a prototype for the modern WA seafood restaurant
Sharp ideas, sharp knives, sharp service: Local fish and seafood are the stars of the show at this swanky waterfront venue.
Seafood$$
Fishermen and sailors can be superstitious.
It’s understandable when you consider how dangerous workplaces are.
Renaming a boat requires a formal ceremony to avoid disturbing the boat.
sea gods. Salt shakers are never passed between passengers, but are placed on them.
tables for others to take. Bringing bananas on a ship? Huge no-no.
I don’t know if there is any explicit mention of ministerial intervention in the Great Book of Sea Lore, but it’s fair to say that the controversial demersal fishing ban is one of the worst hands WA’s seafood industry has ever faced.
The ban not only robbed many commercial fishermen of their livelihoods; It also attracted everyone who loved to cook and eat dhufish, red emperor, nanny gai and other valuable southwestern fish species.
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Scott Bridger is someone who checks the boxes of both of the above.
It also unfortunately ticks the option “Opening a swanky seafood restaurant the same day the ban was announced in early December.”
But despite the comical evil of such an omen, Bridger opted to roll up his sleeves, take a deep breath, and stick to the plan rather than throw out all the toys in the stroller.
The result is a restaurant that looks set to become a major WA coastal dining destination two months after its launch.
If you’re familiar with Bridger’s cooking story, you know that the Freo-born chef counts Rockpool Bar & Grill and, for the past 13 years, Bib & Tucker as his previous stints.
And if you know the latter’s prime time address in Leighton Beach,
Getting to Bridger’s new gig, Pearla & Co, will be a breeze.
You can easily walk to Al Lupo, once home of designer boho little bar Al Lupo.
Gone are the lumber riches and sunken front bar of old. In their place are sleek black furniture, chain mail curtains and a simple nod to the ocean. Simply set tables are balanced with coastal plants. The walls are covered in exquisite Japanese gyotaku art, the fingerprint equivalent of a whole fish.
Real-life whole fish are hung in special dry-aging cabinets, the color of their flesh intensified and, to quote one dining companion, “it almost doesn’t look real.” (He said that in a good way.)
Dry aging doesn’t just make fish look better: it also makes fish taste better, and fishermen who work hard to catch the good stuff (“and Co” in the restaurant’s name) are doing the right thing. (Meanwhile, Pearla gives a nod to Bridger’s grandmother, Pearl Bridger.)
Soft red dominoes of aged Rottnest Island tuna fillet are arranged next to images of cured watermelon. Thick swordfish steaks
crumble in panko and carefully fry until it has a pearlescent appearance.
cotoletta
Before the ban, Busselton fisherman Anthony Heslewood of Revolution Fisheries was supplying line-caught pink snapper and other fish to Pearla & Co. He has since taken up fishing in Albany; This requires more time and more fuel to catch up, which naturally requires diners to pay more for.
A piece of hapuka, charbroiled like most seafood here, and additional accoutrements? It will be $75, thanks.
While high-end ingredients understandably command high prices, it is my belief that a great (seafood) chef has the skills to make not-so-high-end ingredients pay the bills. I have yet to eat when specialty cuts like tuna collards or hapuka livers make up the menu: all nod to the joys of whole fish butchery.
However, I was amazed by the minced confit swordfish belly, which was cooked into a spicy and bite-like nduja; a succulent grilled leather jacket fillet swimming in a tangy beurre blanc – a bycatch fish; I also enjoyed barbecued shrimp alongside a fun “shrimp cracker” made by deep-fried the critters’ legs.
Have eaters been throwing away the best part of shrimp all these years?
Dividing the fillets into portions, they are formed into various tartares.
While seafood is the name of the game for Bridger and his head chef, Pablo Gosteli, Pearla & Co is a multifaceted operation.
Golden frites are the waxy texture of french fries that everyone loves if they don’t know it yet, while homemade fougasse with smoked butter is perfect for wiping down plates.
We have bar manager Parker De Foe to thank for these classy cocktails.
The wine list packs plenty of attention into a narrow space. (Red wine drinkers thought,
probably wants one or two more approachable options.)
Bridger also relied on his little black book of contacts and assembled a Seal Team 6 of service professionals who clearly know and love what they do. It’s perhaps understandable when you consider how pleasant workplaces are: not only for employees, but also for customers looking for a luxurious, casual seafood meal.
Pearla & Co came out of the box fully formed. I can’t wait to taste and see how it develops.
Down
Atmosphere: A pearly seaside seafood restaurant by both its name and nature
Dishes to use: char-grilled Exmouth tiger prawns ($26), Rottnest swordfish belly nduja ($15), home fries ($13).
Beverages: great signature and classic cocktails, as well as a compact wine collection that complements both the seafood menu and the restaurant’s beachside setting
Cost: Approximately $200 for two people, excluding drinks
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and independently paid. A restaurant cannot pay for a review or inclusion on a list. Good Food Guide.
Max Veenhuyzen is a journalist and photographer who has been writing about food, drink and travel in national and international publications for over 20 years. He reviews restaurants for the Good Food Guide.
