Star Anise
(08) 9381 9811, 225 Onslow Rd, Shenton Park. WA 6008 www.staraniserestaurant.com.auOpen Dinner Tue-Sat from 6.30pm, Closed Most public holidays; Licensed, BYO; AE V MC EFTPOS, Seats inside 70, Outside seats, Private room
Chef: David Coomer
David Coomer Photo: Tony Knox
Mietta's Review
This is a restaurant that has matured like a good bottle of wine, into one of Perth's best. Once raw and hard, now it is seductively comfortable. The hard edges (and the noise) have been softened by curtains, art adorns the wall and breaks up the rooms. David Coomer's food has also taken on a greater maturity, his strong flavours now blend harmoniously. Prices are high for Perth but the quality is there. Service is efficient and the wine list is well chosen but not cheap. This is amongst the best the city has to offer.
Other Published Opinions
The West Australian Good Food Guide 2011 Score: 18/20 Two Stars "Rolled towels and French soap in the bathooms, sculpture in the dining room. Everything about this chic, suburban restaurant is as perfectly calibrated as its food, which is lauded Australia-wide"
Gourmet Traveller 2011 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "After taking time off for research and a recharge, chef David Coomer is back and committed to ensuring Star Anise remains at the top of Perth's eating hit lists. His strategy is to continue deploying Asiatic Mod Oz masterpieces - the Thai ma hor of duck, scallop and pineapple remains peerless; marron comes with melty bluefin tuna loin and tom yum jelly - while introducing Spanish flavours into his repertoire"
Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010
Gourmet Traveller 2010 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "David Coomer works hard to stay at the forefront of dining in the West. Tucked away from the city centre here at Star Anise, his menu changes with the seasons, testing culinary boundaries all the while"
The Australian A List, 50 Great Australian Restaurants, John Lethlean, Necia Wilden, 5-09-09 "Chef/restaurateur David Coomer has enjoyed an extraordinary li-year run at Star Anise, one of only a handful of Perth restaurants always touted as being worth the big quids they ask for in the West"
The Australian {Food Eating Out, John Lethlean, 22-08-09 "STAR ANISE is a place with a spring in its heel. You feel it the moment you arrive. Staff smile; they seem glad to welcome you and happy to be useful. Intent on providing service that matches the restaurant's reputation. In short, they merely do the things they're supposed to; they just do it with more feeling than most ... Coomer's food is what you'd call Sensible Modern; it keeps an eye on trends but there's no interest in deconstruction, and his flavour combinations are more classic than confrontational ... I really enjoyed Star Anise; it has the feeling of a restaurant very comfortable in its own skin. It's infectious."
Courier Mail Food and Wine Guide 2009 Queensland "David Coomer remains Perth's premier chef and Star Anise the best place to dine in Perth"
Age Good Food Guide 2009
Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009
Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "Long-time chef-owner David Coomer has created a consistently smart operation at this muchloved Perth fine diner. Yes, this is one professional package with a menu that delivers clever, innovative fare but his forays into the unusual are tempered by a reassuring sense of what works, flavour-wise"
Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "David Coomer's relentless commitment has seen Star Anise improve upon improvement, remaining at the pinnacle of the state's restaurant scene over the past several years"
Paul Eats Perth 06 "This restaurant is one of my personal top 10, and one I will be coming to again. I love the way it has evolved since opening. The restaurant has the character and vibrancy to match the food, and the crockery used displays each dish perfectly. Star Anise is a hidden gem on a suburban street."
Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "A diamond of pineapple, some sweet shredded duck, and a scallop, seared just-glassy Three of these quivering collations on a plate equal Perth's most interesting entree and David Coomer's signature at Star Anise. It's authentically Thai in its intensity and pure Australian in its presentation and freshness."
Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide ** "There's a note on the menu thanking suppliers for giving chef David Coomer their best. It's a telling statement from a man whose exceptional skill and commitment to quality keep his restaurant at the front ofthe pack"
Gourmet Traveller 2005 Australian Restaurant Guide ** "David Coomer's culinary fearlessness is tempered by his perfectionism and good taste. After years as one of the city's most enigmatic journeyman head-chefs, his own restaurant, Star Anise, has allowed him to unleash his talent."
Sydney Morning Herald GFG 2004
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004,3 Black Stars, Excellent wine list,'easily the best food in Perth.Dishes are adventurous, perfectly balanced and inspirational ... Every course is beautifully prepared, making a Star Anise meal a joy from start to finish ... Service is attentive, unobtrusive and thoughtful.'