Cott’s new catch: Why Tigerfish is the summer’s brightest hook

Previous SlideNext Slide

Forgive me if this sounds rude, but as far as attention-grabbing headlines go, “Perth gets a new modern Asian restaurant” isn’t likely to stop too many presses, doubly so when you consider that the newcomer in question has surfaced in a suburb not exactly renowned for the calibre of its Asian food options. (Sorry Cottesloe, we still love you.)

Which makes the joyous appeal of Tigerfish – the big, breezy and beautiful bar and dining room that opened in December at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel – all the more remarkable.

Whereas many in the pan-Asian food and drink peloton place their trust in waving cats, different-but-same-same cooking and predictable “oriental” tropes to signal their intentions, the latest offering from the Prendiville Group (Sandalford Estate in the Swan Valley; Lontara on Rottnest Island) is willing to do things differently.

Take, for instance, the look of the Cott’s rebooted ground-floor space. Instead of taking cues (just) from Asia, Tigerfish’s aesthetic also references its beachside address. Soft finishes, pastel tones and gentle curves serve as reminders that this is a place that’s as much about West as it is East.

If you remember venue manager Mark Rutter from his time at nearby Il Lido and the original Canteen Pizza, you’ll know that his approach to service is as sunny as the wines he enjoys pouring.

Not only have both of the above joined Rutter on his return to the Golden Triangle, he’s sweetened the deal with some attractively priced sake, plus some really smart Asian-influenced cocktails from accomplished bartender Brendan Scott Grey.

But the biggest reason that Tigerfish succeeds as a modern Asian restaurant is Steven Ryu.

Korean-born Ryu doesn’t just oversee the kitchen, he also fits the description for modern Asian chef, not just by dint of a great resume – before working at key Australasian dining rooms such as Sokyo and Cable Beach Resort, he owned restaurants in Seoul – but also by his innate ability to recognise as well as create synergies between Asia’s myriad schools of cooking.

Consider our man’s banchan, the (mostly) vegetarian sides that add colour and texture to the Korean table. Here, Ryu brings both tradition – blanched bean sprouts, say – and innovation to the party. (The latter is represented by a “fresh” unfermented kimchi of coriander leaves plus more South-East Asian elements such as betel leaves and candied roasted nuts crushed into a rubble). What a way to kick things off.

At the other end of the meal, a summery dessert starring a shaving foam-like curl of coconut sorbet and diced mango cloaked with a cooling lychee granita proves Ryu’s border-crossing approach works equally well for sweets as it does savouries.

There are plenty of wins in between the start and finish line, too. Smoky fried rice and charry stems of kang kong (water spinach) licked with the liquorice perfume of Thai basil speak to a strong wok game.

Fingers of cooked rice mixed with a bold red curry paste and cooked over charcoal until crunchy make for a cool riff on yakionigiri (grilled Japanese rice cakes). Grilled banana leaf barramundi gets finished with a vivid green curry that’s as thick as it is fluorescent of hue.

By and large, this is a kitchen that deals in big flavours: flavours that are big as Tigerfish itself, a vast, multi-zone venue that can, one of its publicists tells me, house more than 300 guests.

While full houses are, I’m sure, great for Tigerfish’s bottom line, this more-more-more approach occasionally causes misfires.

Plump balls of prawn meat bandaged in a puddle of coconut cream – a mash-up of sui mai and laksa – sound like a good time on paper but were derailed by heavy-handed seasoning.

It’s inevitable, I guess, that somewhere this big has to pre-shuck its oysters. They’re fine when splashed with the zippy nam jim sauce they’re served with, but taste a little tired to enjoy au natural. I know big spaces need big food line-ups, but could Tigerfish benefit from tightening its menu?

Then again, the upside of upsized menus and venues means guests have freedom to program their own adventure.

An a la carte menu lets eaters cherry-pick favourites. Set menus hand the keys over to the kitchen. DJs soundtrack the walk-in bar area overlooking the ocean where sunsets and snackier things such as fish finger baos and crunchy tarts of spiced raw snapper are the stars of the show.

Tigerfish, if it wasn’t obvious, is a party. It’s also a party that a lot of Perth wants in on.

Yes, you may have to book early to secure a prime-time table for your next WhatsApp group chat catch-up.

Yes, the council’s parking inspectors will be out in force.

Yes, it will be loud – I was both annoyed and relieved to be seated with the older Gen-X-and-above crowd in the quieter alfresco dining areas.

But our waiter wasn’t trying to be rude. They just had a good idea of what this particular modern (Asian) diner needed to have a good time.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.