Dutch Trading Co

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Dutch Trading Co.

Usually, I try and avoid anywhere that uses the term 'craft beer' in its descriptors, as I always find such places to be a bit uber-cool and trendy for my liking. My husband is currently sporting an odd sort of demi-mullet, which also makes me automatically uncool by association.

Given this, I was pleasantly surprised by the Dutch Trading Co. in Victoria Park. It's a swanky sort of gastropub that attracts the hipster crowd, but it turned out to be so much more than that.



For a start – it's bigger than it looks from the outside. If you just popped your head in, you'd think it housed just the one bar. If you continue towards the back of the place however, there is a second bar, which is surprisingly family-friendly, with an indoor and outdoor play area for kids. The outdoor area is a giant sandpit with filled with lots of toys. Personally I was rather glad it was night time and a bit too cold for my little one play in the sand pit as I hate sand. Shudder



There was a good vibe to the place with a real eclectic mixture of young and old, hipsters and families (or hipster families) dotted around the place.



I'd booked a table and I'm glad I did, as most of the seats were high stools without backs. I consider myself old now and my back doesn't support itself as well as it used to.

We ordered drinks from the 18 tap beers on offer. Some have very creative names, including the Panhead Pale Ale and the Dogfishead Pale Ale. We settled on the Perla Pilsner, a Polish pale ale. At any given time they focus on different beers from local breweries such as Little Creatures, Feral Brewing and Cheeky Monkey, which is why the place is becoming a haven for the beer-curious of Perth.



Our food arrived after a short wait. The menu is a Dutch-infused hybrid of national dishes Bitterballen and Croquettes alongside burgers, share plates with Dutch cheese and Aussie favourites The Parmy thrown in for good measure. We ordered the poutine and a serve of the popcorn chicken – possibly because it's not something you see on many menus. We also opted for the Dutch Cheeseburger and the Slider Combo.



The popcorn chicken had a little spicy kick without being overpowering and was served with a tangy aioli. I'd never tried poutine before, but my friend, who had lived in Canada for a number of years, told me this dish consisting of fries loaded with cheese curd and gravy was a Canadian favourite. It seemed nice enough but it just wasn't my thing. I do tend to pick at food so perhaps the idea was to shovel a handful into my mouth and enjoy the flavour.



I thoroughly enjoyed my Sliders Combo – one was filled with a beautifully cooked, tender beef brisket and the other filled with crispy chicken. They were served on little American style burger buns were a little two sweet for my liking (as so many burger buns seem to be. It must be a thing.) It was a highly enjoyable meal all the same. Perhaps my only bugbear was the lack of side salads or vegetables. I'm possibly the only person in Perth who doesn't really eat chips so I try and order an alternative, but alas, there was none. They do serve onion rings, but I think the beer battering defeats the purpose of eating onions.



The cheeseburgers were huge. The patty was thick and juicy and the tomato and mustard relish were zesty enough to bring out the beef flavour. It too was served solely with chips.

Overall we were delighted with our dining experience. Good food, good beer and a good opportunity for us 'uncool' folks to mix it with the hip.

#craft_beer
#dinner
#lunch
#near_perth
#nightlife
#pubs
#victoria_park
%wnperth