Where? - 101 Rosamond Rd. Maribyrnong
Price? - $20
Website? - http://www.smokehouse101.com.au/
Reviewers – Pat, Lee, Nikki, Stefo
When I first saw that an American BBQ joint had opened up in Maribyrnong I checked the menu as, well, I love American BBQ. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that, as well as American BBQ, Rosamond Road's Smokehouse 101 also has a pretty tantalising parma on the menu. Seriously, look at this grab from their menu and tell me your mouth isn't already watering -
You had me at Southern-fried chicken, and it just gets better from there. I had to try it so last night we loaded up the parma bus and headed over to Smokehouse 101.
A stones throw from Highpoint Shopping Centre, Smokehouse 101 is a small little café-like establishment that you probably wouldn't look twice at driving past, but pop a U-bolt and check it out, because once you open the door and the heavenly scent of barbecue smacks you in the face you will know you've come to the right place.
Smokehouse 101's BBQ menu is the epitome of "dude food". Ribs, brisket, pulled pork. Meat stacked on top of meat with a side of meat. We placed our orders and waited for the parmas to arrive.
As I mentioned, Smokehouse is a rather small little spot, but they make good use of the space they have. There's a couple of tables of on-street dining for when the sun comes out, quite a café feel up the front (which, from what I hear, has live music on the weekends) and tables out the back. It's cosy, but I never felt cramped. (and the comic book motif around the tables in back is right in my wheelhouse - bravo)
As for beers there are no taps at Smokehouse 101, however the range of bottled beers was quite impressive for a relatively small spot -
There was a bit of a wait before the parmas arrived, but you know what they say, "good food takes time to prepare"...
First lets get one thing straight - this is not your traditional parma. I'd go as far as to say its one of the most unique parmas we've had this year. The closest thing I could compare it to would be (unsurprisingly) a "meat lovers" or "BBQ" parma.
The southern-fried chicken breast was absolutely divine. Well cooked, pure white, juicy chicken breast. Thick and flavourful. Actually, the word "flavourful" just doesn't cut it - this chicken had so much flavour I could easily enjoy it without toppings. One complaint? It was a bit salty ... and you might start seeing a theme emerge with that last sentence.
Next up, the toppings, and hoo boy - Smokehouse 101 does not skimp on the toppings. As you can see from the above cross section the parma was topped with slabs of thick-cut maple glazed bacon.
If it were possible to overdose on flavour I would have come close last night. Absolutely fantastic. The Smokehouse hot sauce had a bit of a kick, but was more like a smokey barbecue sauce than anything else. The two cheese blend had great coverage, and tied everything together well. But once again, the bacon and smokehouse sauce was slightly too salty for my taste.
The picture above is a little misleading - there were plenty of chips (most of them were hidden underneath the parma, but were rescued shortly after taking the photo). Very well cooked, crunchy and fluffy with plenty of spicy seasoning. However I think you can guess what my one criticism is going to be...
The coleslaw was pretty good. A mouthful here and there was a great way to cleanse the palate of the flavour OD that was the parma. It was fresh and tasty - maybe a little heavy on the mayo, but a solid side to the meal.
“Ease up on the salt and you’ve got a winner. Solid”
“This was like no other parma we have ever had. so take note parma fans... Definitely worth a try”
“The first few mouthfuls were delicious! However it was quite salty, which made it hard to finish”
For an even $20 I'd definitely come back to Smokehouse 101. I may have mentioned the saltiness one to many times as it was only a minor issue - but with the chicken, the bacon, the sauce and the chips all being quite salty they compounded on one another. Back it off just a smidge and it'd be perfection.
Don't get me wrong, I loved it - I'd even go as far as to say its the best BBQ Meat lovers parma I've ever had, but it's not a parma for the faint of heart. The next time you find yourself at Highpoint give the food court a miss and duck up the road to Smokehouse 101 - You won't regret it.
Pros
- Southern-Fried chicken breast was fantastic
- Maple glazed bacon is even better
- Pure chicken breast, quality ingredients all put together very well.
Cons
- A little heavy on the salt