Brunch culture is steadily taking over Perth and I am glad to submit to its inevitable supremacy. Babooshka in Arcade 189 serves mid-morning meals which are familiar enough to satisfy but have little variations to keep them interesting. Think French toast with ricotta ($18.00), savoury pancakes with salmon and poached eggs ($21.00), and panna cotta with granola ($13.00). The menu is always changing according to seasonality and popularity. Cakes and tarts are made in-house, varying daily and look like something you’d see on Pinterest. Bread and bagels are from Barrett’s. Both cold still and sparkling water are free if you, like I, feel as though you are entitled to more than tap water which tastes like chlorine. Despite having a small menu there is a good selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options for both food and drink.
They’re also on point with food trends, which at the moment, happens to be insane milkshakes. In addition to standard flavours like banana, chocolate and salted caramel, Babooshka does a Golden Gaytime milkshake ($10.00), a Froot Loop milkshake ($10.00), and a Krispy Kreme Bacon milkshake ($20.00) which I can only describe as a delicious monstrosity of no regrets. It is a donut soaked in vanilla shake blended with more donut and caramel sauce topped with two more whole glazed donuts topped with two rashes of chocolate covered bacon, cream, more caramel sauce, popping candy, sour straps and Oreo pieces. Insane indeed.
The local standard for coffee is rather high and Babooshka keeps up. They source from Blacklist Roasters. There’s a separate takeaway booth for coffee on the Roe Street Carpark side. Many places which do good coffee tend to neglect tea, but Babooshka has thirteen varieties of black, green and white teas ($5.00 pot).
Babooshka makes the most of their cute corner arcade location by keeping their dining space airy and open with lots of natural lighting which is great for selfies and Instagramming your brunch. The décor has a chill upcycled vibe and the back wall features a fantastic octopus mural. There are cute little babooshka dolls everywhere. Staff are equally chill.
Food – 4/5
Coffee – 4.5/5
Ambience – 4/5
Words by Prema Arasu