Chilli Panda

Perth’s CBD is awash with Chinese restaurants, mostly of the Canton variety, which makes Chilli Panda a gem in its own right. If you like your food spicy, you’ll have to check out this restaurant on Newcastle Street that specialises in Hunan cuisine, known for the heavy use of green and red chilli peppers, shallots, garlic and ginger in its dishes.

It’s not just the cuisine but the decor, too, that is a welcome change among the Chinese restaurants in Perth. You won’t find any traces of Oriental kitsch in Chilli Panda’s stylish and modern interior, as the owners have opted for wooden screen dividers and untreated concrete walls which are more typical of a trendy cafe. Start off with a cold dish of Hunan-style spicy dry beef, before you tuck into the best-selling Mao’s braised pork and spicy stir-fried cauliflower. Still hungry? Order one of the chef’s recommendations – such as the much-raved about garlic prawns in hot stone pot – and wash them all down with the restaurant’s signature aloe vera-laced jasmine green tea. Come on down to this Perth CBD hotspot within walking distance from Perth and McIver train stations for a fiery treat you’re unlikely to forget. Before you do that, you’ll want to reserve ahead for the best seats.