Perth Food Review

M y car packed in last night. Driving through Victoria Park, it simply stopped working. Now, I don’t live or work anywhere near Vic Park, in fact, I never go there, but this simple twist of fate led me to the best plate of pasta I’ve eaten in 10 years.
The bright lights of the Vault Café were initially more off putting than inviting, but on a cold night, while waiting on a car mechanic, the sight of diners slurping from steaming bowls of spaghetti was too hard to resist. We obviously hadn’t booked but, without any trouble, a very kindly waiter escorted us to a table, then promptly served us our house red which was good value at under $5 a glass. The menu was fairly typically Italian, with a twist here and there – one column of pasta, another of pizzas and a third comprising various combinations of chicken, seafood and beef. My other half, John, a die-hard pizza fan – “not to thick, not to thin, just the way I like it” – opted for pizza. Being more adventurous, I ordered pasta, Tagliatelle Calabrese. The portion was not only huge, which instantly brightened my mood, but it was also the most colourful dish of al dente ribbons that I had been served in a long time. The spinach, squid ink and capsicum strands were bathed in the most luxurious tomato sauce and complimented by olives, Italian sausage, and freshly shaved Parmesan. It really was superb. The crunches and munches coming from John’s side of the table led me to believe that his pizza was, indeed, just the way he liked it and from the portion I pinched from his plate, I can confirm that it had all the attributes: crisp base, just enough topping (prosciutto and mushroom), and perfectly stringy mozzarella.
Sadly, we didn’t opt for dessert. Although the meal was very reasonably priced ($10.90 pizza and pasta night), we decided the additional funds would be best spent on paying for the mechanic to jump-start our car. Next time I go the Vault Cafe, I will definitely take the bus.

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