Tuck Shop Cafe

If you have not heard your foodie community/neighbour/friend/friend's friend/friend's friend's neighbour/the entire Perth population on Urbanspoon rave on (and on and on) about the words Tuck Shop Cafe,
you probably do not live in Perth.

And if you do live in Perth and have not heard from your friend's friend's neighbour mention Tuck Shop Cafe, I assume the whole food blogging scene isn't your thing.
(In that case humble old me says THANK YOU for being here!)

And just like their Tips jar, the amount of food bloggers that have come out (on Urbanspoon of course) is absolutely overflowing.
They must be doing something right - something perfect - as it seems this place is the bomb-diggedy right now.

Perth people have spoken, so I won't need to.
I will shut up and let the pictures do their thing.

Bruschetta - $17.50

Known for their food as well as their waiting line, my fashionable lateness resulted in not needing to experience the latter :)

Despite the frenzy of activity, our orders were served quick despite a friendly forewarning that our stomachs would need to wait a bit longer. About 3/4 of the way through her dish, J kindly and thoughtfully offered me a taste. What a sweetie.

The bruschetta style dish was absolutely loaded with salty grilled bacon and chunks of goats curd, with the tomato looking juicy, avocado creamy and basil salad fresh.
I think she really enjoyed this. Explains the 3/4 thing.

Merry Christmas on a plate!

Food here proves that simplicity handled wisely goes a long way. Standard ingredients go just so right with others to create a stunning masterpiece that you can't wait to destroy.

With a refreshing everchanging menu, I can't spy your usual eggs benedict dishes here.
Many of the plates feature fresh raw components, whether that be herbs or vegetables. It tricks you into thinking that you are eating healthy - but you sort of are!

I spied their coffee loyalty card pin-up board, experiencing massive growth. I know the point is to prevent cards from getting lost, but your card is likely going to get lost anyway in the abundance of cards up there!
Equally as hard, trying to find a card in a card stack.

Moroccan Meatballs - $17.50

With a grumble tum needing to be suppressed, a salady dish with just a mere piece of bacon just won't cut it. My stomach is a spoilt little brat to be honest, as I slave away my savings to attend to its needs.

I went for the more substantial dish of spiced Moroccan meatballs with a thick layer of hummus on flatbread, tomato and a completely foreign language to me - a za'atar crispy fried egg.

It wasn't a huge discovery to learn of the dried herbs, sesame and spice mix that adorned my sunny-side-up-obstructed-by-bits-of-cloud egg, but gave the egg a good flavour.

Meatball sub anyone?

An avid lover of meat made into balls, I thoroughly enjoyed the lean meatballs, marinated and infused with spice and flavour. Complemented by the vibrancy of red and green on the plate, Christmas is always just a plate of food away!

But also as a loyal Subway 6-inch meatball sub buying customer, I can't help but liken this to an open subway sandwich - the crisp/mush combination of the crisp flatbread and hummus to my toasted Italian Herbs & Cheese bread with extra avocado...

Maybe eating my Subways on a plate with cutlery from now on will make all the difference.

...

Famous for food, infamous for queues - just like those annoying school canteen trips. It is evident that word has spread about this small, quaint cafe and has kept on spreading with piles tucking in at the Tuck Shop.
Having multiple identities of tuck shop, cafe, pie house, a delicatessen, it has not bitten off more than it can chew. Whereas I nowadays, have definitely ate more than I can pay! 

People are noticeably lovin' the food, which seems wholesome, hearty, delicious and made with love, visible through the intricacy of plating. I love how the portions actually make use of and take up the plate size :D Their style of food is real and rustic. Simply put, their food is charming. Tables with wheels, but you'll need patience with this version of meals on wheels.

The service is actually great, the staff very competent in their roles as waitress and crowd controllers. While it looks like they are balancing the world on their shoulders, they make time to ask how your meal's going and still manage to make you feel like the world is spinning around you. Though you'll find the consistent praising reviews will have all efforts focussed on the food side of things. Naturally.

A bustling lively place, it is full of natural light, angled tables that makes for intimate seating, and pot plants that hang from the ceiling, upside down. I was in much initial fascination as much as I was mesmerised, while simultaneously my instinct slowly moved my dish that was situated directly below the upside down dirt-filled pot plant :)

So they say they have a story to tell with food...and they'll have many eager listeners.
Coincidentally situated on the corner of Money Street, I'm guessing Money St is living up its name from this Tuck Shop.

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(08) 9227 1659
Tuesday - Sunday: 7am to 4pm
Tuck Shop Cafe Facebook page

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Update: 2 January 2013

L's birthday called for a short brunch session at the Tuck Shop. And as always, I could never bad mouth the service, even if I tried.

L ordered a basic but nonetheless well made breakfast dish of sauteed mushrooms with feta and spinach on toasted multigrain sourdough bread.

I battled a very difficult inner conflict inside myself, and I really should know I shouldn't take up a losing battle.
You know when you just know you shouldn't do something, but you do it anyway?

I did this. This amazingly beautiful dish.

Very ridiculous, knowing that me and this overly creamy and rich dish, was never ever meant to be. I just needed the temporary satisfaction of indulging in it, and ended up driving home on the freeway in acute pain.
Ah, the consequences.

Smoked Cod, Potatoes and Leek Bake with Poached Egg and Buttered Sourdough

 I very well knew this could knock me out, just by looking at it while breathing in its beauty.
W raved continuously about this pot of gold and I thought I'd dig some gold for myself.

If there was ever a time you'd eat garnish, it would be now. That spring onion was heaven, amongst every thick, rich and buttery mouthful. In hindsight, substituting the original cheese toastie for buttered toast was a useless idea, when I have a pot of cream to eat.

Add to the creamy monstrosity a poached egg, and you've got yourself all the components for a artery clogging meal. The girls enjoyed dipping their chips into my sauce, as I went through my buttered sourdough toast, as plain as can be.

I was good, and completely avoided these freshly fried hand cut chips with house aioli.

For $8, it is a big bowl and full of gorgeously unperfect, rugged real potato chips with jagged hand cut edges.

Salt & Pepper shakers

What adds to the charm of this place, are the cute little couples sitting at every desk, waiting to be picked up and sprinkled onto your lunch.

Not that you would need them, but just like the staff at Tuck Shop, they are there when you need them. And they never stop smiling.