Three Places for Eating in Perth; Aida, Phi Yen, and A Little Moorish Cafe

I've been neglectful of Perth things of late, too self absorbed and obsessed with making it on the world stage. I'm finding now when I walk down Perth's main street, strangers will shout out "Hey Spicey! Where's all ya foreign mates ya farkin' wanker?". So here we go, a collection of not so famous places I've enjoyed.

A Little Moorish Cafe
Robert and Manas took us along here and it's a good thing they did. Otherwise impossible to have stumbled upon in the recently carved out East Perth, we found their selection of Moorish tapas and grilled food joyous and the subtle combination of spices showed great care. Came out to about $20 a head for food. I brought along a middling Tasmanian Merlot but if the dinner had been wrapped in lager on a hot night it would have been heaven.

10 Eastbrook Tce, East Perth 9225-7880 - in front of the "lake"(it may be closed for a short while for renovations so ring to check)

Phi Yen Vietnamese Restaurant
This is where I'll usually head off for some pho if I feel like a walk for lunch from work. It makes the best noodle soups I've had in Perth and its duck soup is great. Stopped in here with Robbie and Vero on our way to see Nick Cave. The menu is an interesting split of Vietnamese entrees and Chinese restaurant mains. The broken rice with egg and pate was my fave and new love. BYO and wasn't much more than $10 a head I think. Can't go wrong really.

213 Bulwer St, Northbridge 9227-1032 -just off William Street

Aida Egyptian Cafe
Aida is one of the few places where you can still get Middle Eastern coffee after the sad demise quite a few years back of the "long and skinny" with its rugs of Arabian Nights and kangaroos. They have meal specials for $10 each. Last time I had a tasty fuolmedanos - egyptian beans cooked with garlic and lime served with pita bread. They also apparently have belly dancing on Saturday nights and if you tell them your name is Georgeff, you'll get a free Bulgarian lesson from the manageress. The place is filled with gorgeous hookahs and you can have one for the evening with various mixes. I might just get hepped up on coffee and apple smoke one evening and imagine I'm on a giant mushroom then. Doskoro!

283 William St, Northbridge 9328-7677 - corner of Aberdeen.