EATING OUT (THE SUNDAY TIMES) 28 March 1999

 

Daniel Chan was oblivious to the irony when he stopped by the table of his self titled cafe and suggested a cup of his special Harmony tea.

"Gosh, I didnt think the stress lines were that bad," said TL2, having spent a harrowing night with a sick child who was trying to get his name in the Guinness Book of Records' section on coughing fits.

But perceptive Chan came up with just the right elixir which was also a boon for post parking stress and getting lost in one-way traffic anxiety - all executed with the accompanying bark of sick child.

Chan's, with or without the Harmony tea, is like that - a minimalist haven with a new millennium attitude towards old-fashioned comfort. And simple food with a twist.

Conveniently placed on the corner of Bulwer and Lake Streets, this recently opened deli cafe is a soothing place to retreat when the rhythm of life gets out of whack - even if it is just for a quick sanger and a cup of oolong tea.

Quick sangers maybe, but no ordinary ones. Here we're talking doorstop size slabs of baguette and rye crammed with traditional Asian dishes.

If you've never comtemplated serving marinated chicken teriyaki, with tomato and coriander salsa on toasted baguette, you're in for a treat.

As was sick child who was given a Harmony candle to play with while he sat in the window making appropriate faces to prove that some of the hippest places are child friendly.

Chan - who owns the cafe with partner Phil Walker - shies away from calling his substantial meals "sandwiches", but fondly remembers his mother serving leftover lamb rendang in this manner when he was growing up in Port Kelang, Malaysia.

In the 16 years he has lived in Perth, Chan has adopted aspects from the local cafe scene which, working with chef Jason Herrington, he has married with traditional Asian cuisine.

Fusion might be the word that springs into mind, but it is not the one Chan would use.

"I believe the food looses the intergrity when described like that," he said. "I prefer to describe it as traditional Asian food presented in a contemporary way."

It has to be said that the small kitchen provides severe restrictions on the menu choices.

"which means they haven't fallen into the trap of being over ambitious," commeneted TL2, while admiring a pencil-drawn picture of a tractor being pushed under her nose.

But a selection of six "sandwiches" (at $9.50) are offered for lunch, and breakfast includes croissants and pastries.

The 2TLs' orders - chicken teriyaki on baguette and marinated tuna on rye caraway with kangaroo island brie, capers and red onions - could not be faulted.

And how can anyone talk about sandwiches without mentioning the bread? Chan seacrched long and hard for the right baker, eventually finding one with passion who supplies them every day - with Jewish bread, challah, on Fridays. As to the name of this person Chan speaks with such reverence, that remains a mystery.

What did the 2LTs think?

"Earthy, solid and dense," said TL2. "A bit like my husband really."

As well as the Asian fillings there is the usual contemporary assortment of chargrilled chicken, marinated tuna, proscuitto ham with pesto, capers and roast peppers, served on big circular plates (which do not fit the table).

And then there's the teas - strange aromatic concoctions coming to the table in white pots. There's husk, jasmine, oolong and teak kuan yin - balm for a tortured soul.

Though Chan's is presently open between 8am and 8pm it is busy mainly for breakfast, lunch and coffee.

But it is a good choice for a casual dinner on the way back from work. And they'll gladly open your bottle of wine for a $2 corkage fee.

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