Petition restaurant review: Head chef Jessica Roe shines despite service glitches at State Buildings eatery

Since opening at Perth Point Zero a decade ago, State Buildings has served as a multifunction polis for foodies and cashed-up city workers. If money is no object, you could have an incredible crawl. Start with an international craft brew at Beer Corner or glass of French bubbles at Wine Merchant then some spicy Thai starters at Long Chim and an incredible four-course tasting menu riddled with Indigenous influences in rooftop fine-diner Wildflower before finishing the gastronomic endurance test with Post’s legendary tiramisu. Keen observers and regulars might notice the omission of Petition, the contemporary Australian eatery and quiet achiever of State Buildings, a restaurant as reliable and solid as the foundations of the original Treasury Buildings on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street. Stately institutions can be dull, conservative, repetitive. State Buildings has barely changed since launching in 2015. Then, prompted by the departure of executive chef Kim Brennan last year, there was a changing of the guard. Petition took a chance, appointing young gun Jessica Roe as head chef at the relatively tender age of 25. Hailing from Noggerup in WA’s South West, Roe cut her teeth serving parmis and washing middy glasses at the Mumballup Tavern before training under Robert Murphy when he was chef de cuisine at Bistro Guillaume. That’s a very potted resume but this talented country gal with a penchant for seasonal local produce and robust flavours has quickly put Petition front and centre at the city hospitality leviathan. The buzz in the fin-de-siecle-styled room wasn’t coming from the bare light bulbs, rather it emanated from 80 diners enjoying themselves on a recent Thursday evening. Her menu of five starters, five mains and four sides is easier to navigate than the State Buildings’ internal maze and is complemented by a wine list that includes plenty of WA icons alongside some fun drops from France, Italy and further afield. Before we leap into entrees, Petition had a few blips during our visit. I had my eye on the pork tenderloin with plum sriracha and pickled beetroot, but apparently pigs did not fly to State Buildings in time for that night’s service. Also, they had run out of the chardonnay my wife Myra requested with our starters and it was the only chardy on Petition’s by-the-glass roster. It didn’t occur to the waiter to whisk down the hall into Wine Merchant or Post and grab a replacement for the evening. Or perhaps get State Buildings’ backer Adrian Fini to rummage around State Cellars in Nedlands for a few bottles. Don’t worry, we didn’t go hungry nor thirsty. In fact, our opening dishes were spectacular. The amberjack ceviche with tiger’s milk and mango salsa ($28) was wonderful — a Peru-meets-Thai explosion of spice and tang featuring generous cuts of fish. The tiger’s milk was thicker and stickier than usual so it coated the firm, mildly sweet amberjack. Mango is out of season, so by the time you read this, Roe is likely to have replaced this with a crudo. I’m sure it will also be good. Her beef tataki with fried saltbush, smoked tomato ponzu and crispy chilli oil ($29) was equally as brilliant, albeit a more subtle experience. Six thick slices of meat, lightly seared outside but raw within, accompanied with a whack of smoke and spice from the ponzu and chilli oil. Not sure what crispy chilli oil is, but this was superb. Once I got over having no pork on my fork, I settled on the market fish with zucchini salad and herb sauce. On the night we dined, it was flaky pink-hued ocean trout for $54. The herb sauce was super fresh, more “up-and-about” than a premiership full-forward at a nightclub. In this case, crispy was an apt adjective for the trout’s skin. Myra had the lamb backstrap ($48), which came with a beautiful Paris mash and a token half fig plus a giant flavourless polenta crisp that was perched on the sliced-up lamb like that footy star trying to take mark of the year. Like some full-forwards, it was purely decorative. Was it there for texture? I’m still not sure. The backstrap was delectable, and not overly unctuous or fatty. Like the ocean trout, this main was nowhere near as dazzling as the entrees and clearly targeted at less adventurous eaters. We also had the chargrilled broccolini, brown butter, almonds and golden raisins ($16), which is not to be confused with the much-loved chopped broccolini and grain salad dish of Petition’s inaugural head chef Jesse Blake. The current side of subtly charred whole stalks of broccolini with well-toasted shaved almonds isn’t a patch on that, but kudos to Roe for not simply copying the cult dish. She’s a chef, not a cover band. Petition has three desserts plus cheeses and a bar well-stocked with whisk(e)y and digestives, as well as stickies and fortified. We decided to sip a Pedro Ximenez and an unpeated single malt whisky with the Valrhona chocolate delice and coffee ice-cream ($22), a rich sweet treat for chocoholics. There was a lengthy delay when the waiter brought a white wine with a similar name to the PX and then put the correct order through the till BEFORE bringing the Spanish fortified. For those playing at home, always fix your mistake before fixing the paperwork. Some fantastic dishes, some good ones. Some very good service, some minor glitches. In its Jessica Roe era, Petition is a very good restaurant. Perhaps one that won’t inspire superlatives but one that you can, in good faith, recommend to most diners. They, and you, won’t be disappointed. Petition State Buildings, corner St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street OPEN Monday-Friday, 7am-late. Saturday-Sunday, 8am-late. CONTACT 6168 7771, statebuildings.com BOOKINGS Yes THE VERDICT Hospitality institution remains a rock-solid option for city dining. Excellent entrees and dependable mains, plus top-quality beverages. Service faltered when the room filled. Still would recommend. 15.5/20