Nextdoor, South Perth Review: Olsen Butcher's Best Wood Fired Wagyu

Nextdoor

79 Angelo Street

South Perth, WA 6151

Australia

Nextdoor Interiors

Nextdoor South Perth Review: Nextdoor is exactly what its name suggests, a restaurant build beside a butcher and one that understands the advantage this gives it. Our meal made the case extremely clear. This is not a steakhouse trying to manufacture credibility through its interiors and list of expensive cuts. It begins with a serious meat, selected through Olsen Butchers next door, then treats it with the restraint and confidence the meat deserves.

Why we came

Nextdoor mattered to us because it turned a local butcher's supply chain into a dining proposition. Gavin Olsen opened the restaurant in 2021 as an extension of Olsen Butchers. We were heading to Olsen Butchers to buy some high quality meats back to Singapore and visiting Nextdoor was a no brainer. The kitchen's approach is simple, meat is sourced from Olsen Butchers, wood fired and cooked as intended. Rather than burying premium beef underneath elaborate sources, Nextdoor lets marbling, texture and the effects of wood fire do the talking. Reviews of the restaurant have similarly highlighted its changing selection of butchers cut and steak cooked over jarrah hardwood.

We came to answer a very simple question. Does having a first rate butcher next door translate into a restaurant worth planning a dinner around? After trying two very different Stone Axe Wagyu cuts, the answer is a resounding yes.

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The menu at Nextdoor is surprisingly small, with 6 beef cuts available and an additional 3 mains on its regular menu. Several dishes sounded compelling enough for us to wish we had a larger dining party. In particular, the Kinross lamb rack with molasses glaze and smoked tomato mint salsa was the most obvious missed opportunity, for just the 2 of us visiting that night.

On this visit, we noted that 5 out of the 6 beef selection were Stone Axe Wagyu, full blood Australian Wagyu with a marble score of 9 +, and the last of the selection was a Cape Grim Rib Eye. This is obviously a lineup designed for diners who want to have a selection of different cuts side by side rather than merely ordering a steak. We selected 2 varied cuts: a Stone Axe Wagyu Picanha (130 AUD) and a Stone Axe Wagyu Flank (80 AUD).

The Delight

The flank was the more instructive cut, Often associated with beefiness rather than luxury, it is comparatively lean yet full of flavour. Our meat was definitely properly handled and had far more character than its reputation might suggest. It retained a satisfying bite and remained nice and tender, proving that high quality Wagyu does not always mean maximum softness or fat.

Rich and Tender

The picanha, by contrast was pure pleasure. Richer, more tender and extravagantly flavoursome, it carried the deep fatty flavours that Wagyu is associated with. The fire was perfect, just enough crust and smoke to bring out the quality of the meat. Served together, it was difficult to decide which was the better meat. They were both distinctive, one with savoury intensity and the other richness and tenderness. This feels like the experience Nextdoor is trying to create. The premium sourcing matters, but Nextdoor was able to provide a wonderful lesson on why one cut behaves different from another.

Together with our meal we had a delightful house made potato rolls with cultured butter at 16 AUD, scallops, roasted and paired with charcuterie XO, pickled cucumbers and sesame at 14.50 AUD per piece as well as a charcoal roasted cabbage with kombu beurre blanc, bonito and nori furikake (27 AUD). The scallops, although delightful, was difficult for us to defind in terms of pricing. But both the potato rolls and cabbage were a delight. If there is one side you have to get, it would need to be the roasted cabbage. It carried the same smokiness of the beef with a beautifully gentle acidity that was a perfect match through the Wagyu's weight and fattiness.

Who is Nextdoor For and What are the Tradeoffs?

The tradeoff at Nextdoor is clear - quality comes at a price, particularly once premium Wagyu enters the conversation. The restaurant's evolving steak menu can include large format cuts which carry serious price tags. And for couples, the most tempting dishes may force difficult choices simply because ordering everything would be excessive. Though I should say, this is a nice problem to have.

What diners gain is immense confidence in Olsen's sourcing and the kitchen. The cooking is purposeful and the beef is outstanding. If you enjoy high quality produce, little fuss, this is a restaurant you have to put on your list to visit.

Would We Recommend?

Absolutely yes. Especially if the purpose is to eat exceptional Australia Wagyu cooked over wood fire, rather than simply ticking off another expensive steak dinner. Nextdoor succeeded in our specific visit because the 2 cuts we got of the picanha and flanks were not interchangeable expressions of Wagyu, they made an extremely persuasive case for cut specific eating. For those of you adventurous enough to want to bring meat back to your home country, I would highly recommend visiting Olsen's Butchers. The kind folks there are able to vacuum pack your meats and I can assure you, their meats are absolutely delightful.