Farm-To-Plate Dining Now Open At Yagan Square

Ficus, the eagerly anticipated new restaurant concept at Yagan Square, has opened its doors to the public for lunch and dinner service.

Located on the upper level at Yagan Square with stunning views of the CBD, Ficus is a smart casual dining collaboration by Kevin Opferkuch of Bunbury Farmers Market and Paul Vanderplancke of Cantina 663 in Mount Lawley.

The fresh food offering is farm to plate with a strong focus on South-West produce and full food provenance.

Kevin Opferkuch, a frequent visitor to Cantina 663, got to talking with Cantina 663 owner, Paul Vanderplancke, about the fact that Cantina had fresh, new season figs (or 'Ficus') in their granola. Kevin noted that many other venues wouldn't have acted so quick to incorporate the seasonal produce available and taken short cuts with the ingredients to keep the cost of the dish down. This conversation led to the discovery that they are both passionate about being true to the produce, using only seasonal ingredients and offering value to the customer. Paul was equally impressed with the offering at Bunbury Farmers Market, which lead to a discussion about using Kevin's produce for a restaurant. And so Ficus was born.

Kevin, whose family has been involved in farming since 1856, has a network of farmers and growers that has been built up over decades, which ensures supreme freshness and full provenance every time. Kevin explains:

"Freshness, approachability, seasonality, honesty and provenance are the foundations of Ficus. Some people may assume that provenance simply means local. For us, provenance means we have full knowledge of where the product came from, who the farmer or grower is, when it was produced, what has been done to the product, etc. There is no outside third party ownership of the product - everything comes directly from the producer to us, not via a wholesaler then on-sold whereby provenance of the product is lost"

The kitchen will be led by Perth's master of charcuterie and chateaubriand, André Mahé (The Trustee, Must Wine Bar). With André at the helm the menu will be modern Australian with his infamous French influence. The culinary offering is good, honest, generous food done well.

Co-owner Paul Vanderplancke explains;

"We're not trying to break any boundaries with the style of the dishes on offer, instead, Ficus will keep the menu approachable and let the quality of the produce and skills of the chefs to let the food speak for itself".

The menu boasts dishes that can be ordered à la carte or shared on the table. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options will also be available. Highlights from the maiden menu include:

Charcuterie Plate: Pork Rillettes, Pâté en Croute, pork hock terrine,
pickled vegetable and condiments, crispy bread

Heirloom Beetroot done confit and raw, jam, Bookara goat curd,
candied walnuts, herb dressing

Steamed new season Torbay asparagus, Over the Moon Fetta,
macadamia crumble, verjuice vinaigrette

Shark Bay tiger prawns & blue cheese linguini, tomato, rocket

Pan-fried house made potato gnocchi, smoked tomato, English spinach, almond

Carrara Wagyu Tomahawk rib eye, 850 grams, béarnaise, colcannon, green salad

Chateaubriand: Harvey Beef fillet, marrow bones, béarnaise, colcannon, green salad
Venue manager, Chris Sell, together with Bar Manager, Luke Vanhoe, have developed an impressive beverage menu that, like the food, supports local suppliers with provenance a key focus. The team have set out to go above what a restaurant would normally deliver and offer the variety and complexity of a cocktail bar.

The Ficus fit out is by local, award winning designers, Mata Design Studio. With the farm to plate concept of the restaurant, Ficus wanted to incorporate as many natural materials as possible. Indoor plants and several types of local, recycled wood have been incorporated into the furniture and fitout, including 100-year-old floorboards recycled from the Fremantle Wool Sheds. The impressive structure of the building has hard, solid edges and materials, so the extensive use of wood and plants worked well to soften the space.

Yagan Square is focused on bringing people together and connecting the city. Kevin and Paul loved this concept from the outset because it is what they are doing with food - bringing people together and connecting them with the best produce in the world.

FICUS
Open Tuesday - Sunday
Noon - Late
Upper level, Yagan Square
7/420 Wellington St, Perth WA 6000
Bookings & Enquiries: (08) 6381 9140 / ficusperth.com / info@ficus.co

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