It’s always a sad day when a beloved venue closes down and the specific dish, atmosphere or cocktail that drew us there for is forever gone. Cue James Blunt’s Goodbye My Lover. This was the case when the Raw Kitchen in Fremantle closed its doors.
I’d found myself there over the years, sipping kombucha before it was stocked in the supermarket or gobbling down its (slightly overpriced, but very worth it) vegetable curry with quinoa. The weeks I needed a healthy dose of plant-based goodness, that was the spot. This year, H&C Urban Winery opened in its place.
Thank goodness; that lofty building was too gorgeous to sit dormant for too long. The new space is as stunning — if not more so — than its former self, now filled with greenery and an array of seating options in its converted warehouse bones. Eating there on a Sunday with my parents, the venue wasn’t near bustling enough for how excellent it is.
Tables can be booked, but we strolled in and grabbed a booth. The big menu sits on the table and there is a very decent wine and beer list, as well as non-alcoholic options. The food menu — all ordered at the lengthy bar — is broken into bread and snack, sharing and solo, plus two desserts and a few kid-friendly options.
We selected an array of options, with the fried chicken with pickles, hot sauce and kewpie mayo ($24) getting the most “ooooos” from the table. Despite being a simple dish, it’s easy to mess up — be it frying for too long until it’s bone dry.