Welcome to Star Anise
Chef
David Coomer
Address
225 Onslow Road
Shenton Park, Perth
Western Australia 6008
Phone
08 9381 9811
Fax
08 9381 9822
Email
staranise[AT]westnet.com.au
AWARDS
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007
"Few meld Asian flavours and European technique with the alacrity, panache and razzle-dazzle of David Coomer. His charcuterie is superb, marron with yellow bean sauce divine, and aromatic duck with sweet-and-sour mandarin sauce is legendary.
Australian Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide
"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 entrée and David Coomer's signature at Star Anise. It's authentically Thai in its intensity and pure Australian in its presentation and freshness. Big flavours and far-ranging technique and inspiration make dinner in this chic, dimly lit room an experience. Duck is touted as a highlight, but our vote goes to the squab with Pedro Ximénez vinegar, fresh figs and a crisp Middle Eastern pastry filled with shredded leg meat. Desserts are interesting and no less full-bore, as is the case with a toffee-drenched watermelon jelly and panna cotta. What the wine list lacks (the breadth and depth food of this quality demands) the service certainly makes up for — the floor being run by a sharp team of young professionals who keep a close eye on everything."
Australian Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide
Star Anise is the only restaurant in Western Australia to be awarded two stars in the 2006 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 of the pack. The menu is concise – five choices for entrée and main course, and four desserts – but the scope of Coomer's vision is broad. Witness his signature ma hor entrée – plinths of ripe pineapple topped with caramelised duck, peanuts and a jaunty just-seared scallop. Another entrée worth selling your granny for is the delicate blue manna crab tabbouleh served with a rich, buttery Tarte Tatin of tomato and capsicum. Everything here, from the roast Glenloth pigeon breast with foie gras pastry to the baklava of poached rhubarb and quince with almond milk sorbet, is at once precise, fearless and flavoursome, bearing testament to Coomer's masterly touch. Service under maitre d' Tony Wallace is terrific."
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2006 & The Age Good Food Guide 2006
"Free range pork, Hahndorf venison, Karridale organic lamb — the provenance of the produce is as important as the cooking at David Coomer's modestly sized bistro with its stately rooms. Liquorice ice-cream with slivers of meringue is powerfully restrained and beautiful to look at."
Australian 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."
Australian Gourmet Traveller 2004 Australian Restaurant Guide
"Chef/ owner David Coomer should congratulate himself on producing easily the best food in Perth. Dishes are adventurous, perfectly balanced and inspirational. It's difficult to decide whether his Asian food surpasses his Mediterranean, or vice versa, but whatever the case, dining here is a delight.
Must-try dishes are ma hor (seared scallop, caramelised duck, peanuts and pineapple), a visual and literal feast, and proscuitto-wrapped pigeon. Every course is beautifully prepared making a Star Anise meal a joy from start to finish.
The restaurant is attractively appointed, featuring rich velour panels, organza and contemporary artworks. The wine list offers the best of the Australians and several excellent international labels. Service at Star Anise is attentive, unobtrusive and thoughtful. Themed dinners are held on a regular basis."
WA Business News 40under40 2004
An integral part of the Western Australian business calendar, the 40under40 awards program celebrates the achievements of WA's most talented young business leaders.
In recognition for his contribution to Western Australia's hospitality industry, David Coomer was awarded a position in the 40under40 in 2004.
MEDIA
AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER 2010 AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANT GUIDE
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. His dégustation menu exhibits enviable lightness of touch: a thimble of whipped sweetcorn soup comes with a tiny hot croquette packed with crabmeat, while a small marron is poached with apple eggplant in a spice coconut broth to great effect. The star turn is a main of two hour poached egg with baby peas, jamón Ibérico and red pepper sauce. Pre-desserts of green apple and basil sorbet and light apple jelly show a playful, progressive edge, while a more traditional dessert of passionfruit soufflé with passionfruit mascarpone parfait brings the meal to a satisfying close. Add slick, professional service and a well rounded wine list, and it's easy to see Star Anise pulling power.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 2010 & THE AGE GOOD FOOD GUIDE 2010
A decade of accolades hasn't dimmed the shine on David Coomer's elegant fine-diner. Its take on modern, Asian-influenced food remains unsurpassed in Perth. The results are consistently sublime, with dishes like signature crispy aromatic duck and Manjimup marron in a fragrant coconut curry with Thai basil and snake beans.
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE.
THE A-LIST. 50 GREAT AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANTS, SEPTEMBER 2009
Chef/restaurateur David Coomer has enjoyed an extraordinary 11-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. It shows little sign of waning. Why? Enthusiasm radiates from the staff, the wine list and, more importantly, the kitchen. Coomer's shtick is Modern Oz, and yes, it's still with us. From a bit of Modern Spanish slow cooked egg with jamon to an Asian-inspired duck in broth and on to a killer selection of cheeses, the consistent theme is style, quality and terrific kitchen skills. A restaurant with the pleasure meter right off the dial, all night.
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE, FOOD AND WINE AUGUST 2009
Eleven years young, it's not hard to see why Star Anise is still always grouped among a modest number of restaurants that cast a shadow over the city's smallish fine-dining scene. 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. And to me, that speaks volumes about management. I'm sure it also helps explain why, on a black Tuesday night, the place is fully booked and beating to a very pleasant rhythm of couples, families and friends.
It's not the whole story, though. Anise is owned by chef David Coomer and the food is clearly the guy's badge of honour. It shares that zeal and pride with the staff, the same energy so rare in a restaurant of this age and status. The wine list too has fresh, interesting choices that suggest enthusiasm rather than just a collection of easy-sellers. In short, Star Anise feels like a two-year-old hitting its straps.
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. And if you want to take the Keating approach and do Coomer slowly, you're best choosing his tasting menu. Perth may be an inflated city for many commodities, but at $110 per head, you'd be lucky to go anywhere near this back east. A tumbler of warm beetroot soup is tarted up with horseradish yoghurt and a single crostino of beautifully spiced beef tartare, dressed with baby beetroot shoots, of course. Anise is one of those places you never find yourself reaching for the salt or pepper; such is the judgment out back. Superb seared scallops are sandwiched with a slice of black truffle, sat on a splodge of sweetcorn puree, slapped with a wafer of fried Jerusalem artichoke and, finally, drizzled with a tiny bit of brown butter. It's all there, in balance. Coomer's take on the ubiquitous – but totally lovable – slow-cooked soft egg is a combo of crushed peas and proper Iberico jamon, the egg getting a garnish of olive powder and red pepper essence. And his signature duck dish, combining the flavours of anise and mandarin in a ducky burnt-red broth that goes with juicy roasted breast slices, boned fried leg and resilient wok-fried choy sum is a revelation, a Mod-Oz classic worthy of the reputation.
I really enjoyed Star Anise; it has the feeling of a restaurant very comfortable in its own skin. It's infectious.
John Lethlean Review Rating 8/10.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, MUST EAT, NOVEMBER 2008
Australian cuisine's flair for absorbing Asian influences with a bit of Mediterranean on the side gets no better expression than in the hands of David Coomer. In a gracious entry on his website, Coomer acknowledges his specialist suppliers, but it is his handling of this produce that has been winning accolades, which include his two chef's hats in this year's Gourmet Traveller restaurant awards. Consider the Manjimup marron served in a spiced coconut broth with oyster mushrooms and baby corn, and crispy aromatic duck with a sweet and sour mandarin and ginger sauce. Watch for a Moorish venture slated for early 2009.
The New York Times - Out West Aussie Style, January 1 2006
"Back in Perth, the surprising array of dining choices reflects, in many cases, the city's proximity to Asia. At Star Anise, a dimly illuminated spot with suede-cushioned walls, even the green-lip abalone with duck-egg noodles is eclipsed by the captivating licorice ice cream flanked by slabs of star-anise-flavored meringue - edible Stonehenge."
"Perth food lovers flock to David Coomer's subdued, sophisticated establishment, drawn as much by its high-ceilinged rooms as by his signature crispy aromatic duck with sweet-and-sour blood orange sauce."
Delicious Magazine - The Guide: Perth, August 2005
"There's a charming courtyard and several welcoming rooms in this smart restaurant. Chef/Owner David Coomer's menu changes constantly depending on his daily discoveries at the market. There's usually a lot of Asian influence - his signature crispy aromatic duck is always on - but in winter he also likes to turn out comforting French food. David's sensationally presented desserts, which include balls of licorice ice cream between tall slabs of star anise meringue, give the art on the walls a run for their money."
BOOKS
Coast - Seaside Recipes From Australia's Leading Chefs
Edited by Kendall Hill
Photography by Jennifer Soo
Australian chefs and their fearless way with food are taking the world by storm. In Coast, a stellar gathering of Australia's most accomplished chefs have contributed recipes that draw their inspiration from our coastal lifestyle and the diverse culinary cultures of the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. With stunning photos taken on location along Australia's pristine shores, this timely and beautiful book celebrates a cuisine widely acknowledged to be among the most innovative in the world.
Coast features David Coomer's recipe for Ma Hor on pages 8 & 9, under the "Starters & Light Meals" section.
Chef
David Coomer
Address
225 Onslow Road
Shenton Park, Perth
Western Australia 6008
Phone
08 9381 9811
Fax
08 9381 9822
Email
staranise[AT]westnet.com.au