Epicurean — Restaurant in Burswood

Went here last Saturday for the afternoon tea. We were staying at Crown and going to a show in the evening. It was busy but that was to be expected. It didn’t start well when I asked for decaffeinated tea and they didn’t have any so I ended up with water to accompany my afternoon tea! ( this really should be available - so many people only drink decaf now. We then joined the queue for the ‘hot’ options ( at this point I need to say that the que snaked around the desert island towards the entry and did not decrease in length the whole time we were there. They had a great choice but on eating these when back at our table it was all cold not hot as it should have been and some of the offerings had not be seasoned well and tasted bland - it was so disappointing. We wished we had gone for the cold bar options which were at the table next door, no que there. We moved onto sweets, walking past cold table so we could ensure we had enough room for sweets. Trying to obtain scones was hard as these had been positioned within the so called ‘hot’ options area, so you were in fact having to push in on those still trying to obtain their savoury food. The other dessert area was easier to access and again range of options was very good and they were lovely. - some being extremely rich, 2 bites was all you needed and wanted. The Battenberg cake was my favourite. During the afternoon the waiting staff continued to come to the table to offer more tea which at the beginning was positive but soon became annoying, it became a feeling of being rushed as they wanted you out so they could clear and set up for the evening. They certainly were not attentive and caring and the speed they were rushing past you all the time was annoying. This feeling of not watching your tables and guest there was underlined when a waitress tried to remove my husband’s plate before he had finished eating! If that wasn’t bad and very annoying once it happened 3 times….. once more same waitress and 2 other times with different waiting staff. The feeling of eat and get out was certainly underlined by them doing this - so we did …… we had been really looking forward to a relaxed Afternoon tea with beautiful food and a positive experience before moving onto what was a fantastic show. What we got was a rushed, uncaring below par experience, we went and sat in the main lobby at Crown after this and both of us commented we wished we had booked the Lobby High Tea instead as it looked so good and the staff waiting tables were looking after their guest correctly with smiles and great service. Crown you do some things so well - your specialty restaurant are so good with fantastic food and great waiting staff but you also completed drop the ball in other places and I have to say it seems to occur in you main restaurants like Atrium and Epicurean. I wish you would take note and rectify this. You are certainly not the cheapest option for dining and basically I expect more, it was a very disappointing experience which put a damper on our...

First of all, please let me tell you I have been to Epicurean for about a dozen times over the past 5 years. They are, so sad but true, less and less impressive. I do not think I will return again. This is all because of the food.

The latest time, I went to Epicuren was on Monday 26th June. It was a disappointment not just for me but my partner and mother. They all agree that the food standard was incomparable to the past sessions.

First of all, there is no longer the chocolate fountains which was the spectacular sightseeing at the very entrance. This I can understand, it was a waste of chocolate, if not the hazard or hygiene. They compensate the fountain with smaller version of just heated chocolates ( I support this idea) .

We always visit the seafood section as for appetizers. The oysters were quite small ( okay, might not be in seasons), the blue swimming crabs are rather tasteless let alone the prawns ( my partner who normally eats everything literally said," don't bother with the prawns). The sushi was not as usual but nothing fancy. The salad bar looked rather plain in my option. I mean, individually, it was nice, but when they put them all together in that display , it was not appatising. New mussels with French-styled cooking was MY FAVOURITE this time. Moving on, the meat section has no pork belly!? seriously.? I took sone of the roasted beef that looked wonderfully perfect: aged, color. just to face it was so chewy that a person with denture shouldn't try. The curry area : dal mango , butter chicken curry ( morately hot) was nice with nanns. I am disappointed that there was no pekking duck like last visit. There are 2-3 Asian-styled stir-fried which was ... well, let me be polite and avoid commenting on them. The only nice dish one that area, in my humble opinion was BARRAMUNDI with sweet pepper drop. Oh! and the potato mash truffle was not too bad. The desert was no longer my favourite area. There are little choices. I was quite in disbelief that there are identical mini dessert arranging in the different fashion in the glass drawers! This was for me unacceptable. However, my mood was lifted up by the apple cinnamon cake.

In relation to the atmosphere, it is still spotlessly gorgeous as usual. And the staffs are very polite...

A highly anticipated birthday lunch at Crown Perth's renowned Epicurean buffet on Sunday, July 13th, proved to be a study in contrasts, where a lackluster culinary experience was ultimately salvaged by an unexpected and genuinely heartwarming display of hospitality from a security staff member.

For my wife's birthday, we had chosen Epicurean, drawn in by the promise of a lavish spread, with a particular craving for the advertised crab. As a former Food and Beverage Director for a major luxury hotel chain in Asia, my standards are admittedly high, but the reality of the much-lauded crab was, to put it mildly, "meh." The rest of the buffet failed to elevate the experience, leaving us feeling underwhelmed and questioning the value proposition of what was meant to be a celebratory meal.

The disappointment of the meal, however, was destined to be a mere footnote in our Crown Perth story. As we were leaving, feeling somewhat deflated, we were approached by a security guard, Tom. In a gesture that completely caught us off guard, he not only offered to take a photograph of us but did so with a warmth and sincerity that was utterly refreshing.

This was not a perfunctory offer. Tom's genuine kindness was a breath of fresh air, a moment of true, unscripted hospitality that is so often missing in today's fast-paced service industry. He even enthusiastically suggested another, more picturesque location within the hotel for a second photo, an offer we politely declined but deeply appreciated.

Tom's simple act of kindness single-handedly transformed our perception of the day. It was a powerful reminder that true hospitality isn't always found in the grand gestures or the most expensive offerings. More often, it's the small, personal touches, the moments of genuine human connection, that leave the most lasting impression.

While the Epicurean may not have lived up to its name for us on this occasion, Tom from security was the unexpected saving grace. He is a credit to the Crown Perth team and a shining example of how one individual can make all the difference. He truly saved the Crown experience for us, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.

This is a shout-out to Tom – your exceptional service did not...