Where? - 155 High St. Kew
Price? - $20 Parmageddon special
Website? http://www.skinnydoghotel.com.au/
Reviewers – Cale, Daniel, Grace, Lee, Nikki, Shanan, Tony
Last week I received an email from the good folks at Kew's Skinny Dog Hotel with some news, news that they were brewing something special for the oncoming Australia Day.
Rather than repeat all their plans for what took place I'll just show you one of their promo images that was circulated...
Sounds like a fantastic day! On top of that, the Skinny Dog invited us down on the 26th to sample their range of Aussie themed parmas and make a very important judgement - Which of the Aussie parma varieties would take the crown as the Aussiest of them all. Sounds like a much better Australia Day than batch microwaving 10 frozen parmas! After the tradition of a barbie, backyard cricket and a few cheeky cans was complete we headed over to the Skinny Dog to see what they had to offer.
I haven't been to the Skinny in quite a while, and it's great to see that they haven't lost their cool, funky aesthetic. The beer garden was pumping out the tunes so we took a seat in the quieter restaurant section (although it was filling up fast). The specials menu was already waiting for us on the table...
To be quite honest, they all sounded amazing. After making sure we had at least one of each being ordered around the table we placed our order and awaited the arrival of our dinner.
Normally this is where I put in a little spiel about what beers are on offer at the Skinny Dog, but to be honest I didn't look past the $20 buckets of Colonial cans. Can't go wrong.
Shortly after ordering the parmas arrived and the judging commenced...
Apologies that I couldn't find an emoji to represent Melbourne. The Emoji gods really need to get on that.
Hot damn that was a big parma. Of the four options I selected the Brett Lee so my thoughts will mostly be on that, with some opinions on the other parmas from everyone else below.
First up, the Schnitzel was phenomenal. Absolutely huge and of the purest quality chicken breast. It was crumbed ever so lightly and cooked to perfection with a satisfying crunch.
The thick cut bacon on the Brett Lee was an explosion of flavour that paired perfectly with the tang of the BBQ sauce. I'm not normally a massive egg fan, but the yolk on top of the Brett Lee was cooked just right, its juicy goodness flowing down around the other toppings and enhancing them all.
It may have been the influence of the cans that I had enjoyed before heading to the Skinny Dog, but I really enjoyed the Brett Lee.
We have visited the Skinny Dog before, and I've long held the opinion that their sides were probably the weakest part of the dish. Last night we discovered that this has changed, with both elements of the side dishes receiving a major upgrade.
First up the chips. The first time we had the Skinny Dog's parma we god Maccas fries (ugh). The second time we got crinkle cut chips (better, but could use some improvement). Last night we got near perfection. Beer battered beauties that maintained a solid crunch on the outside while remaining hot, soft and pillowy on the inside.
The biggest surprise was the salad - I'd go as far to say the best side salad I've had in at least six months. A sort of garden salad/coleslaw hybrid. Fresh, well dressed and absolutely bursting with flavour
Now, some thought from everyone else on their parmas -
“Overall the meal was great. Parma could have used a little more seasoning”
“Great value, big feed with a pot ... Great. Would have loved a bigger pie on the MCG”
“Great value parma. Overall good flavour & sides were top notch. Well worth the $20”
“Not too bad this time around! Bloody great value with the beer”
“Really enjoyed the parma & chips, however the MCG disappointed slightly with its promise on the meat pie on top”
It would seem everyone walked away happy! With the most minor of gripes coming from the two that ordered the MCG, it would seem that, in their minds, they had pictured a full sized Four n' Twenty perched atop their parma, when in reality the MCG comes with a few party pies on top instead.
For $20 on a Thursday with a beer thrown in this is an outstanding value meal that I'd have zero qualms recommending. Get down and try your favourite ASAP!
Now, as the Skinny Dog invited us down and new we were coming this one falls in the category of an unranked special attempt, I'm a little sad about that as there has been a marked improvement on this parma since we last visited - It's now definitely on our list for an official redo so you can expect to see it again soon.
But which one was the most Aussie? My heart leans toward the Melbourne, as what is more Aussie that a good ol' Parma with chips, salad and some beers. I'm tempted to give it to the MCG out of sheer inventiveness, such a unique and Australian dish. The Bondi can get stuffed because we're from Melbourne and it's our legal duty as citizens of this city to refuse to acknowledge that Sydney is good at anything.
However... I think I've gotta give it to the Binga himself - The Brett Lee. Be it a burger, a pizza or a parma, A fried egg on top is synonymous with Aussie grub, and the Brett Lee at the Skinny Dog is as Aussie as they come.
Massive thanks to the Skinny Dog Hotel for inviting us down for a great day! Hope you all had an Awesome Australia Day as well.