Greenhouse, an eco-friendly cafe in Perth CBD

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    It is hard to miss out Greenhouse located right outside Enex 100, on the busy St Georges Terrace in Perth City. Made entirely out of recycled wood and plastic and line with wild strawberry plants, it looks like a huge pop-up box. There is also a rooftop garden that produces fresh ingredients for the kitchen and the bar.
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    Greenhouse is the brainchild of designer Joost Bakker, seasoned Perth based restaurant and cocktail professional Paul Aron, and their close friend Jason Chan (2005 Age Barista of the year and owner of Melbourne’s Seamstress and Batch). Here is something extracted from the greenhouse website, talking about their aspiration and goal.

    “It is all about designing and operating better places for people. Places that let us touch natural materials, understand where everyday things come from and taste fresh food straight from the garden”

    I mean, how creative can one gets? I’m amazed at how this idea is perpetuated! An eco-friendly cafe that serves only WA grown produce.


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    Even the toilet is truly eco friendly in their typical quirky way!

    The frames of the sustainable structure were made from roll formed steel coil, its cladding and surfaces are made from plywood and recycled plastic, the flooring is former milk crates, the tables and chairs are recycled timber, the vertical wall garden is made from steel mesh and terracotta plant pots and the most amazing part – it was built in just over 6 weeks!
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    Cute, quirky door knobs
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    Light shades made out of reclaimed fencing wire
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    And behind the open kitchen concept stands Matt Stone, former sous chef of Star Anise and Pata Negra before being roped into Greenhouse. He specialises in modern, unpretentious modern Austalian cuisine with focuses on fresh WA grown ingredients.
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    Welcoming aroma of fresh coffee filled the air as we stepped in. We felt a little out of place; the breakfast crowd is mostly briefcase-clutching suit-clad individuals.What we had on – jeans, sandals and huge sag bag. ROFL!
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    baked chorizo, piquillo pepper, beans & egg

    However, our curiosity got the better of us. The wait staff ushered us to a quiet corner. We flipped through the simple one page breakfast menu and placed our order.
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    The baked dish was huge but it was so good that we polished it clean in a jiffy. Breakfast-style dishes that involve eggs are often delicious, and with the addition of spices, piquillo peppers, beans and chorizo sausage, such a match is unbeatable! The chorizos, sliced very thinly, was hard, chewy and spicy (in a good way). The cannellini beans too, were soft and mushy. Just the way I like it!
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    We felt really greedy so we asked for additional serving of pork sausages! The plump sausages were sweet and juicy but KampungBoy frowned as he tasted basil. He never likes basil; but I find it flavourful.
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    Savoury green pancakes, crème fraiche, leaves

    The pancakes were way too salty for my liking and I reflected this to the wait staff. She got back from the kitchen and told me that “it’s meant to be salty”. Duh! I know that I was asking for “savory” pancakes, but it should not be VERY salty. I suspected that the chef got a little too heavy handed without knowing it. I just shoved it aside and left the plate untouched.
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    too much food!
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    his English Breakfast
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    my Flat White
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    not a morning person
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    Putting the salty pancakes aside, part of me really like this place. I’m a sucker for fun and quirky cafes, especially one with such great initiative in going green. 90% of the reviews that I read skewed towards the good side too, and their food choices seem far more attractive. Oh and the total bill was over AUD 50, a bit on the high side I would say.

    All in all, Greenhouse is worth visiting for first timer. Grab some light bites and cocktails, and chill out at the cocktail bar.

    Greenhouse
    100 St. Georges Terrace
    Perth WA 6000
    Mon & Tues 7am—late
    Wed to Sat 7am—12am
    www.greenhouseperth.com

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