A good meal doesn’t just get people out of their homes.
asserted
people → get → homes
It can also be the catalyst for luring old buildings out of retirement.
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It → lure → retirement
Consider the city’s long abandoned general post office that’s now part of a formidable (and essential) CBD food and drink hub.
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that → consider → hub
At the other end of the Terrace, a popular brasserie has made its home in the former Royal Insurance Co headquarters.
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brasserie → make → headquarters
And let’s not forget the western suburbs boatshed and its unlikely second act.
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’s → let → suburbs
Once upon a time, all these buildings lay dormant and underutilised, waiting for the kiss of true love – or a sideways glance from the right property developer – to wake them from their slumber, Sleeping Beauty-style.
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kiss → lie → slumber
One of the newer admissions to this congregation of the born-again is Baillie Hill: a dining precinct in East Victoria Park that opened in January at the site of WA’s first dedicated maternity hospital.
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that → bear → hospital
If you’ve ever wondered what $25 million of combined state, federal and private sector funding gets you in terms of redevelopment work, wonder no more.
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million → wonder → work
While I can’t speak to what Baillie Hill looked like pre-facelift – embarrassingly, I didn’t know it existed, even though I’ve lived most of my life in the area – its current iteration is bright, welcoming and sympathetic to the space’s past as well as its present.
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iteration → speak → past
Native waterwise plants are all around and there always seems to be landscaping happening.
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plants → seem → ?
I’m not mad about any of the above.
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I → ’m → above
Cosmetic benefits aside, this makeover also created different spaces and venues that awaken throughout the day.
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that → create → day
The earliest riser among these is Beth’s Bakery which occupies the rotunda building that Baillie Hill’s namesake Elizabeth Baillie built in 1912.
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namesake → occupy → 1912
It’s the only venue that’s tenanted and not run in-house, but in partnering with the likes of Laurance Greenfield (Community Coffee Co) and baker Sam Blaikie (Goods), management have assembled a team that understands the café and bread caper.
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that → ’ → café
Around midday, the rest of the gang starts to stir.
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rest → start → gang
The Berwick, the precinct’s pub-style offering, is Baillie Hill’s most visible offshoot thanks to the umbrella-shaded tables and giant TV screen near the entrance.
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Berwick → shade → entrance
The cooking follows suit with modern-day public house hits including fish and chips that’s flaky and crunchy in the appropriate places; burgers; salt and pepper squid and other bar snacks du jour, plus wood-fired pizzas with puffy, gently blistered crusts slicked with a bright sugo.
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that → follow → sugo
But most of the interesting stuff is happening at Milly’s Acre, the section of Baillie Hill that includes a semi-outdoor area next to the gardens, children’s play area and Greensleeves: a kiosk slinging good house-made gelato.
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that → happen → gelato
It’s here that you can best see – and taste – some of the Asian influences that new executive chef Aldren Teo brings to the QR code-equipped tables.
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Teo → ’ → tables
I also suspect Teo might have had a hand in developing the Vietnamese coffee-flavoured gelato at Greensleeves, too.
uncertain
Teo → suspect → Greensleeves
As mentioned, QR code ordering is available: one of many concessions made by both owner and diner for making a venue this big run.
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venue → mention → owner
See also fetching your own cutlery and the at-times confusing crossover between the menus in each venue and the rules on what you can order where.
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you → see → what
One solution is to head to the bar and place your order with staff directly.
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solution → head → staff
Not only does it allow you to, say, order the tacos at Milly’s Acre (they’re only served there) but get them delivered to your table at The Berwick: it also lets you peruse the end of bin wine specials too, that I can’t seem to find on the app.
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I → allow → app
More importantly, it’s a reminder that at the end of the day, the purpose of any pub is the pleasure of human connection.
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purpose → ’ → connection
The low-down
Atmosphere: a likeable suburban hub that’s quietly broadening the discussion about food and drink at the pub.
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that → broaden → pub
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → book → ?
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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restaurant → pay → Guide
The Aporia
