I was delighted to receive an invitation from Claire, manager at The Sovereign Arms in Joondalup.
We arranged to come on a Saturday evening at 6pm and arrived a little earlier.
We were seated at a table, given our menus and told about the specials for the evening. We were then asked if we would like to order drinks and I asked for an SSB wine and Mr. T was driving so just had water…awh!
The restaurant wasn’t packed but staff were kept busy with the bar also. ‘The Sov’ as it is known to many, prides itself on being a good British bar so you would expect to see a varied menu, good portion size and leave feeling full after a main meal.
We looked over the menu and we both eyed up the steak for main course. I gave in and let Mr. T choose the Reef and Beef Sirloin Steak ($31.90) and I would choose something different. At this stage I was deciding between the Spiced Duck Breast ($27.90) and the Chicken Gorgonzola ($23.90). It came down to the choice between noodles and pasta, I went with the pasta!
We had a look though the entree list and it was an easy choice. I didn’t consult Mr. T and ordered the 3 Cheese Aranchini Balls ($14.90).
About ten minutes later, the Aranchini Balls arrived. They were all a good even size sitting in a light sweet chilli aioli. I took my first ball and cut down through it. I could immediately gauge the sticky texture as I expected. I really enjoyed the aranchini balls, the 3 cheeses made it sticky as it was mixed with risotto and speckles of spinach. The aioli added moisture to the dish and the sundried tomatoes added another flavour and texture. I really enjoyed it so I had most of a second one also.
We had a little time to let our food settle before our mains arrived so I continued to observe the venue. As I mentioned, The Sovereign Arms invited us to dinner so I kept an eye on other tables also. Two ladies who looked like they were catching up ordered a drink with the waitress after placing their order. I was curious to see what they ordered as only one person spoke to the waitress. The ladies ordered the Starter Tasting Plate ($32.90), what a dish! It was definitely enough for two and I would love to order it next time!
Back to our food! First thought…oh my gosh, the portion size!
Mr. T straightened up in his seat when his plate was placed in front of him. He is a huge fan of seafood so I knew he was impressed. This dish was presented as pretty as possible. He said that all of the fish was perfectly cooked and he was very happy with it. Steak can often be a tricky thing to cook but the chef did a great job as it was perfectly medium as requested. The creamy garlic sauce was plentiful and the asparagus was a nice addition but the size of a garnish.
My dish was a rather sizable portion. The penne pasta was plentiful and the sauce was delicious. I often find a cream sauce to be quite thick but I liked this one a lot! There was a generous amount of chicken and mushrooms in the dish also which definitely infused into the sauce. The dish was topped with large flakes of fresh parmesan, no true pasta dish is complete without some sort of cheese. As much as I wanted to finish it, I just couldn’t but believe me, I tried! If you are hungry, this is the dish for you.
Next came dessert, I didn’t want to embarrass myself by ordering a dessert to myself knowing I wouldn’t finish it. We had a look over the menu and thought about sharing the Chocolate Brownie but last minute, I spotted the Specials Board. We ordered the Terrys Chocolate Orange Cake. Mr. T also ordered a Flat White.
Here you have it! Look at the chocolate! The cake was light and fluffy and not heavy like I feared it would be. There was a piece of Terrys Chocolate Orange on top of the cake, I didn’t share it!
The only thing I didn’t like about the dish was the plate decoration. It didn’t match the cake or compliment it, however, there wasn’t enough of it to change the flavour. I’m really glad we got this dessert to share.
It’s safe to say, we were both full leaving.. I was close to food coma stage!
If you are in Joondalup shopping, this is definitely an eating option to consider as it is open all day and serves great food!
Thanks for having us!
Lifestyle by Lily 