The Apple Daily Bar & Eating House

Apple Daily, below the bustling roof top Bob’s Bar in Brookfield Place, turns out stylish and contemporary Asian inspired food, packed with flavour and designed to share.
Lady FWO and I went along for lunch this week and sat on the opposite side to the booth area which you see as you enter from the staircase. Once again we were impressed by the waiters who are uniformly welcoming and friendly.
The drinks list was surprising — it has always been well designed and included excellent selections. This day it was made up entirely of Western Australian wines and what a selection! Divided by variety it was an exposition of all that is good in WA wine — across all regions. Picardy, Castelli, Wignalls, Dormilona, Cloudburst, Vasse Felix, Xanadu, Streicker, Cullen, Willoughby Park, Fraser Gallop, Kosovich, La Violetta, Bella Ridge, Trevelen Farm, Gilberts, Howard Park, Abbey Creek… it went on and on and on and eventually we decided on a bottle of Amelia Park Cabernet Merlot. This is a very stylish wine — plummy and minty on the nose, it has developed Cabernet flavours — blackberry, plums, chocolate, with juicy mid palate fruit from the Merlot. Smooth, easy drinking wine.
While we looked over the menu we had a small bowl of chilli roasted cashews to ease our hunger — just the right chilli kick, nutty, crunchy, great beer snack I thought.
The menu has a changing list of street inspired food — small and larger plates — but all made with the aim of sharing. Our selection — char kway teow from the larger plates section, and fried school prawns and smoked barramundi salad from the smaller.
For those who enjoy this wonderful dish, the char kway teow is outstanding.
The thick slippery rice noodles, stir fried with a delicious spicy sauce, infused with the salty tones of dried shrimp paste and brimming with prawns, scallops and squid, has a wonderful smoky flavour and is as authentic as you can get — you could be in Penang.
The salad of cubes of smoked fish — crisped, smoky, salty — with crunchy bitter greens sitting on top and herbs sprinkled liberally over was another delight. The ingredients combined perfectly to produce a dish of impressive taste, aroma and texture. Lovely.
Deep fried prawns, infused with salt and pepper, and accompanied by yuzu sauce — tart, citrusy and aromatic — for dipping. This was a very generous serve, crisp sweet prawns complemented well by the acidic sauce.
Apple Daily is a, relaxed, polished and very popular spot, turning out generous serves of top quality, very tasty, well priced food in a great atmosphere.
The waiters are friendly, efficient, professional and knowledgeable, able and willing to guide you through the menu and wine offerings. We definitely recommend it.

I hesitate to give even one star to this restaurant. I have never been treated so rudely in Perth until this experience at Apple Daily. Our group of four women entered the restaurant to get a table for dinner mid-​week, not their busiest time and we were directed to a very crowded area where the tables were close to each other and it was very loud. We requested to be seated on the quieter side with the booth tables and were denied even though several tables were available there. The manager said there was a strict policy of parties of 6 only. It took a long time to get someone to take our drink and food order after we were placed next to a table of rowdy what seemed like college aged boys. It was hard to talk to each other due to the noise level. When our food was delivered to the table it came one dish at a time and made no sense. For example: the beef was served first with no rice to accompany the dish until we asked for it. There was significant time between each fish being delivered making it strange that some at our table were eating and others were not. Also, we were never asked if we needed anything else. Eventually I got up to use the ladies room and when returning I noticed the booth tables that we were steered clear of still had vacancies and each table that had patrons did not have 6 but two sets of 5 and a set of 4. I then approached the manager to let him know my disappointment in our experience and he responded rudely «ok». In other words he did not care at all. At the very least he could have apologized for the inequity. I asked why he did not care how the customer feels and he said «I will not have a conversation with you about this». When I asked why he stated «because I don’t like your attitude.» Well, of course not, I’m displeased with our experience. Instead of trying to rectify it he just wanted to be rude to me. I intend to speak to someone with more integrity but until then I will never again set foot in this place. Not only the poor treatment of a group of ladies out for a nice meal, the food was not that good for the steep prices. The food presentation was nothing special, it was way over seasoned and over priced as compared to similar menus in the area. All around a disappointing evening. I have never been treated so rudely by a manager that clearly doesn’t care. The arrogance of this place reaches new heights and if they had anything to be arrogant about that might be expected but it is a grade C-​level restaurant with a grade F-​level customer service. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere but here.

My friend Jenny and I, dropped by The Apple Daily Bar and Eating House on Friday evening after spending some time at the Mundella Everywoman Expo. My first experience was so very enjoyable that I returned with friends the very next evening!
Everything about the place made me feel alive! I enjoyed the pumping music, the warm and welcoming staff and the great décor. I loved the fact that the walls (as you make your way upstairs) are papered with newspaper paying homage to the precinct’s past. So appropriate that it is named after a leading daily Hong Kong tabloid. It has a lively ambiance which is a real draw card. On both occasions, we were quickly shown to a table although they were rather busy. Small gestures that do not go unnoticed.
The cocktail list intrigues with wickedly suggestive names! I tried the Itchy Eyed Dragon cocktail and deem it to be refreshing and lively! Local wines and beers put in a strong appearance on the drinks menu.
The food is amazing! The menu is constantly changing as there is a strong emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. This freshness means that any dish you order will be full of flavour. We enjoyed the Phad Thai which was full of prawns, sweet pork and served with chilli jam. I was won over by the grilled Linley Valley pork ribs, they glistened with finger-​licking goodness and went down a treat with the steamed rice! The ribs are basted with tamarind, lime and chilli which enhances the flavour of the tender ribs. Alas, we were replete and could not partake of dessert, but there is always the next time.
The service is above par at this fine establishment. The staff are so wonderful and attentive that I am already looking forward to my next visit!

This place is über cool and perfect for an impressive date. The food is modern fusion Asian and it’s delicious. They have a great selection of wine and cocktails and makes for a great night out. Be prepared for the price tag (and the stairs you have to take to get there!!!).

This restaurant is consistently good! The duck is always amazing!

Top notch restaurant in central Perth.
We ordered 2 from the smaller share platter (the crab and also the duck bread thing) and a pad Thai from the larger dishes. It was more than we could eat and every bit was super-​tasty.
The beer selection on tap was impressive. They are all local beers of high standard.
If I lived in Perth this would be a regular of mine.

I love the apple daily, it’s really great food. I go often for lunch and the only thing negative I’ll say is that it does lack a bit of atmosphere with its seating arrangements. Ducks rolls & the ribs are amazing! Great cocktails also!!!

Finger lickin goodness!
I tossed up between 4 and 5 stars for this place because while it was awesome, it was expensive. And by expensive I mean $ 34 for sate chicken. At this point I should mention I’m not from Perth and this was our first dinner in town, so maybe this is not as expensive as I think but for me, it was.
I started with a schezuan pussycat cocktail. Yes a schezuan pussycat cocktail, which was a bit like a mojito and it was delicious.
We then shared pork ribs, the a fore
Mentioned chicken sate and pad Thai. The ribs smelt amazing as soon as they hit the table and the taste didn’t disappoint. The chicken was much the same and even better was the moist towels they provided to clean our fingers. The pad Thai was ok. I don’t eat seafood and they were kind enough to put the prawns on the side, but I’m pretty sure there was shrimp paste or something of the like. Again, this is just my taste. My boyfriend loved it.
So all in all if you like quirky cocktails,
delicious food and great, quick service and don’t mind the price tag this place is for you!

I’ve got one word for you Unilocalers: Pad Thai.
Just do it.

Wow I absolutely love this place.
Little share plates of Asian fusion.
We had the slow cooked ribs which were amazing followed by the soft shell crab and their own version of Peking Duck which was fabulous.
The service was fantastic and overall this restaurant was unfaultable.
Thank you I will be back.

Went here for my birthday lunch and it was awesome. We ordered prawn laksa, pad thai and spare ribs, it was delicious. Its more towards the pricey side but its worth it. Not a place to have lunch everyday, unless you got the dosh!

I’ve only been to Print Hall once for drink so was looking forward to trying out the food.
The night we went, there wasn’t a line but it was still really busy! The original plan was to have a drink downstairs in the Print Hall bar and then go upstairs to Apple Daily. I couldn’t even get inside Print Hall, let alone to the bar to order a drink, so headed straight upstairs to Apple Daily and got us a table. (Apple Hall do not take bookings).
Apple Daily’s menu embraces the Asian family style where dishes are placed in the middle of the table to be shared. I love this because I get terrible food envy. The menu has a mix of popular dishes, mainly from the South East Asian region.
I was joined by three delightful ladies — @traingirl21, @itskimhere and CousinI. @traingirl21 had been to Apple Daily twice before but the rest of us were Apple Daily virgins.
The first thing I noticed was the awesome décor. The walls are covered in newspaper wallpaper with a mixture of Chinese character and English. The second was the noise. Even though we were on the 2^nd floor and tucked away to the side, the noise from the bar was so loud… it’s not a venue I’d recommend for a romantic date but for a fun night out with friends, it’s perfect!
The drink menu is interesting. The drinks have great Asian themed names but the descriptions on the menu aren’t very descriptive. You’ll find out little bits like what the mixer is but you’ll seldom find out what spirits are in the drink.
Itchy Eyed Dragon
Mao’s Little Red
The waiter suggested that four people should order six dishes. Three from the Street Food Snacks list and three from the Bigger Sharings list.
CousinI was running late, so @traingirl21, @itskimhere and I decided on three Street Food Snacks to get us started.
TAMARIND SPARE RIBS, GREEN PAPAYA SALAD $ 18
CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRAB, WATERCRESS, RUBY GRAPEFRUIT, NAM JIM $ 18
SALTWATER DUCK, SPRING ONION, FLOWER BUN, HOISIN $ 24
The ribs were amazing. They were coated in a beautiful glaze and the meat was so tender. The green papaya salad was a perfect accompaniment. I think this might’ve been my favourite dish of the night. It was also @traingirl21’s favourite.
The ‘Yes Sensei’ cocktail was described as a fizzy, citrus-​y mojito. They didn’t say what the little balls on top were but I think they were sago balls.
For our ‘mains’, we ordered:
JERRY’S OYSTERS, LIME, NUOC CHAM $ 4 EA
PHAD THAI, PRAWNS, SWEET PORK, CHILLI JAM $ 26
SALT AND PEPPER SQUID $ 18
CousinI and @traingirl21 shared some oysters. I don’t know anything about oysters and have never tried them but apparently they were small.
The Phad (Pad?) Thai did not impress me. It was the only disappointment of the evening. It didn’t taste like Pad Thai to me, it was more like a Fried Kway Teow. However what I really didn’t like was the amount of bean sprouts. I really really really don’t like bean sprouts and as you can see there were so so sooooooooooo many!
The Salt and Pepper Squid was nice. It wasn’t what I was expecting — I thought it would be like the Chinese style S&P Squid with the light batter and chilli. The batter was a little thick and crunchy for my liking but the squid was nice and not at all rubbery.
We had about four different people serve our table and all were fantastic. The staff seemed run off their feet but it was a very efficient and well oiled system.
The food came to $ 30/​head between the four of us.
Cocktails were approx. $ 18 each and a pint of beer $ 11.
By the time we left, the restaurant was full however the crowd at the Print Hall bar had thinned out.
Would I return?
Yes! I think it’s a bit pricey for the meal sizes but the quality of food did not disappoint.
I would not recommend a Friday evening. It was so loud with the after-​work crowd. I think it would be more enjoyable on a quieter evening.
Make sure you try the ribs. They’re great!

Great Singaporean type food. Pretty cool dining room ambience as well.
Only downside is the price. I was here a couple of days ago, and it cost us $ 90 a head for a bit (not a lot) of food and a couple of bottles of wine. Seemed a little steep. I guess that’s just what you get for the post-​work food and drinks thing in town. All in all it’s still a solid choice.

I was tossing up between 3 and 4 stars for Apple Daily as I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure I would rush to go back. I settled on 4 stars, because I think it’s a restaurant that everyone should enjoy at least once.
The décor of Apple Daily is really impressive. Expertly styled, sophisticated but fun. Menus are cool, coasters are cool, cocktails look cool — all very nice. The only let down (and I hate to be a granny) is that the whole Print Hall complex can be oppressively loud. You will have to speak up to be heard by your dining companions.
The food was well priced and, by and large, very good. The ribs and the pork and pineapple red curry were stand outs. A couple of dishes seemed to be let down by their creativity — the duck with flower bun and the Filipino sausage are Apple Daily’s take on Peking duck and San Choi Bao respectively — but neither were as delicious as what you would get at Northbridge’s best Chinese restaurants, missing the thin pliability of the pancake and the juiciness of the mince.
The green apple and chilli cocktail I had was delicious, but we were given a bum steer on a couple of wines. Service was generally excellent.
Go to Apple Daily for a good feed in cool surroundings with easy access to after dinner drinking holes. It might not beat out your favourite Asian haunts on the food front, but the vibe is great, and you’ll no doubt leave satisfied.

Basically everything I have eaten and drank here has been very good. Super reliable. Friendly staff. Plenty of tables so no need to book. A damn fine lunch option for the CBD.
Tip: Sensational whole fried fish. Kinda compact little fellas but really delicious. Ribs for sharing. Trout fried rice is the bomb beat and then after head down to the Print Hall or up to Bob’s Bar where their philosophy of a ‘Good Drink’ isn’t just for show… (explained in the drink menu).

An Apple a Day …
Caught up with some recently returned traveling friends for dinner here last night. They were running a bit late so me and the gf ordered a few drinks while we waited. The special that night was suggested and we gave it a go. Interestingly called «Spank the White Tiger» This cocktail was excellent and will hopfully be a permanent addition to the drinks menu.
The idea of fresh passion fruit pulp on the side and some white chocolate button to mix into the drink and create a fusion of flavours works surprisingly well! The gf ordered another cocktail with rock melon and some kind of Brazilian rum. This was quite nice also.
Our friends finally arrived and we proceeded to order some food. This is were we came across the first problem. Everything on the menu looked so good and we had heard great things about 70% of the menu already! After much deliberation we decided on (1 – 10 in order of personal preference) (1) Sichuan Pepper Quail, (2) Crispy Aromatic Duck, (3) Pilipino Sausages, (4) Tamarind Spare Ribs and (5) Crispy Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab.
YES! We all liked the soft shell crab the least! Everyone at the table that night holds a special place in their hearts for soft shell crab but alas last evening Apple Daily Bar failed to deliver in this instance. None of us could taste the crab itself as we all agreed the dish was way over salted. An unfortunate occurrence and hopefully a 1 off oversight by the chef that night. 1 star off for this.
Overall though from being greeted at the door kindly with a smile, to being shown to our seats, to a great drink recommendation and then great service to follow throughout the night, it was a very pleasant dining experience. So good in fact that all of us will return in the near future!

Valentine’s Day 2013.
Happy day. Received a huge bunch of roses from hubby & was taken to The Apple Daily Bar & Eating house.
When i first walked up the stairs I was in awe. Didnt realize there was such a hidden gem in the CBD. Absolutely fell in LOVE this place. The atmosphere was great. Dimmed lights, Glowing chinese words on the wall, newspapered walls, candles… this place just yells ‘ahhhhhh’
Did i tell you i love fusion food. Whats better than EAST meets WEST? Everything we ordered screams please come back & try other dishes.
Bathroom has a vintage feel with the heavy wooden doors. They used Aesop handwash & hand cream in the bathroom for patrons. What a lovely touch.
We will definitely be back. It may become my new favourite place to spend a date night. Carefree dining, friendly staff always smiling & ever so pleasing to your every need :)

Walking in the first question was «are they open?» On a bright 40 degree day, I was shocked at how dark it was. Someone quickly greeted up and offered a variety of tables.
Sitting at a both, the food and drinks menu was placed in front of us.
After a while, they asked for our drinks order. We were not sure what to have. They recommended the riesling on tap and bought us a small glass to try. It was very nice so we ordered a caraffe full.
Plenty of food to choose from. Soft Shell Crab, oysters, scallops were all fantastic. The standout was the yellow curry. If you are a curry fan, come try it.
The music was a bit tacky.
We left happy and full.
A great night out.
Great company, food, wine and service.

I’ve been to the AD a couple of times in as many weeks and I would go again in a heartbeat. The staff tend towards the hipster look which made me feel more at home than I had downstairs in the Print Hall. On arrival the staff are very professional and attentive however don’t expect your table to be serviced every 5 minutes as you will be disappointed. As for the food, the soft shell crab was good but I found the ‘Bang Bang Chicken’ didn’t deliver on its promise. Last time I went a friend was eating the pork belly curry, something which I didn’t know existed and can’t wait to try!
On my first visit I discovered a delicious wine with the help of our lovely South Korean waiter («Park, like Kings Park») — The Bella Ridge GSM. I was disappointed to find it had disappeared from the menu the following week, which I found strange as the wine list is exclusively Bella Ridge produce. The grenache was a worthy alternative but didn’t have the same flavour impact. I like that the beer & wine menus focus on WA made (great for tourists as well) but it does seem a bit limiting.
On Thursdays (and possibly other days) there is a DJ spinning appropriate music for dining — caught some old school soul, Bob Dylan and lite surf rock among other good tunes.
The bill will not be a shock and be sure to check out the bathrooms, where they stock Aesop’s aromatic hand wash and hand cream products!

Great spot in the newly established Print Hall. Food is great and well priced, I guess you’d call it Asian fusion with curries and fish dishes a big focus.
My money however is on the quail entre, so tasty! The full fried fish and king prawn yellow curry also big winners for main.
The buz here is awesome as well, and after your feed you can go up to the rooftop bar or down to the main bar for beverages!
Worth a look for sure!