How was the food at Perth's newest restaurant, Lamesa?

When it comes to Asian food, I tend to approach it with trepidation. Not because I don’t enjoy it – far from it. I’m just not a massive fan of spice and a lot of dishes from the Far East can be quite hot.

But when Lamesa opened on Perth High Street, offering a fusion of Filipino and Scottish cuisine, I decided to try it. There was bound to be something that wouldn’t blow my head off, right?

The interior of Lamesa, Perth. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

We entered the large restaurant and were greeted warmly by the staff, who let us choose where we wanted to sit.

We slid into seats next to the windows facing the street (not the best views at that end of the street, but there was lots of natural light to bask in).

Throughout our meal, the waitresses were smiley and attentive and more than happy to help us make our choices for each course. (Mostly this involved me asking: “But how spicy is it REALLY?”)

The menu, rather than mashing a Scottish and Filipino dish into one, offered the two cuisines alongside one another. For instance, you could have a steak pie or bulalo – a kind of beef shank soup – as your main course.

A wee extra to start

After we had ordered, our waitress offered us a taste of their bulalo broth.

It looked like a consommé but on lifting the spoon to my mouth I was hit with smells of ginger, lemongrass and beef.

It was so flavourful and well-balanced, it almost made me change my main course dish.

For my starter I chose the pritong okra (£5.95), battered and deep-fried fingers of okra with a (very hot) chilli dipping sauce.

It’s rare to see okra on a menu, but I love it.

The batter was crispy and not too dense, and the okra was nicely cooked – not too soggy and not too crunchy.

I did try the sauce but it was very hot. I had some mango garnish which instantly cooled my mouth.

Pritong okra at Lamesa in Perth. — Pritong okra at Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

My mum chose the ginataang tahong (£7.95), which was a bowl of mussels cooked in coconut milk with lemongrass, ginger and chunks of squash. The broth was rich, with layers of coconut, ginger and lemongrass.

The only thing that let the dish down was that the mussels in the shells were almost all shredded or broken.

Bowling for Filipino favourites

We both chose rice bowls for our mains (£15.95 each). Mine was the adobong tiyan nang baboy and mum went for the beef tapa.

Adobong tiyan nang baboy at Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

A bit like a Japanese donburi, these were assembled with the rice on the bottom and then the meat, vegetables and egg piled on top. There isn’t a sauce as such (the meat was marinated) but honestly, it didn’t feel dry at all as everything was cooked perfectly.

Adobong tiyan nang baboy means pork belly adobo. As a massive fan of pork belly it was the only choice for me.

The meat had been slowly cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and spices, but it wasn’t hot at all. It was more like an Asian barbecue sauce.

A quartered boiled egg, and fresh and pickled vegetables brought a crisp, clean flavour to the earthy dish.

Beef tapa at Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

The beef tapa had been braised in soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper and onions. It was extremely tender and flavourful.

The cut of meat was also excellent – no gristle. A fried egg with a slightly runny yolk added to the rich, decadent flavours.

The garlic fried rice on the bottom of both bowls was nicely seasoned and flavoured and hadn’t been discoloured by the oil it was fried in. It was also still light and fluffy.

A new experience in desserts at Lamesa

Both of us were enjoying our introduction to Filipino cuisine so we carried it into our desserts too.

Biko at Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

The menu stated that biko is a popular dessert from the Philippines, so I plumped for that (£7.95). It is described as glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk with brown sugar and ginger.

When it arrived at the table it looked a bit like a wet flapjack. Digging in with my spoon I realised it was more of a slightly solid rice pudding.

It was quite heavy on the cinnamon, which I liked, but I was glad of the coconut toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream that accompanied it. They brought a bit more sweetness to the dish.

It was extremely tasty, and I’d definitely have it again.

Turon at Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

Mum’s pudding, turon (£7.95), was something neither of us had seen before. It is spring rolls filled with caramelised jackfruit and bananas, and was served with ice cream.

The banana flavour dominated due to the jackfruit being more subtle, but the latter brought texture to the filling that made it feel more substantial.

The verdict

A range of dishes from Lamesa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

Lamesa is bound to be a hit with Perth diners because it gives a glimpse of a cuisine that’s not often seen in Scotland. As a bonus, it also has hints of food from other countries us Scots are more familiar with.

If you like Japanese, Thai or Korean food, you’ll find items that you recognise but with their own twist.

And if, like me, you aren’t a fan of very spicy food, you need not worry. Any spice is used to enhance and flavour, not really to add heat to a dish.

I’ve already made a mental note of the new dishes I’ll try next time I visit!