, chairs and equipment at the end of every day,” Belinda said. “During the day, we explored the streets of Shenton Park with our teacher, collecting carob pods to eat!”

Her high school, the illustrious Hollywood High, was another building that fell when student numbers dropped and demand for residential land rose.

“I have so many great memories from Hollywood and the weekends surrounding school were centred around Lake Jualbup, known as Shenton Lake back then,” Belinda said.

After travelling abroad and living in North Perth for a short period, Belinda returned to Shenton Park in her 20s for the majestic gum treelined streets and the suburb’s heart, the Lake cradled by willows. With Beehive no longer an option, Rosalie Primary School is equally joyful for her own children.

“Parents and families seem so much more involved than in my experience,” Belinda said. “Our children are enjoying the benefits of the strong Rosalie community, families there are so invested in creating an amazing learning environment for generations to come.”

Like Jemma, Belinda also longs for the ‘boho market stalls’ of the Subiaco Pavillion Markets.

“I would so like to travel back in time to take my kids there, they hold such a dear place in my heart,” Belinda said.

Linda Rogers

In 1967, Linda’s first of three babies was born in St John of God Subiaco and in 1974, they moved into the area via the Hollywood section of Subiaco with a home purchased for around $25,000.

“It was a real community, everyone knew everyone,” Linda said. “I went through a difficult time and people were unbelievably supportive and kind – one time, I walked into the grocery store after being at the hospital and completely forgot what I went to buy.

The woman who owned the store sat me down, made me a cup of tea, gave me a piece of cake, filled up my grocery bag and walked me home – people were just marvellous.”

Now, Linda lives in the heart of Subiaco and says that same kindness has traversed the years.

“I’m in my 80s now and recently the lid of my trash can broke, so I put it out the front for the council to take away and fix,” Linda said. “My next door neighbour thought I must have been unwell so he brought it straight back in and the council couldn’t collect it! It was very funny, but that’s the kind of thing people do for each other here.”

Linda’s memories of bringing up kids in the 70s revolve around huge street parties with roast lamb sandwiches, horseshoe rolls filled with salad, ham and cheese from delicatessens, and the milkman delivering milk to the front door.

“We used to get the bottle with the cream on top and my middle son would race down the stairs and we’d all yell ‘no Nigel, don’t do it!’” Linda said, laughing. “He couldn’t help himself, he’d drink the cream off the top and my husband would have a fit, so it became a family race to the milk.”

The evening meals also looked quite different from the dishes now served by Subiaco’s high end restaurants.

“On Onslow Road there was a restaurant that did dinners for $10, they served only two or three things, or we went to Maggie’s on Hamden Road with only one meal that was $7 per person – so eating out was an affordable option!” Linda recalled. “In some ways, Subiaco is almost unrecognisable now and I am concerned about our tree canopy.”

While Linda hopes ‘the wonderful tradition of social housing’ grows, as it welcomes diversity in our community, she hopes the towering trees, historic federation homes and community feel are not lost as our density grows.

“It’s evolving into a newer neighbourhood, but I hope we can maintain that quality of people taking care of one another as we grow, and continue being welcoming,” Linda said. “There’s nowhere else I’ve lived as nice as Subiaco.”

I’ll ensure my Subiaco neighbours aren’t undersold.

Darcy Glynn 0431 009

Sniff and scratch

THERE ARE SOME FANTASTIC PARKS TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO IN AND AROUND SUBIACO. BROOKE EVANS-BUTLER AND HER DOG POPPY CHECKED OUT SOME OF THE OPTIONS.

LAKE JUALBUP

- Poppy’s choice

(Between Herbert Road, Evans and Excelsior Streets and Lake Avenue, Shenton Park)

This is a beautiful, large park with areas for the whole family. There is plenty of shelter, playground equipment for the kids and a level, sturdy pathway all around the lake, which is perfect for walking your dog around (on-lead). There were lots of ducks to watch (which is Poppy’s favourite past time).

PROS: Lots of shelter, good for families, lots of ducks which Poppy loved.

RANKIN ROAD RESERVE

– for the young Yorkies

(Corner of Rankin and Rokeby Roads, Subiaco)

This is a small park that is fenced off, secure and has a fenced off playground area for the kids. The

park is a lovely shady area, with lots of trees to sniff. It would be a perfect area to work on your dog’s recall if you are training your pup. There’s some dog agility equipment too.

PROS: A great spot to gradually introduce your pup to being off-lead

SUBIACO COMMON

- for the social Schnauzers

(Between Mere View Way, Juniper Ball Way and Tighe St, Subiaco)

This is a lovely spot to walk around the picturesque lake which sometimes attracts black swans. There’s also lots of shade and shelter, and a dog water station. There is an off-leash dog exercise area but it is not fenced with a nearby kids’ playground, so is most suitable for trained, social dogs with good recall. There were a few dogs enjoying this area. Poppy was not trained well enough to test out the off-lead area, but loved sniffing around the lake.

PROS: A really lovely spot if you’ve got a well-behaved pooch. There’s also a regular collection of dog owners who gather each evening for a chin wag.

CLIFF SADLIER RESERVE

– for the good Groodles

(Between Cunningham, Northmore, Woolnough and Roberts Streets, Daglish)

This is a fantastic area if you have an energetic dog – or one that likes some agility training. It’s a large park area and has a dog agility section. There were lots of dogs when we checked it out. It isn’t completely fenced, so you need to have your dog on a leash or have good recall.

PROS: One for dogs who like to test their agility skills.

MUELLER PARK

– for the sniffy Shepherds (Roberts Road, Subiaco)

This is a lovely, big park with some of

the most beautiful trees in Subiaco as your backdrop. The Mueller Park Play Space area is perfect for the kids (please note that dogs aren’t allowed in the play space area), but there is plenty of space to walk your dog in the rest of the park, with lots of trees around for a leisurely yet sniffy walk with your dog.

PROS: A good spot to bring the kids who can play safely while Fido has a sniff around the trees outside the play space.

MAN'S BEST

FRIEND Take a stroll with your favourite furry friend around the lake or over an agility course in Subiaco's dogfriendly parks.

Other spots to sniff out

While you are in the area, check out:

Montario Quarter Dog Exercise Area – two brand new enclosed doggy parks next to each other. Subiaco Oval – take the opportunity to walk your dog and explore the new Six Seasons Bidi Trail.

Dog-friendly Cafes:

The Wholefood Circus, Nicholson Road

Brew-Ha The Ritual, Rokeby Road

Bar Amelie, Rokeby Road

Bark, Hay Street

Lums, Rokey Road (grab a spot on the deck)

Sculpting the season BIRTH of

THE NEW ART INSTALLATION AT SUBI EAST, SIX SEASONS BIDI CELEBRATES THE NOONGAR SEASONS AND THE WORK OF ONE OF THE ARTISTS – JARNI MCGUIRE – HIGHLIGHTS THE SEASON OF KAMBARANG.

BY BROOKE HUNTER .

Inspired by the strength and power held by women in the Noongar community, local Whadjuk, Ballardong and Yuat artist Jarni McGuire delved deep into culture and country while creating her sculpture ‘Kambarang’ for Subi East’s Six Seasons Bidi.

In celebration of the Noongar seasons, Subi East features six sculptural artworks by local Noongar artists each connected by a bidi (pathway).

In developing the sculptures, the artists took inspiration from the environmental patterns of their chosen season as well as their lived experiences.

Jarni’s Kambarang sculpture references the maternal world, women, motherhood, nurturing, providing and pregnancy. The season (October to November) is represented by the colour yellow as it symbolises the return of the hot weather, an abundance of flowers and new life.

Featuring the murnong (Warrang Yam) and women’s breasts, Jarni’s sculpture is reflective of Noongar women being a main provider of food for families, harvesting yams during the season of Kambarang.

“Kambarang, being the season of birth, evokes my maternalism,” Jarni said.

“There are many reasons why the seasons are so significant to the Noongar community. For me, the Noongar six seasons encompass many facets of Noongar culture, traditions and knowledge - directing our movement, what we ate, and how we lived. Exploring each season in depth can lead you to many paths of insight into what the average day looked like for our people.”

During artwork conception, the

artists heard from their Elders who passed on katidjin (knowledge) about Noongar movement, colours of the seasons, plant use for medicine, food, resources, fire and tool making.

“We had my Nan Viv Hansen come in and share some of her knowledge on Noongar bush medicines and plants. What I learnt during my season of Kambarang was that women would harvest these yams. Women were also the main food providers for families and for me that spoke to me as a mother and providing for my son. The first thing we do when our babies are born; we put them on our chest, then we feed them from our breasts,” Jarni said.

“This reminded me of the strength of our Noongar women and what power women hold in the community and family dynamics. I wanted to find a way to honour our women.”

Jarni commenced her art by sketching and then creating three vertical forms in wax, clay and plasticine, referencing the shape of both the Warrang Yam and the female form.

She wanted to reflect on her experience as a woman, a mother and how her body has changed over time through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

The Six Seasons Bidi

“I came across an old image of a Noongar woman naked, she was unclothed and bare in all her beauty, so much strength radiating from her and the strength that pierced through was unfathomable.”

Jarni said while fabricating her sculpture, she was also conscious of ensuring her work was culturally appropriate and wanted to develop something that her community could be proud of. She said the opportunity to work with other Noongar artists and being led by the Elders was so important in passing down knowledge.

“Storytelling has always been an important way of connecting and learning. Our Elders have experiences and knowledge we haven't seen or heard of before. So, to have them come in and share that, grounded me in the creative process and reminded me of what our community has been through to be here,” she said.

“I learnt that we have our own way of connecting to things in this world and to find that and express it through art, is a real privilege. I’m glad I get to share this special piece of my heart with my mob.

“I feel honoured to have my work represent the season Kambarang. I hope that when people see it, they enjoy it.”

THE SIX SEASONS BIDI is a collaborative design process undertaken by Development WA, Karrda, the Subi East Elder Group, OCULUS, UDLA and Apparatus.

Connecting people to Noongar places, stories, memories, knowledge, experiences and boodjar, the Bidi is a cultural gateway offering an immersive and educational experience for visitors.

Unveiled at Subi East in late November 2023, the Six Seasons Bidi sculptures stand as a legacy for the development of future Noongar artworks throughout Perth.

A perfect (prawn) Kochtail of laughs

Subi Continental had better start stocking up on prawns.

Come May, there will be a swaggering, sex-obsessed prawn-cocktail-loving sensation, otherwise known as Olga Koch, demanding the finest little beauties the Continental kitchen can offer.

It’s all part of the Perth Comedy Festival where the Russian-born comedian and London resident will tap into the audience’s funny bone with jokes about threesomes, STI’s and casual sex.

But there is one thing Koch loves more than a highlycharged erotic encounter.

For her, the sweet spot is a perfectly-made prawn cocktail - a classic combo of king prawns, homemade mayo, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and tabasco on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce.

So obsessed with the cute crustacean is she that Koch has one tattooed on her foot and has also named her show at the Regal Theatre on May 10 after the retro dish.

After all, she’s already done the obligatory selfie with a quokka, and fallen in love with the Western Australian

collection of Indigenous art at the Art Gallery of WA.

“I also have a Golden Gaytime tattooed on my other foot,” she says. “I got that one in Fremantle, a place I loved, but that is a story for another time.”

Prawn cocktails helped her - she says - get through the drama of turning 30, going on a gap year and contracting salmonella (although not necessarily in that order).

But it’s also a pun on her own name, pronounced Kosh (Koshtails. Get it?)

“My name is meant to be pronounced Kock, but if you are living in an English-speaking country, it’s a problem ...” she says.

The word ‘cosh’ also happens to be a British slang term for a bludgeon, which is how some audience members might feel about her material which often goes bravely into gags about Putin and Oligarchs for example.

Though born in St Petersburg, Koch went, in 2006, to an American boarding school in Staines in the UK and then studied computer science in America. Her father Alfred had served as a deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin, and the family fled to Germany in 2014.”

As she speaks on the phone from Bangalore during a brief stop on her world tour, she says she doesn’t focus too much on Russia now, preferring to highlight LGBTQI communities in Ukraine.

“Perhaps I am foolish,” she says. “But I would be more concerned about my safety if I was going back to Russia. And I have no plans to go back.”

Her top priority at the moment, however, is finding just the right prawn cocktail and she is currently Googling restaurant menus in Subiaco. Under the banner of meticulous research, we can vouch for the offering at Subi Continental listed as Shark Bay prawns, cocktail sauce, lemon for $21.

And that’s enough to put a smile on the face of Koch as she delivers her humour in Bangalore.

‘I love getting into the local culture of the city I am performing in,” she says adding that she sees a comparison between performing comedy and her university studies in computer science.

“Comedy and computer science have more in common than what most people would think,” she says. “When writing jokes, you are following form and utilising logic which feels very similar to computer science. On the surface level they both scratch the same itch.”

Scratching that itch in May will be Koch, feeling vulnerable and like she’s naked on stage as she talks her way good humouredly through the angst of turning 30 and how she coped with it by going to Japan with a stranger she hooked up with at a wedding.

And that, dear readers, is no joke.

Olga Koch, Prawn Cocktail Perth Comedy Festival, Friday May 10

IMAGE Rachel Sherlock

CATCH SAUCY COMIC OLGA KOCH DURING THIS YEAR’S PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL AT THE REGAL, SAYS GAIL WILLIAMS