Chicken Scratch - 'The Parmo'

It has been a bit of a break between scratches, as far as I can tell we haven’t done one since September 2015, with the only other two being in May of the same year.

Anyway, for the newcomers, a Chicken Scratch post is a spot for stuff that isn’t a parma review. Might be a news article or a debate or a special event … basically a soapbox for me to rant about something chicken parma related for a few hundred words. If that sounds interesting then read on, if not I’ll catch you next week! (We’re going to a new Brewery down in the Docklands, I reckon it should be pretty decent).

While the Parma Vs Parmi debate rages on in our fair country, with the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews even weighing in on the topic, a new challenger has entered the scene.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce The Parmo.

Born and bred in Northern England (and sometimes referred to as the ‘Teeside Parmesan’ according to the Wikipedia page).

The Parmo has gained quite a cult following on the other side of the planet. Much like the Parma in Melbourne, in Northern England the Parmo has review sites, food trucks, plenty of media attention and even Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison tucked into one on a reality dating show.

So what is a parmo and how does it differ from our beloved parma?

They’re very similar. Both start things off with a chicken schnitzel and cheese, however instead of a rich, tomatoey napoli sauce as we would use on a parma, the parmo swaps that out for béchamel sauce (aka white sauce), the stuff they put in lasagne that isn’t bolognaise.

According to the wiki, as with parmas, some novelty parmos have started appearing here and there, and are starting to blur the line between parmo and parma, for example…

• Parmo hotshot - chicken or pork topped with cheese, pepperoni, peppers, garlic butter and chilli

• Parmo Kiev - chicken only topped with cheese, garlic butter, and mushrooms

• Parmo Italia - chicken or pork topped with cheese, garlic butter and ham, with a further topping of mozzarella cheese

• Meat feast parmo - chicken or pork topped with pepperoni, chicken and ham

“But ParmaDaze” I hear you say “Northern England is so far away, I’ve never seen a parmo here in Australia!”

Well dear reader, it turns out that the parmo invasion has already begun with Queensland the first to fall, as the “Pig & Whistle” chain of English pubs have had a parmo quietly on their menu since 2004.

“In 2004, ex-pat Trevor Harrington was a regular at our Pig ‘N’ Whistle Riverside venue” Eloise Pierce, of Pig ‘N’ Whistle owners The Mantle Group, explained to Teeside Live.

“The manager at the time Arj - now our CEO - was close with Trevor and Trevor shared his recipe. After a lot of to and fro-ing to perfect the recipe, it eventually became a permanent fixture on the menu at Riverside - and it has never come off.”

Between the seven Pig n’ Whistle’s in Queensland they claim to sell over 2000 parmos a month. Right under our noses this whole time!

Now I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try a Parmo. While in London earlier this year I tried to track one down without any luck and I’ve yet to find anywhere in Melbourne with a parmo on the menu (if you find one, let me know).

What are your thoughts? Comment below if you think a parmo would be worth a crack, if you know of anywhere in Melbourne that we can try one, or if they should be stricken from the face of the earth.

So remember, the next time you’re having a debate with your mate from Geelong over Parma or Parmi, the Parmo is quietly gaining popularity on the other side of the world. Teeside Live have even gone as far to claim that a “Parmo war is coming” between us and them.

Which side are you on?

#359 - 'Browns Corner Hotel: Redux'

Where - 502 Sydney Rd. Coburg

Price - $23 in the bistro, Thursday parma night (6 varieties from $13)

Website - http://www.brownscornerhotel.com.au

Reviewers – Lee, Nikki & Stefo

When we first reviewed Browns back in 2013 we walked away unhappy. To quote the write up for that visit is was a “bland, dry, expensive, lukewarm mess”. It rated as one of the worst we had ever done and languished near the bottom of our ladder for quite some time - However after some closures and redo’s of the parmas that sat lower than Browns it somehow found itself dead last, with the unpleasant distinction of the worst rated parma on our ladder.

I was flicking through some old reviews recently and came across Browns. Yes it was bad, I stand by our initial assessment, however was it bad enough to be the worst parma on our list? A pang of guilt hit my stomach and I resolved that we should check it out again. Surely something has changed in the 5 years since our first review… Right?

So last night we headed to the corner of Bell Street and Sydney Road in Coburg to once again check out Browns Corner Hotel.

Interior of Browns is pretty much the same as before, although this time we gravitated to the bar instead of the bistro. Things were gearing up for Thursday night trivia so it was a much livelier and more inviting atmosphere in the bar than the completely dead bistro.

The parma on the bistro menu (what we had in 2013) is as follows -

Pretty much the same as last time, only with a $1 hike in price.

Little did I know until we had arrived, Thursday night has now become Thursday Parma night at Browns…

Choices to make! We checked out the range of specials on offer, Reviewers Stefo and Nikki decided to be boring and stick to the Classic, while I was feeling a little more adventurous and opted for the Italian. I was curious if the addition of a few different toppings justified a five dollar price hike, But I' guess we’ll see.

There are 12 taps in the Browns bar, with Carlton Draught, Dry, Pure Blonde, Stella, 4 Pines, Wild Yak, Bulmers, Frothy, Whale Ale, Great Northern and VB. The craft fans may go a little wanting at this one, although I did spy a stubby of Stone & Wood in the fridge.

As is tradition with re-reviews, let’s have a look at our 2013 experience at Browns before moving on to last night’s parma…

2013 Browns Corner Hotel Parma

2018 Classic parma

2018 Italian parma

Hmmm. At first place that crumbing looked pretty supermarket-deli-window processed to me, however once we tucked in it wasn’t so bad. It was dry, but big enough and seemingly real chicken - The processed looking crumbs didn’t do them any favours though.

From order to food arrival it only took about 10-15 minutes for the parmas to come out. They were piping hot and seemingly popular as pretty much everyone around that was packed in for trivia was having a parma as well.

The toppings were fine. There was a fair bit of nudity, which I can normally excuse if the schnitzel itself it top tier, however this one didn’t quite have the strength to make it without the toppings helping it along.

I enjoyed the italian toppings, they definitely weren’t tight with the olives or salami. The bolognaise was a little bit dry (as was the napoli, the others around the table would report). To be honest I’d be fine if they dropped the bol all together on the Italian, the olives and salami are such strong flavours that it gets lost amongst them anyway, and switching back to standard napoli might help drop the $5 difference between classic and Italian.

Once rescued from underneath the parma the chips were great. Beer battered, hot and crispy. I wanted more of them as the serving was a little small, and some dipping sauce would have been nice, but otherwise these were great.

The salad was pretty much an afterthought. The ingredients were crisp but other than that there wasn’t a whole lot of love put into the side. It was fine … That’s about it.

“Good value for parma night. Solid chips but the parma was a tad dry and the salad was nothing to write home about”

— Stefo

“Improved on last time, but there was a lot of nude schnitzel and it really needed some more napoli. Chips were good though! ”

— Nikki

On Thursday parma night with the spectacle of trivia around you the parma at Browns is acceptable for the price. I don’t think the Italian toppings were worth a whole $5 more, but at the same time I’d recommend getting one of the novelty toppings over the classic, the variety really helped to elevate a less-than-great schnitzel.

In the end I’m glad we went back to Browns. It was by no means the best parma we’ve ever had but it definitely doesn’t deserve to be on the bottom of our list. I’d recommend it if you’re after a cheap feed with fun trivia on a Thursday night, but probably not at full price.

Parma - 5.33

Chips - 7.00

Salad - 4.17

Value - 7.00

Total - 5.77

The search continues...

#358 - 'The Cheeky Pint'

Where - 231 Barkly St. Footscray

Price - $25

Website - No website that I can find - Facebook & Instagram

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

I first heard about the Cheeky Pint when this Reddit post popped up a few months ago. From there I kept an eye on their social media, checking in every now and then to see how things were progressing.

On Grand Final weekend they opened their doors, from what I could see the place looked great inside, yet I was still to see a menu - Until last week when they finally posted their (admittedly low resolution) menu on their facebook page, confirming my hopes that they would have a parma on the menu. From then we wasted no time loading up the Parma Bus and heading to visit Footscray newcomer, The Cheeky Pint.

Within the bones of the Barkly Hotel, the owners have done an outstanding job breathing life into the old pub.

It’s a skinny pub, the area in front of the bar (pictured above) extends through to a small dining area to the side and a street-side beer garden out to the adjoining lane. It’s not the biggest spot, but spacious enough. Kicking off parmas early this week we arrived at around 6pm to a relatively empty pub and had our pick of the tables. We grabbed one and took a look at the menu…

Aside from a few craft options on tap, the Cheeky Pint is also a brewpub, with mammoth copper tanks behind the bar tantalising patrons with their own brews. Rather than describe myself I’ll let the menu description walk you through the beers available…

Hot damn I want to try them all. It’s also worth noting that the Cheeky Pint is Growler friendly, so, like me, you can come armed with a growler and take home a serve of your favourite, so the party doesn’t need to end when you leave the pub. As far as the craft options I mentioned earlier it was nice to see the likes of Boatrocker, Two Birds and Kaiju on the guest taps, and I also was amazed to see three hand pumps behind the bar, each with craft beer options of their own.

I honestly could’t decide, so wound up springing $20 for the tasting paddle…

As far as paddles go this was one of the more generous ones I’ve had. I’ve had much more expensive paddles in my time with much smaller glasses. And they were good beers! The Perfect Change pale ale was definitely a favourite.

About 20 minutes after ordering and working our way through our paddles, our parmas arrived…

As soon as the mammoth boards hit the table I knew we were in for something special. The schnitzel was plump, the crumbs cooked to crispy perfection while the thick white chicken breast inside was extraordinarily juicy.

The massive boards meant not one element had to be stacked on the other - I know I’m going to get complaints from the meals-served-on-chopping-board haters, and I agree a plate is always a preferable option, but it was great having so much room to manoeuvre. Every element on the board had its own space, plenty of room to breathe.

The toppings were also outstanding. The abundance of fresh, chunky napoli reminded me a lot of our current 1st place holder The Birmingham. Cannot fault it.

On first glance the cheese looked a little light for my tastes, but on eating it I found it super flavoursome, perfectly gooey with great coverage and just the right amount of stretch.

The sliced ham was definitely appreciated, however I felt it could use a bit of a punch up. There was plenty of it, but its flavour was a little lost amongst the other elements of the dish, in a perfect world I would have liked the ham a bit smokier, really make its presence known.

I can already see the comments about the chips. “You only got 7 chips?!”. I thought the same when I first saw the board, but the chunky, spicy wedges were quite thick all around, it was more like eating potato quarters than eating chips. Seven was more than enough as I struggled to finish everything on the plate, and the dollop of mustard aioli served on the side was a triumph, a burst of flavour that worked great as both a chip dip and something to add a little bit more zing to the parma.

The salad is the only part of the dish I wasn’t a wrap for. It was fine, but compared to the other outstanding elements on the board it just didn’t stand up. The lettuce looked a little wilted and I wasn’t a huge fan of the dressing - somehow sour and salty at the same time. The sourness did work well as a bit of a palate cleanser, but it was definitely the weakest element on the plate.

“Loved the parma. Loved the wedges. Loved the beers! Wasn’t a fan of the salty salad, but otherwise an amazing meal.”

— Nikki

For $25 I wouldn’t hesitate returning to the Cheeky Pint for a parma. This is a top tier pub feed using high quality ingredients and I’d have no qualms shelling out another $25 any day of the week.

On the way out I got a growler full of Perfect Change Pale ale for the road and we headed home absolutely stuffed. My criticisms of the Cheeky Pint parma are minor to say the least. All in all this is a phenomenal bird that I urge you to get over to Footscray and try, or at the very least stop in for a cheeky pint on the way past.

Parma - 9.50

Chips - 8.95

Salad -6.50

Value - 8.00

Total - 8.49

The search continues...

Crossing the Road #6 - 'Smokin' Joe's'

Where - 11 Stores around Victoria.

Price - Varies, see review for details

Website - http://www.smokinjoespizza.com.au

Reviewers - Lee & Nikki

Is it just me or has the Smokin’ Joe’s franchise sprung up overnight?. I spotted one in Essendon and another in Keilor before doing a bit of research online and discovering they have 11 stores dotted around Victoria alone. Where did they come from?!

Not to be confused with Smoken’ Joe’s, the now closed Essendon institution that we reviewed back in 2012, So many Smokin’ Joe’s storefronts popping up seemingly out of nowhere definitely piqued my interest. We haven’t done a Crossing the Road since June so this week we put the parma bus in park, chucked on some trackie dacks, chilled on the couch and let the parmas come to us.

For the newcomers, our Crossing the Road reviews are a chance to try the parmas in Victoria that you can only get via take-away. There are a lot of delivery parmas in Melbourne, however a good delivery parma is an elusive beast, and Crossing the Road is a chance to find a diamond in the rough.

The Zomato page for Smokin’ Joe’s Keilor is a divisive place. The reviews on the front page are either 5 stars or 1 star, with no shades of grey in-between (along with a very angry patron who has made it his mission to leave abusive, racist replies to almost every review).

Positive or negative, people have strong feelings about Smokin’ Joe’s, so Thursday night, beer in hand and feet up on the coffee table I fired up the laptop to place our order.

Things get a little bit interesting here. On both the menu page and the Online Ordering section of the Smokin’ Joe’s website, the price of the parma is listed at $24.90…

However when I open up Uber Eats I get a different price…

That’s an eight dollar difference. An eight dollar difference that doesn’t even include Uber Eat’s $5 delivery fee.

To make things even more interesting I checked Menulog…

$29.90 on Menulog, however you only get a choice between chips or salad for that price, not both.

How can the price for the same dish vary so wildly between 3 websites? Well I did a bit of research (and by “research” I mean “had a whinge about it to some mates”) and it came to my attention that Uber Eats takes a 30% commission on all orders, while Menulog takes a 15% commission. 30% of 24.90 is $7.50 and 15% is around $3.70. It looks like Smokin’ Joes are upping their prices to cover the delivery service commission. I can see why they’re doing it, but it’s a little bit annoying.

I’d rather save my eight dollars than flush it down the dunny, so I placed the order through the Smokin’ Joe’s website (with a $6 delivery fee, if you’re curious)

I placed the order at 6:05 and the order receipt predicted that my parma would be delivered at 6:50, and I’ll be damned if my parma didn’t arrive at 6:50pm on the dot

Firstly, it was presented very well! The large cardboard serving tray worked a lot better than the foil tray deals that a lot of parma take-aways use. I normally insist on plating up my delivery parmas when they arrive however the box used by Smokin’ Joe’s worked a treat. Plenty of room for both the parma and chips with minimal stacking required.

Now on to the schnitzel. At first glance this looked like a super plump, fresh chicken breast - and while this was mostly correct the schnitzel used in the Smokin’ Joe’s parma was quite heavily crumbed, a move not really necessary as the chicken was thick enough as it is, they didn’t need to inflate it with a heavy crumb.

The continuing problem with delivery parmas has struck again with this one - It just wasn’t hot enough. I can’t put this on the restaurant too much as its a good 15 minute drive from Keilor to my joint, but both the parma and the chips suffered from arriving not quite as hot as we like it.

Toppings were mostly fine. The ham was super smokey and thick cut - Reminded me a lot of a shaved Christmas ham (and the season is upon us! I saw tree’s for sale at Target yesterday). The cheese blend was fine with decent coverage, however this parma was super lacking in the napoli sauce department. most of it had dried out by the time it arrived and there was probably only a 2 square inch section of the parma that I’d consider appropriately sauced.

If the chips had’ve been hot they would have been a triumph. Super thick, a massive serving and well seasoned with chicken salt. Super tasty, just a little dry and not quite as hot as I’d like after the trip from Keilor.

As far as garden salads go I couldn’t ask for much more in a side salad. I’m a sucker for onion, which you can see by the picture below this parma had in spades. It was fresh, crisp and full of flavour. Quite tasty.

I didn’t walk away from this one hungry and the ingredients used in this parma were of acceptable quality - I’d be happy paying another $24 for this parma. However, if I had’ve paid the Uber Eats price of $32.90 I would have been much less forgiving. If you can order this one through the website directly I’d be say it’s worth a try.

Of the 6 Crossing the Road review’s we’ve done I think I’ve ended 4 of them with “It was good … but it was cold”. I guess it’s just something I’ve got to accept that parmas just don’t travel well.

As for the Smokin’ Joe’s parma? I think I’m gonna go against the extreme opinions shown on their Zomato page and say it was alright. We don’t score Crossing the Road reviews but if I were to review this one on Zomato I would probably give it a 3 out of 5 stars … Good, but with room for improvement.

If you live close enough to a Smokin’ Joe’s that you can pick it up yourself to ensure it’s nice and hot then I’d say give this one a go, but I wouldn’t be too disappointed if you were outside of their delivery zone.

The search continues...

#357 - 'The Dan O'Connell Hotel: Redux'

Where - 225 Canning St. Carlton

Price - $22 for Chicken, $20 for Eggplant

Website - https://www.thedan.com.au

Reviewers – Adam T, Cale, Fridge, Lee, Nikki & Stefo

It was quite a while ago that we first visited the Dan O’Connell. The original review has a rare photo of the review team in action and I can’t believe how young we all look. It was 2010 when that photo was taken and our visit to the Dan was our 16th review. My memory of the parma is a bit fuzzy (as fuzzy as the photo of it that was posted in the review). I remember that we had a fantastic night, splitting the large review team into two and battling it out at the Dan’s Wednesday trivia night, however my recollection of the parma was that it wasn’t great. Thin, processed, an all around cheap, low quality job.

I always loved the Dan O’Connell, their yearly Saint Patrick’s Day parties in the neighbouring park were a highlight of my youth, so when I heard that the lads behind the fantastic Catfish and Northern Git had taken over my interest was certainly piqued, so we loaded up the parma bus and headed back to the Dan O’Connell Hotel.

It’s been a while, but St. Paddy’s at The Dan was once the highlight of my year.

The Interior of the Dan hasn’t changed a whole lot from what I remember, it’s still the poorly lit, slightly dank, cosy bar that I had grown to love. From the open fireplace to the stack of well worn board games by the door its a pub that I’d love to term a “backstreets local” if it wasn’t sitting on Alexandra Parade, arguably the busiest street in Melbourne’s North.

We grabbed a table and checked the menu…

We’ve yet to do an eggplant parma on ParmaDaze but I will make note of it in case we get a vegetarian reader. Also, mentioning eggplant in the text and not just the image means I’ll be able to do a search for it if someone asks me for a recommendation for an eggplant parma in the future. Eggplant.

(side note: Nobody got the eggplant, we all went with chicken)

Possibly the biggest change at the Dan O’Connell is what’s going on behind the bar. Gone are your standard CUB or Lion taps and in their place is a wondrous selection of craft beers. Keep an eye on their Now Tapped listing for more up to date details as I feel like anything I list will be out of date by the time I hit “publish”, but I was super impressed by the selection (The Citray Sour by La Sirène was a personal favourite.

About 25 minutes after ordering our parmas arrived from the kitchen. As is tradition with revisits, lets compare the 2010 parma to its 2018 counterpart…

The 2010 Dan O’Connell Parma

The 2018 Dan O’Connell Parma

Right out of the gate its a massive improvement on the 2010 parma. The schnitzel was insanely plump. Perfectly cooked, super juicy and a top quality chicken breast. in 2010 we questioned if we had received a store bought deli-window schnitzel, well those worries were out the window the second we cut into this beast.

It’s been a few weeks since we had a parma served as piping hot as this one, super fresh and flavoursome with a perfectly crunchy crumb. Yes, it was served directly on the chips, which required a bit of plate-fu to quickly re arrange things before the chips got too soggy under such a steaming hot parma, but we managed to get everything out of the way before too much damage was done.

As far as toppings go the napoli sauce was the star. Fresh and light, not nearly as tomato-pastey as we would expect on our parmas. The smoked ham added some complexity and, even though the cheese could have used an extra 30 seconds or so under the grill, had great coverage, nice and sharp with plenty of stretch.

Also, I’m not sure if it was in the napoli or throughout the crumbs, but the Dan’s parma had quite a unique savoury flavour. We discussed it around the table and the closest thing we could compare it to is the herbs they use in the stuffing of charcoal roasted chickens. It was subtle, but it was there. Quite unique and enjoyable.

I’m struggling to find a critique of this parma. It was pretty much spot on. An amazing improvement.

The chips that arrived with the parma were … fine. They were well cooked and plenty of them, but they were a little boring. Could have used some more seasoning, the offer for tomato sauce on the side when the parmas were delivered was greatly appreciated.

The salad was fresh and crisp. A garden salad with some shredded cabbage thrown in for good measure. It was very strong on lemon juice, giving it a strong citrus punch that worked well as a palate cleanser, however was a little too much by the time we got through it all.

“The Parma itself was delicious, had a nice garlic hit through the crumbs. The chips were ok. Good price for what it was.”

— Cale

“A very flavoursome parma with decent tasting sides as well. The chips required rescuing from under the bird which is not everyone’s cup of tea. To be honest I don’t remember the last parma we ate here but I’d say this is a vast improvement.”

— Stefo

“I really enjoyed the Parma at Dan’s. I had trouble faulting the Parma, it was real chicken breast, great crumbs, succulent & juicy. It even had a light taste of chicken stuffing, the like that comes from a charcoal chicken, very nice.
The chips were pretty plain but cooked well, a little crunchy and nicely seasoned. The salad, was tasty and fresh always great to break up a heavy meal. It was a finely cut green salad however it had cabbage thrown in for good measure and the fresh addition of parsley, the only negative, it did have the strong taste of lemon but not a massive complaint.
At $22, it’s not the cheapest Parma but then nor was it the most expensive. I felt that it was good value for money. The pub itself has a cosy Irish pub feel, a great selection of beers on tap and the rest of the menu looked good also. I would definitely order it again.”

— Adam T

“Parma was piping hot, napoli was good but the onion was a little over the top. Standard chips.
Great cosy pub!”

— Fridge

“Loved the beautiful Parma, it was definitely the highlight of the dish for me. The sides were okay but could definitely use some love.”

— Nikki

At $22 I’m calling this one a bargain. The chicken quality was top notch and didn’t all feel like they were trying to make a buck off this meal (especially considering we had a $32 parma last week that wasn’t nearly as good as this one). If $22 is too rich for your blood the Dan offers up this same parma for just $16 (chicken or eggplant) on Monday nights. An amazing deal and one I whole heartedly recommend you check out.

The parma at the Dan is an astounding improvement on its 2010 counterpart. Do yourself a favour and drop in for a feed, or even just a beer - You won’t be disappointed either way.

Parma - 8.50

Chips - 6.25

Salad - 6.67

Value - 8.00

Total - 7.58

The search continues...

#356 - 'The Bavarian'

Where - L1, Highpoint Shopping Centre, 120-200 Rosamond Rd. Maribyrnong

Price - $28.50, Fries and Salad extra

Website - http://www.thebavarians.com/

Reviewers – Adam T, Lee & Nikki

Before we get started just a heads up, for this review we visited the Bavarian at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong, however there are 16 other Bavarians dotted around Australia (mostly in NSW and QLD) - Check the website to find your closest one.

So a little over a month ago we reviewed The Highpoint Hotel, newly revamped sports bar in the entertainment district of Highpoint Shopping Centre, after finishing up our meal and heading outside I noticed that the old Hog’s Breath Cafe that used to be next door was boarded up and in its place were photos advertising a new beer hall coming soon, however all the imagery seemed to be beer and sausage focussed, I didn’t connect the dots that the Bavarian would probably have a schnitzel or two on the menu.

I found myself at Highpoint again last week, but this time the Bavarian was open…

As far as beer halls go the Bavarian has nailed the vibe perfectly. It feels modern, while retaining that classic beer hall feel, with long picnic tables throughout the space as seating options it gives it a much more communal feel when it gets busy as you’re essentially drinking with everyone else at the pub (and for you anti-social folks there are single tables available too).

While looking at the new digs I checked out the menu and noticed an entire section dedicated to schnitzels. It was … Formidable.

With an impressive list of schnitzels confirmed (Including a specifically named Parmigiana) I scheduled a visit to the Bavarian as fast as I could, so last week we loaded up the parma bus and again found ourselves at Highpoint Shopping Centre.

There are 17 taps gracing the bar at the Bavarian, to be honest I’d expect nothing less from an establishment touting itself as a “Beer Hall”, and to be honest, they definitely bring it. All 17 beers are available in 300ml, 500ml and 1L steins, as well as a 2L table keg or a 1L glass boot akin to the one used in the finale of the movie Beerfest.

I won’t even begin to try and rattle off the list of beers available at the Bavarian as there are a lot of German words I will no doubt mis-spell (there’s a PDF on their website if you want to check it out), However I will say that whatever size, flavour or alcohol content of beer you’re feeling like I have no doubts you’ll find something for you at the Bavarian.

We ordered our meals at the bar along with a couple of boots of beer (pictured above) our beers were poured, we walked back to our table and our parmas arrived as we sat down. I honestly thought there was a mistake at the kitchen as there was no way our parmas could be ready so soon.

It couldn’t have been more than four minutes, five if I’m being generous.

This was a massive red flag in my eyes as there’s no possible way our order could be ready that quickly unless they were pre-cooking the schnitzels. Don’t get me wrong, I love a speedy parma, but when the meal gets back to my table after I order faster than I do … That’s less of a restaurant experience and more of a fast food vibe. It could be fine, but it just doesn’t sit well.

A little bit thrown, we picked up our cutlery and tucked in. It was real chicken breast, each plate around the table had a uniquely shaped piece of chicken as the foundation of their parma so they get points there, but other than that I wasn’t a huge wrap for the schnitzel. It was dry, the crumbing was thick and lacked any crunch. As I was kind’ve expecting it didn’t taste fresh.

In my eyes a Bavarian restaurant should have the highest calibre of schnitzel available, especially for the premium we paid for the experience (I’ll get to that later), pre-cooking parmas is an unacceptable practice, especially for a restaurant that should be hailing its schnitzels as a flagship item.

It was big enough, but not huge. With all of the sides combined I definitely walk away from the table hungry.

I don’t have many criticisms on the toppings. Other than needing another minute or so under the grill the cheese blend was flavoursome, with good parma coverage and had a nice gooey stretch to it. The napoli was a little less noteworthy - Nothing about it I disliked, but also nothing to comment on. It was fine.

No ham on this parma, which I definitely missed, especially when paying so much for the parma, I would expect them to pull out all of the stops and deliver a second to none parma experience.

Normally this is where I’d write about the chips, however the Bavarian does things a little differently. The base price on the menu for the parma ($28.50) gets you the parma itself and a side of coleslaw, nowhere on the menu is the side of coleslaw mentioned so I was under the impression that we needed to order multiple sides to fill out the meal. The menu lists three options of “Carbs” for you to add - Fries, Potato Salad and Mash, $2 extra each. For last nights meal I went with a side of fries and a side of potato salad (pictured above, the potato salad was under the parma, not visible in the photo) while reviewers Nikki and Adam went with the mash, Adam also getting the potato salad for good measure.

Overall I enjoyed my selection of carbs. The chips were well seasoned and the side of tomato sauce was appreciated. Despite (mostly) being served not underneath the parma they were a little bit soggy, but overall a quality side.

The potato salad was also great, taking me back to the old Prince of Wales days, I was reminded just how well a bit of spud salad pairs with a parma. Excellent.

I didn’t try any of the mash myself, but word around the table came back pretty positive. “Creamy” and “Really garlic-y” were two of the most used comments, seemed like a decently sized serve as well.

We’ve been on a bit of a run of coleslaws lately! In the last month we’ve had the Highpoint Hotel, The Park and Hardimans all serving up slaw in place of garden salad. How does the Bavarian stack up? Also pretty good! Much like what I heard about the mash it was also choc-full of garlic, so maybe avoid if you have a job interview in the near future, but it was fresh, flavoursome, maybe a little heavy handed on the aforementioned garlic but overall a refreshing side dish that worked well with the parma.

“I was expecting the schnitzel to be the star of this dish but was bitterly disappointed. I enjoyed the pub, great atmosphere, but probably won’t have a Parma next time around”

— Nikki

“There was a feeling of optimism heading to the Bavarian for Parmas this evening, optimism being fed from the style of restaurant, the menu obviously specialising in schnitzels and the price they were asking for the meals themselves.

The Parma itself was a little on the thin side it appeared to be chicken breast and not processed although not obvious, a little investigating was required to determine. The crumb was a little too uniform and plain, adding weight to the processed vs handmade question, the napoli tasted fine and there was a good amount of cheese, a few slices of ham would have done wonders or even, given the meals the Bavarian has on the menu, maybe some pork knuckle or pork sausage to make it their own.

Overall I wasn’t overly impressed with the Parma itself. Although I swopped a few of Lee’s chips to try, I myself had the potato salad and potato mash as a side, it also came with a complimentary coleslaw which was a massive garlic hit but very delicious. The mash was good and potato salad tasty also, no complaints there.

Overall, it was a satisfying meal, coupled with some tasty beer and great mates. My only negatives: The meal came out in minutes which sounds great but nowhere near enough time to construct and plate up a handmade meal to the quality you’d expect from a venue like this, the Parma was a little below par, nice for a discount Parma night at the local but not for $28 just for the Parma and coleslaw plus $2 per side, that’s restaurant pricing so I want restaurant quality food, again tasty enough but if I went there again I’d order something else.”

— Adam T

Value is a tough one this week. $28.50 for a parma is damn pricey. Throw in another $2 for chips and another $2 for potato salad and you’re looking at $32.50 for a parma with chips and salad, making this the most expensive non-novelty parma we’ve ever done. Ever.

So the big question - Is it worth the price? To be honest, in it’s current state I wouldn’t recommend it. I really don’t want to harp on about the price but for over thirty dollars I want the mother-flippin’ Cadillac of parmas on my plate, not something pre-cooked, slapped together and shoved out of the kitchen before I can even get back to my table.

I noticed a “2-for-1 schnitzel Tuesdays” on the list, I’m not sure if this extends to parmas but I would assume so? If you want to try the parma at the Bavarian and not break the bank that would be the time to drop in.

Oddly enough the Bavarian has a weird tie-in deal with the Qantas Frequent Flyers club, wherein you can spend 4000 points to get $20 off your meal, or in turn you can earn 2 Frequent Flyer points for every $1 spent at the Bavarian… Fair enough I guess?

The Bavarian is a fantastic looking pub that I can’t wait to head back to for another boot or two. It’s a super fun, friendly atmosphere and an awesome place for a session. I had three different sides to my parma (chips, salad, potato salad) and they were all delightful, and reports back on the mash seem to indicate the same. The one spot the Bavarian falls down is with the parma itself. You just can’t send out pre-cooked schnitzels at such a premium price. When the bulk of your menu is either Sausages or Schnitzels you have to kind' of nail it when you come to such a key aspect.

The old adage is “good food takes time to prepare” I don’t need my parma on my table in 5 minutes. Slow it down, take your time, I’m happy to wait if it means you get it right.

Parma - 5.77

Chips (Carbs) - 8.00

Salad - 7.33

Value - 4.00

Total - 6.17

The search continues...

#355 - 'The East Brunswick Hotel: Redux'

Where - 280 Lygon St. East Brunswick

Price - $24

Website - https://www.eastbrunswickhotel.com.au

Reviewers – Adam T, Lee, Nikki, Rachel, Stefo

Back in 2015 the East Brunswick Hotel landed on our radar after a Herald Sun article named it as one of the best in Melbourne. We checked it out then (you can read about it here) and at the time we were relatively impressed. The pub was unrecognisable from the East Brunswick Hotel that once was, it’d be up there with our recent visit to Hardimans as one of the most drastic pub transformations we’ve ever seen.

The parma was pretty good! It was different to how we traditionally like our parmas here (it was hammered thin instead of giving it some thickness, shoestring fries instead of chunky chips), but it had a lot of redeeming qualities and overall it rated pretty well. It wasn’t the best in Victoria as the Herald Sun would have you believe, but as far as parmas go you could do a lot worse.

Then in a weird turn of events, not long after re-opening the East Brunswick shut up shop. The details are a little bit murky but basically one day business was booming and the next the doors were locked. After that I had written it off as another old pub that would be converted to apartments, imagine my surprise when I heard only a week or so ago that The East Brunny had, once again, re-opened her doors with new owners at the helm.

With new owners comes renovations, and while not as drastic as the initial transformation the East Brunswick underwent the new changes to the pub are more subtle, and to be honest, I think they’re for the better. The first time the pub was re-done they cranked it to eleven, the new owners have scaled things back to an eight or nine. Gone are the garish neon signs (which gave me a headache), the tiled floor has been replaced with wooden floorboards and large hardwood tables have really reinstated the cosy feeling that the last iteration was lacking.

Live sport is definitely a priority at the East Brunny as there are plenty of TV’s around showcasing whatever is on, the centrepiece being an insanely huge screen dominating the majority of the southern wall.

As the East Brunswick had only recently re-opened I thought we would easily snag a table for our review. Surely the word hadn’t gotten out so quickly that the old girl had opened her doors once more. Well I don’t know if it was due to the AFL Finals on TV (Richmond V Hawthorn) or just sheer love for the establishment, but on arrival the pub was already shoulder-to-shoulder with patrons, A rare experience for us at 7pm on a Thursday.

We lucked a table in the centre of the room, grabbed a menu and located our target for the evening…

Beer-wise there’s plenty on offer at the East Brunny. 11 taps run the gamut from Furphy to Stone & Wood to Stomping Ground, and down in the fridge behind the bartenders lies a healthy range of tins and bottles (Balter, Kaiju, Mountain Goat, VB). They’ve struck a good mix between the old standards and something with a little more flavour - Definitely something on offer to wet everybody’s whistles.

As is tradition with Redo’s let us first take a look at the 2015 East Brunswick parma before we dive in to its 2018 counterpart…

The East Brunswick Hotel's parma in 2015

The East Brunswick parma in 2018

The first thing I noticed about the new parma at the East Brunswick is that it seemed like our biggest two complaints had been rectified - Specifically the thickness of both the schnitzel and the chips.

More on the chips later, first up the schnitzel. A hearty piece of chicken. Well cooked and crumbed with a whole lot of crunch around the exposed edges - Unfortunately that crunch didn’t carry all the way through as the crumbs on the bottom of the schnitzel had become rather soggy in their travels from the kitchen to our table. Other than that I don’t have too many more complaints - The cheese melt was quite flavoursome and the serving of ham was extremely generous. I would have liked a little more flavour to the ham as, even though there was plenty of it, it was a little hard to detect amongst the other elements of the dish.

The napoli was a point of note, a lot of the reviewers at the table likening it to more of a bolognese sauce that a napoli (not that it had ground beef through it, more of an “overall vibe” feeling). I could have used a little more napoli on my parma as I didn’t quite get the same notes that they did, however after 8 years of reviewing parmas with this group I have learned to take them at their word on occasion!

Despite a few minor quibbles the parma at the East Brunny was super enjoyable, and definitely an improvement on its 2015 predecessor.

The chips were straight up fantastic. Gone is the bowl of shoestring “maccas” fries and it their place is a massive serving of beer battered beauties. Cooked to crunchy perfection with piping hot pillows of potato inside. Well seasoned with a side of aioli (tomato sauce was also offered) thrown in on the side for good measure. Excellently done.

The salad was the weakest of the bunch. A decently sized serve but there was just nothing to it. Some oily lettuce leaves with a bit of onion, cucumber and tomato (and some of the reviewers around the table didn’t even get the tomato). After such a solid showing with the parma and chips the salad felt like an afterthought. Definite room for improvement here.

“Great size and thickness. Crumbing was good and served piping hot. Napoli was different - A bit like a bolognese sauce. ”

— Fridge

“My experience at the East Brunswick was quite good overall. The venue was warm and comfortable, solid timber bar & tables adding a couch of class along with TV’s spaced throughout and a good variety of beers on tap. The parma was a great size, real chicken breast and quite thick.

I didn’t love the sauce, nor did I hate it, I felt it was closer to a pasta sauce than a parma sauce. The chips were well seasoned, in abundance and went fantastically with the supplied garlic aioli. The salad let the meal down a little, just your run of the mill gourmet salad mix with 2-3 pieces of tomato and I’m not 100% sure there was dressing on it as it was quite dry.

Overall I enjoyed the feed, great company and great food on a rainy spring evening!”

— Adam T

“I’m a salad fiend so my standards are high - The tomatoes were soggy and the leaves were limp. Very little onion and our salads were inconsistent (ie. I had tomato but Stefan had none).

Chips were diving! Parma was delish but would have liked it crunchy all the way around the chicken, not just on one side. A little bit too much cheese for my liking, chicken was moist and delicious - Would definitely come back but would probably ask for no salad and chips instead.”

— Rachel

“If you’re all about the salad then this one is pretty “meh”, but the rest of the meal was great”

— Stefo

“Loved the big serving of crunchy chips with aioli. The parma was pretty good overall I, just didn’t like the sogginess of the crumbs on the bottom. The salad was the weak link, let down what was an overall great meal!”

— Nikki

As far as value for money goes I’d rate this parma pretty highly. The serving of chips was massive, the aioli was chucked in for free as far as I’m aware and all the ingredients (other than the salad) were of the highest calibre. I’ve had a quick squiz around the East Brunswick’s website and social media pages and as far as I can see there aren’t any parma nights on the books as yet, but to be honest I’d happily chip in another $24 for the parma we received.

Oh and its also worth mentioning that during this review we were shadowed by the lovely Rachel from the Moonee Valley Leader. If you live in the Moonee Valley region be sure to keep an eye on the next issue as we may be making an appearance! (Ill be sure to update our facebook when it drops).

All up I’m quite impressed with the East Brunswick. The renovations have given the pub a much more inclusive, local pub atmosphere compared to what it was. The parma was damn fine, let down by a lacklustre salad offering, but otherwise definitely worth checking out.

Parma - 8.00

Chips - 8.25

Salad - 5.00

Value - 7.60

Total - 7.37

The search continues...

#354 - 'Hardimans Hotel: Redux'

Where - 521 Macaulay Rd. Kensington

Price - $23

Website - http://www.hardimans.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

As this month or so of reduxes (reducies? I'm not sure of the plural on that) rolls on I have found myself in the middle of a bit of an existential crisis. Redos on ParmaDaze started simply enough - A pub felt like they got a bit of an unfair shake when they were reviewed, pledged to fix the issues we had with it and asked us to check it out again. We'd go and give it another go and adjust the review score accordingly - Yet over time things have gotten a little murky.

Pubs change hands, new owners move in, buildings get gutted and names get changed - All this blurs the line between what should be considered a "redo" and what should be considered a new pub. For example we considered our recent revisit to The Park Hotel a redo as the name and location of the pub remained the same yet an entirely new team was at the helm, but a week later our visit to Celtic at Metropolitan was listed as a new review and not a redo, the only difference being the latter slightly altered the name of the pub by adding "Celtic at..." to its title when the Park kept theirs unaltered.

Following the train of thought leads to some pretty deep philosophical questions. What makes a new pub new? Do only pubs that retain the same management team/ownership qualify for "redo" status? What about a new head chef taking over a kitchen? It's a Ship of Theseus paradox that I haven't had nearly enough beers to think about without giving myself a headache. To be honest I don't even know how we should clarify what is a Redux and what isn't anymore - I'm open to suggestion so feel free to leave a comment below or on our various social media sites with your thoughts.

Which brings us to this week's review - Kensington's Hardimans Hotel. We first visited Hardimans back in June of 2011 and, well, I'm not gonna sugar coat it - it was a dive. You can read the full review here but the TL;DR is that they had no clean glasses, there were mice openly running around the floor of the pub it was dank, dirty and to be honest one of the worst parmas we have had in the over 8 years we've been doing this, sitting at the bottom of our ladder for quite some time.

Then, last year, Hardiman's shut up shop. New owners took over and basically gutted the building. I noticed during our visit to Kensington Food Hall in April this year that work was being done and have been tracking its progress since - Until Friday last week, when the new look Hardimans opened its doors. 

I couldn't even wait until our usual Thursday parma night to check it out, so we loaded up the parma bus on Saturday afternoon and headed to Hardimans to see how it all turned out. 

Walking into the pub I was floored - The pub is completely unrecognisable inside. Gone is the dank, mouse ridden cesspool and in its place is a bright, spacious and downright gorgeous pub. 

We grabbed a table in the front bar, tracked down a menu and spied our target for the afternoon...

Looking good, we placed our order at the bar and waited for our meals to arrive. 

Now Hardimans had been open for less than 24 hours at the time of our review, so I was prepared to cut them a bit of slack in terms of service as all pubs have their share of teething problems (I even considered delaying the review while they sorted out any kinks, but I had been looking forward to this one opening for so long I couldn't help it). However no slack was needed the service at Hardimans was pretty hard to fault. The bar staff were bright eyed, friendly and helpful. Happy to have a chat and recommend their favourites from the beer taps on offer.

Speaking of which, the tap list at Hardimans was impressive right out of the gate. Moon Dog, Hop Nation, Mountain Goat, Stone & Wood and the nearby Henry St. Brewhouse to name just a few of the 20 taps on offer, with even more in the fridge below. 

As is tradition with revisits (if this counts as a revisit... I don't even know anymore) lets compare the 2011 Hardimans parma to its 2018 counterpart. 

Hardimans Parma circa 2011

Hardimans parma circa 2018

Holy crap what an upgrade! For starters Hardimans has one of the more unique platings for a parma we have seen for some time, looking a bit more like an art installation than a pub feed. As you can see from the photos the parma sits alone on a large plate, with the chips and slaw coming in their own dish to the side. My initial thoughts were that it looked a little dry on the plate, but those fears were quickly allayed when I tucked in and found a juicy fresh chicken breast underneath the crispy crumbs. 

The chicken quality was exceptional. The schnitzel was huge (possibly two smaller schnitzels plated together) and cooked to perfection. 

Now in an unusual move I'm giving the crumbs their own paragraph because I've got a lot to talk about. When the parma first hit the table the aroma hit me. Garlic. Now let me be clear that I love garlic, the more the better, and luckily so because the crumbing of the Hardiman parma is absolutely jam packed with garlic to the point where this parma tastes a lot like a chicken kiev, smooshed flat, with chicken parma toppings on top. It's a love-it or hate-it move that will no doubt divide the parma lovers. I firmly fall onto #teamgarlic, but if you aren't as much of a fan, well, you've been warned.

The other toppings were stellar. Crispy prosciutto added a salty punch, the cheese blend was spot on, with a healthy dusting of parmesan on top and the napoli sauce was rich and strong. 

I'm not gonna lie with the garlic in the crumbs, the prosciutto and the parmesan cheese this is a parma of bold flavours. There's a lot going on here and it can get a bit overpowering at times. Luckily the side of slaw works super well as a palate cleanser to balance things out a little. 

The thick cut bad boy chips on the side plate were cooked well and nicely seasoned. When they first arrived it looked like it was a rather small serve of chips, but they were super filling and I didn't end up finishing them all. A couple of them were slightly undercooked and a bit hard in the middle, but it's a criticism barely worth mentioning. 

As mentioned before the slaw worked amazingly as a palate cleanser from the onslaught of flavours in this parma, It was fresh and crisp (although not quite as fresh as The Park's), if I had any complaint it would be that the serving size was a little small - For such a big parma I just wanted more. Having it served on the side plate it was a little bit awkward to manoeuvre if I wanted a bit of parma and a bit of slaw in one bite, but for the great aesthetic of the parma alone on the plate I'm happy with it as is.

“I was worried when I only counted 9 chips on my plate, but they were so filling I couldn’t finish them all. Strong flavours in this parma but I loved the garlic punch. ”

— Nikki

As far as I'm aware there aren't any parma nights on the books at Hardimans just yet (but as I said they've only just opened, I wouldn't be surprised if they add one down the line) It's currently priced at $23, which I think is a more than reasonable price for what we received. The Hardimans parma uses great quality ingredients from top to bottom that I honestly have trouble faulting - A great feed at a perfectly reasonable price. 

I'm a little worried that I'm gushing so much over the Hardimans parma when I know that it's not gonna be for everyone. The garlic in the crumbs is super powerful and would absolutely dominate the flavours in any other dish, however with the strong parmesan and prosciutto backing it up I think it balances out well (although I can totally understand that others may not agree). Either way its definitely worth checking out, if only for the outstanding renovations that have transformed this once dive bar in to a beautiful example of a local pub. 

And it looks like they got rid of the mice 🐭

Parma - 8.85

Chips - 7.95

Salad - 7.25

Value - 8.00

Total - 8.18

The search continues...

#353 - 'Celtic at Metropolitan'

Where - 42A Courtney St. North Melbourne

Price - $24

Website - http://www.metrohotel.com.au

Reviewers – Lee, Nikki & Stefo

When I mentioned at the top of our Woodlands Hotel: Redux review that there would be a few redos appearing in the coming weeks I wasn't kidding, and although today's visit to the Celtic at Metropolitan isn't strictly a redo, it is redo-esque, as it's taking the now closed top 10 title holder The Metropolitan Hotel and the now closed Celtic Club, smashing them together into an unholy Irish hybrid and I figured we'd better do our due diligence and see what sort of parma had been birthed in the process. 

Our trip to the Metropolitan was right at the very start of our quest, our seventh review to be exact, and it blew us out of the water. It held the #1 for a long time and, had we been doing Golden Chook Awards that early on in this little endeavour, most definitely would have received at least one. We got to the Celtic Club's parma in 2015 and it wasn't as well received. It was okay, but definitely not one I'd write home about. So when the Celtic Club shut its doors I mentally noted it as another loss of a fine CBD pub but honestly didn't think much more of it.

Until, while walking past the Metropolitan Hotel recently, noticed they had changed their name to 'Celtic at Metropolitan' and that the menu had taken on a considerably more Irish pub fare slant (lamb stew, beef & Guinness pie... the usual suspects). I did a bit of research and it turned out that yes, since February this year the Metropolitan has become the "new home" of the Celtic Club, and is now trading as (you guessed it) Celtic at Metropolitan. 

I was curious. The Metropolitan's parma was always great (granted I hadn't had it in about 7 years), and this spurred us to head over and see what kind've parma is being served at the once fantastic pub. 

The Interior of the pub hasn't changed much at all. It's still the same Metropolitan I remember from 2010. There have been a few cosmetic touches here and there to Irish it up a little, but overall the bones of the Metropolitan are still there. Definitely a quality watering hole. 

We grabbed a table and checked the menu, I got a little worried when I didn't see the parma listed under the "Mains" section of the menu but found it, oddly enough, listed under "Celtic Classics" amongst the Irish pub grub selections. 

The tap list at the Celtic is unsurprisingly Irish. Guinness, Kilkenny & Heineken along with Little Creatures Pale, Furphy, Carlton, Byron Bay and Panhead, along with a few more bottled options in the fridge - Not the craftiest selection in the world, but I wouldn't really expect anything too fancy from an Irish pub. 

About 10-15 minutes after ordering our parmas arrived from the kitchen...

First things first, this parma was a freaking monster. Engulfing everything on the plate, this was at least two parmas worth of parma in one serve. We haven't had a big parma in a while, this is definitely the biggest feed we've done in years... Absolutely huge. 

Surprisingly, despite being massive, the quality of the schnitzel didn't take a hit. It was chicken breast, unprocessed and well cooked. A little dry but not overtly so, and the crumbs retained an awesome crunch. Solid foundation. 

The toppings that we had were pretty good, the cheese blend was solid, with a strong tasty cheese bite. The napoli was a tad thick, but rich, flavoursome and covered the entire dish. 

Now we may be a little biased coming off last week's review of the fantastic Park Hotel, which was covered in lashings of fresh smoked ham, but the parma at the Celtic was in desperate need of some ham on top. The chicken, the cheese and the napoli were all solid, but a parma this size needs some ham to help stave off Big Parma Syndrome halfway though. Everyone at the table agreed that some smoked ham on top of this parma would have taken it to the next level. 

Compared to it's previous two iterations I'd say it's somewhere in the middle. Better than the Celtic Club on Queen Street, but not quite as good as the old Metropolitan's parma... Although that might be rose coloured glasses talking as I haven't had the old Metro parma for a good 7 or 8 years.

What trip to an Irish pub would be complete without a serve of curry chips? For $8 we grabbed a bowl to share amongst the table and I'll be damned if they weren't fantastic. The same chips in the bowl were served under the parma. Beer battered, well cooked and well seasoned, and having the curry sauce nearby elevated them immensely - Definitely recommend partaking should you visit for a parma.

The salad looked a little wilted on the plate but it was actually super flavoursome - Plenty of creamy dressing (bordering on too much to be honest). A heap of mustard seeds throughout gave this salad a strong mustard flavour, if that is your thing you'll probably really enjoy this one. 

“This thing was pleading for a bit of ham”

— Stefo

“This parma was so big it was almost overwhelming. It was tasty, but some smoked ham would have really complimented this dish. Curry chips were on point. ”

— Nikki

Wednesday night is parma night at the Celtic, $15 will get you the parma pictured above or the same in eggplant if that is more your thing (although I think the Venn diagram of readers of ParmaDaze and vegetarians would be two seperate circles). $15 for the parma we received is an absolute friggin' bargain and I'd definitely recommend getting on it ASAP.

Apparently the Celtic Club is moving back to its original premises at 320 Queen Street in about 3-4 years time after its renovations are complete, what happens to the Celtic at Metropolitan at that time I don't know, but I'd suggest heading down to North Melbourne and trying this one, especially on parma night - The parma isn't without it's faults, but it is a massive, quality meal in a great pub at an insanely good price (on Wednesdays). Worth checking out. 

Parma - 7.87

Chips - 7.83

Salad - 6.83

Value - 7.00

Total - 7.48

The search continues...

#352 - 'The Park Hotel: Redux'

Where - 191 Nicholson St. Abbotsford

Price - $22

Website - https://www.theparkhotel.com.au

Reviewers – Adam T, Lee, Nikki, Stefo

Normally when we redo a pub it's because we received word that a once poorly reviewed parma has upped its game, and would like a second chance to get things right. However, when we first reviewed The Park Hotel back in 2012 we absolutely loved it, considering it one of the best parmas we had tried so far. 

Over the years since our first review of the park I had heard different reports about the quality of the parma. One week I'd get an email claiming they had changed chefs and it had turned crap, then the following week I'd get tagged in a post claiming it was the best parma someone had ever had. We have always meant to put it on the docket for a redo, but it's hard to get enthused about heading out for a parma when the only place to go is down. 

Cut to 2018. We still consider the parma at The Park in our top 10 (although it has dropped to 5th place in the 6 years since our first visit), and I receive word that the pub has new owners, the team behind the fantastic Royston Hotel in Richmond have taken up the reigns at The Park and completely remodelled their parma. The Park has a good pedigree, the Royston has a good pedigree - Surely the meeting of these parma champions can mean only good things! So last night we loaded up the parma bus and headed back to Abbotsford to see what had changed. 

We arrived shortly after 7 on a Thursday evening and the Park Hotel was already packed. It still boasts a fantastic backstreets local pub vibe. In our first review I made the comment "If I lived anywhere near Abbotsford this place would be my local, hell I’d even consider moving just to be closer to this pub, simply gorgeous" and to be honest my opinions on the matter haven't changed - An absolutely stunning pub. 

We didn't have a booking but out of sheer luck we managed to snag a table in the rear dining area, right next to one of many open fireplaces, which was delightful on a chilly August night. 

A menu was waiting for us at our table, we checked it out and spied our target for the evening. 

Other than the parma there were some tantalising other options on the menu. The Philly Cheese steak, Cheeseburger spring rolls and hot & numbing chicken wings were particularly tantalising, and the tease of a Wednesday night $18 steak night seemed like a delightful way to spend an evening. 

I didn't get a great look at the tap list as we placed our order via the rear window that leads through to the dining area, but at the very least they had Balter XPA and Stone & Wood on tap, so I was completely satisfied with that. 

About 15 minutes after ordering our parmas arrived at our table. As is tradition with Redo's here at ParmaDaze lets have a look at the 2012 version before getting stuck into the 2018 review...

The Park Hotel 2012 parma - Well known for the signature bacon strip across the top

The Park Hotel 2018 parma

Talk about a transformation! The parma at the Park Hotel is completely different from its predecessor. The strip of bacon on top is no more and in its place are healthy lashings of crisp smoked ham. 

The schnitzel beneath was top notch. Pure, untainted chicken breast, lightly crumbed and cooked to maintain a solid crunch while enjoying. The napoli was abundant and flavoursome and the cheese, while not drowning the parma, was used with restraint and cooked with perfection to let the other elements shine through while making its presence known. 

If I had to criticise it I'd say it was served a little cooler than I'd like. Not cold by any stretch, but I enjoy my parmas piping hot, and this was slightly below that. A minor complaint to an otherwise flawless parma. 

I was a little worried when I first saw the chips. There was no salt on the table and I couldn't see any sauce around so I was concerned that they would need a bit of help - Luckily the chips on the Park parma didn't need any help. Perfectly cooked. Perfectly seasoned (I detected a note of chicken salt?) and served to the side of the parma. Fantastic.

I've been harping on for a while about pubs needing to do something different with their salad, garden salads are played out and boring and, while a better option, creamy coleslaw can be a bit too heavy when beside an already heavy meal like a chicken parmigiana. Well the Park Hotel seems to have struck the perfect balance with their shredded cabbage salad. It's a middle ground between garden salad and coleslaw. Shredded cabbage, packed with crisp red onion and no heavy mayo to be found. It was the epitome of fresh, and the perfect palate cleanser to accompany the dish. 

“The chicken was well cooked, great flavour. Chips were cut on the thin side but full sized and well seasoned. The salad was delicious, freshly prepared and fresh tasting - The perfect accompaniment to the parma & chips, something light and fresh to break up the meal. Overall I felt quite satisfied with the serving size and for the $22 price tag I was happy and would gladly pay that again”

— Adam T

“Loved the smokey ham. The parma was definitely the star of the dish”

— Nikki

“Everything on the plate was great. I’m usually one to cover my plate with salt & pepper as soon as it arrives at the table - There wasn’t the need for this parma as everything was already seasoned adequately. One of the best we’ve had.”

— Stefo

As far as I can tell the Park Hotel doesn't have any parma nights on their books, however I'd happily pay $25 plus for the parma we received last night - Having it clock in at only $22 is a bargain in my eyes, no complaints whatsoever. 

All up the parma at the Park Hotel is absolutely phenomenal. It's like they took our criticisms of the Royston, fixed them, and moved them over to another pub (and this definitely puts the Royston on our radar for a Re-Redo). We used to tout the parma at the Park as one of the best in Melbourne, now they've somehow made it even better. Do yourself a favour and go check it out, you won't be disappointed. 

Parma - 9.00

Chips - 7.75

Salad - 8.50

Value - 8.25

Total - 8.50

The search continues...

#351 - 'Highpoint Hotel'

Where - Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong (Bottom level, near the cinema)

Price - $22

Website - https://www.highpointhotel.com.au

Reviewers – Lee, Nikki & Stefo

Alright, before we kick of this week's review I've got to take a second to promote the Parma For A Farmer campaign. I am absolutely gobsmacked with the amount of pubs that have gotten on board for this thing and I am doing my best to spread the word for this fantastic cause, so do yourself a favour and check out the Parma For A Farmer Facebook page - They're doing their best to keep up to date with participating pubs but to be honest there are so many jumping on board they must be struggling to keep up. Amazing work. 

And yes, tonight's target is also participating, donating $1 from every parma sold in August to drought relief. 

In the before time, in the long long ago before ParmaDaze existed and we would blissfully enjoy our weekly parma at the Prince of Wales Hotel, the biggest competition for parmas-served-per-week was a pub at Highpoint known as Ruby. Now I was content with my weekly parma at the Prince of Wales so I never ventured to see what Ruby had on offer, but rumour has it they had queues out the door when their parma night was the big thing. They closed down long before we kicked off ParmaDaze so it would appear that just how good the Ruby parma was is lost to time, if anyone remembers the Ruby parma night be sure to let me know!

Anyway, this is a very round-about way of introducing this week's attempt - The Highpoint Hotel. Next door to where Ruby was located was the Highpoint hotel, which, until last month, was nothing more than a pokies room that was in my top 10 picks for the most depressing place on earth. It was a mostly empty room with a tiny bar, TAB and pokies out the back. So imagine my surprise when I found out it had been completely gutted and was now touting itself as the "biggest & best sports bar in the West!" - This was a claim that had to be investigated, so last night we loaded up the parma bus and headed to the Highpoint Hotel

First up, as you can see from the above panoramic photo this place is freaking huge. Without a doubt the biggest (indoor) pub I've ever been to. The walls are lined with multiple massive TV's, at least 4 pool tables scattered around the venue, a professional looking darts setup, TAB, and even a selection of pinball, arcade and skill tester machines they must've nicked from nearby Playtime. Oh, and the pokies are still there, but they are much less intrusive than they used to be. 

We grabbed a seat and checked the menu...

Sounds good, we ordered at the bar and grabbed our Boomerang-style device (you know the one, it buzzes and flashes when your parma is ready to be collected from the window). 

In researching this pub beforehand I noticed that it is part of the ALH pub group, the conglomeration of over 300 pubs around Australia owned by Woolworths. 

When it comes to parmas the ALH name is pretty much a death sentence. ALH pubs are almost always dank pokies dens that care more about getting punters in than the quality of the food - So I won't lie when I say expectations for this one were horribly low.

Colour me shocked when I realised that there were actually decent beers available at the Highpoint Hotel. On tap was Carlton, VB, Brooklyn, One Fifty Lashes, Furphy, Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada, Pirate Life, 4 Pines, Pimms, Orchard Thieves and Ginger Beer. Then in the fridge we had (among other options) cans of Colonial, Young Henry's and Coors. I was massively surprised with the selection on offer. 

About 15 minutes after ordering our buzzers buzzed and we collected our parmas...

Well. This looks much better than expected! We picked up our cutlery and tucked in. First up, the buttermilk fried chicken is definitely a different yet interesting foundation to a parma. It kept the crumbing thin and crispy and even carried a little bit of spice through with it. I wouldn't want it every time, but it was definitely appreciated as something different. 

Real chicken breast although it was a little bit overcooked and a bit dry - Could have been phenomenal had the chicken been a little bit juicier.

The toppings were solid all round. Great finishing touches with the parmesan & parsley garnish on top. Ham was applied liberally and carried a strong smokey flavour - Even the sugo had a bit of personality. There was a lot going on with this parma, many different flavours to appreciate and they all worked pretty damn well together. 

The chips were probably the weakest element of the dish. They could have been great - Coated with a spicy, almost Cajun seasoning they were definitely something new, however ours were served pretty much cold, felt like they had been sitting out for a while before they were plated up. 

Rather than a traditional garden salad the Highpoint Hotel has opted for a spicy coleslaw. Heavy on the mayo, it paired super well with the parma and even helped alleviate some of the dryness from the chicken. 

“The buttermilk chicken was a different take on the traditional schnitzel - It worked well with the selection of toppings. Different, but tasty.”

— Stefo

“A tasty parma overall, but would have like the chips to be hotter and the coleslaw to be colder. Felt like both had been sitting out for a while. ”

— Nikki

$22 for what we received was a perfectly reasonable price - Nobody left the table hungry and they weren't at all tight with any of the elements on the plate. I'd definitely be back for that price. I can't see any specific parma nights on the books, but there are a few drink specials worth checking out in the "What's On" section of their website.

The Highpoint Hotel honestly blew my expectations out of the water. I expected an ALH pub to play it safe, not offer up a wide gamut of bold flavours. The Highpoint Hotel parma took a lot of risks, most of which paid of beautifully. It's comforting to know that the next time your partner wants to go shopping at Highpoint there's actually a decent pub you can duck off to & watch the footy while you wait. Definitely worth checking out.

Parma - 8.17

Chips - 5.00

Salad - 7.33

Value - 7.00

Total - 7.13

The search continues...

#350 - 'The Woodlands Hotel: Redux'

Where - 84-88 Sydney Rd. Coburg

Price - $26

Website - https://thewoodlandshotel.com.au

Reviewers – Kim, Lee, Nikki, Pat

Before we get into the Woodlands review just a heads up - We've got a few redo's coming up in the next few months. We normally try and keep our revisits to one per month max, however lately we have been inundated for requests for revisits, and from some damn fine looking places too! 

It won't be all redo's, but definitely more than usual over the next few months. Anyway. On to this week's review. 

I have long praised the Woodlands Hotel for it's unique take on the chicken parma. I have written articles for other websites praising it as being one of Melbourne's most "weird and wonderful" takes on a parma. Our original review back in 2013 hailed it as a parma of bold flavours and unconventional presentation. 

So when I saw this post on the Woodland's Instagram...

My interest was definitely piqued. While I wouldn't call the old Woodlands parma perfect (the uncommon flavours could turn some punters off) It'd be a shame if Melbourne lost one of the most exotic examples of a parma we have to offer. Further research was definitely needed so this week we loaded up the Parma Bus and headed back to the Woodland's Hotel in Coburg. 

The Interior of the Woodlands remains unchanged, the light and spacious front bar is where we set up shop for the evening. While we ate the back room was pumping with live music and quite a few people came in and ascended the stairs to the 2nd floor Steakhouse, a spot I made a mental note to definitely return to in the future. 

We grabbed the menu and checked our target...

We placed our orders at the bar, kicked back and waited for our dinner to arrive. 

As far as a tap list goes the Woodlands prides itself on a solid rotation of craft beers. I dare not list any here as they will most likely be gone by the time you get there, but know this is a pub dedicated to a varying selection of quality local brews (Not to mention over 40 options in cans & stubbies in the fridge)

As is tradition with revisits, lets compare our 2013 visit with it's 2018 counterpart

2013 - 

2018 - 

As you can see by the above photos the biggest change in the Woodlands parma is the presentation. No longer is the parma on the chips and the salad on the parma, they have been de-stacked into a more traditional plating style. 

As far as schnitzels go this one is on the money. Impossibly juicy pure white chicken breast, cooked to perfection with its thickness left in tact. I normally like my crumbs with a bit more crunch but that's a minor complaint - Nearing perfection with this schnitzel. 

The prosciutto has been swapped out for speck and the taleggio switched to brie, but luckily the bold flavours I have praised this parma for in the past still remain.

The napoli sauce is chunky and fresh and everything was of the highest quality. I must say that I would probably prefer the original prosciutto over the speck and I enjoy the salty punch prosciutto brings, but for the most part the thickly cut speck is a fine alternative. 

Non traditional parmas are always a risk, I wish I could report that everyone around the table liked the Woodland's take on a parma but the creamy brie wasn't for everyone, something you might want to consider before jumping in. 

I'm not a fan of shoestring fries at the best of times, but as far as shoestring fries go these were pretty good. Well seasoned, piping hot, and we managed to get our hands on some garlic aioli chip dip on request. 

The salad was quite simple (leafy greens with some onion) but did the job, the dressing used doing its best to bring out its flavours. It was fine as a palate cleanser, but nothing outstanding. 

“Not a #1 contender but I don’t think that is what they’re going for - A different, but overall tasty meal.”

— Pat

“The ham was different and quite enjoyable, but I was not a fan of the brie”

— Kim

“Amazing quality chicken breast and bold flavours all around!”

— Nikki

The Woodlands parma uses the highest calibre of ingredients, so be honest I don't think the $26 price tag is too big of an ask. If you're after a bargain on Monday nights they offer up a parma, steak, burger or fish & chips with a free pot or glass of wine for just $20, a fantastic deal if you ask me!

I am relieved that the Woodlands Hotel didn't alter their unique take on a parma. It's definitely not for everyone, however if you're feeling adventurous it's definitely one worth checking out. 

Parma - 7.75

Chips - 7.13

Salad - 5.90

Value - 6.50

Total - 7.01

The search continues...

#349 - 'Food Inc.'

Where - 360 Elizabeth St. Melbourne

Price - $17, soft drink included

Website - None, other than this Facebook Page

Reviewers – Lee

Inspired by the immortal Jason Derulo I was ridin' solo this week, circumstances found me alone in the middle of the CBD and with some time to kill so I figured I'd take the opportunity to review one of the most requested spots in ParmaDaze history - Food Inc. 

Why is it the most requested? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. It is directly at the top of the escalator leading out of Melbourne Central Station, lots of food traffic.
2. It isn't open for dinner, so we could never get there on a Thursday night to actually clear it from our list.
3. Their signage makes a very bold claim...

For quite a while now Food Inc. has been claiming that they serve up the "Biggest, Baddest parma in Melbourne"

What they mean by "baddest" is certainly up for debate, whether they're using the classic definition of the word or using it in the way that the villain in The Wizard feels about his power glove remains to be seen.

Food Inc. has thrown down the gauntlet, I had an afternoon to kill so I ventured inside and checked the menu...

They're really leaning into this "biggest baddest" thing

I placed my order at the counter and took a seat. The Food Inc. parma comes with a free soft drink, so rather than check the beer list as I usually would I opted for a Coke instead. The cafe is licensed, I saw at least one beer tap behind the counter, but it's hardly a pub-worthy selection (fair enough, as they are a cafe).

It's also worth noting that Food Inc. shares its name with a scathing documentary on the corporate food industry. Watching Food, Inc. before going to Food Inc. is not recommended.

The parma arrived quickly, about 10 minutes after ordering it appeared on the table in front of me. 

If you're looking at the above picture and thinking "Oh no", our thought processes are similar. With great hesitance I picked up my cutlery, tucked in, and ... It actually wasn't as bad as it looks. The choice of crumbs makes the schnitzel appear to be your lowest denominator pre-fab deli window schnitz, but to be honest it was better than I was expecting - Not great, but acceptable. 

As far as the claim of "biggest", I mean, it was pretty big? definitely enough to eclipse all of the chips on the plate, but we've definitely had bigger (Bobo's Diner comes to mind).

The toppings were so/so. I freely admit that I enjoy a tasty-cheese heavy cheese blend, which the Food Inc. parma had, however it desperately needed more mozzarella to give it a little more stretch and reduce the radioactive yellow colouring a little. the perfect circles of ham were not visually appealing, but also weren't too offensive when playing off the other elements. 

This was a napoli-heavy parma, which helped a lot with some of the dryness issues from a slightly overcooked schnitzel. Definitely out of a tin, the abundance of sauce was a little bit sweet for my liking, a richer, chunkier home made napoli would have served this dish much better.

You may not believe me from the above photos, but there were chips with this parma, and they actually weren't that bad - Probably the best part of the dish. Beer battered, cooked and seasoned well. I normally claim that any parmaficionado worth his salt can re-arrange a plate to save the chips from their steamy prison before too much damage is done, however Food Inc. plate didn't leave much room for rearrangement, it wasn't till I was halfway done that I managed to free the rest of the chips from their sauna. 

The salad wasn't great. Some lettuce, two slices of cucumber and a tomato wedge. No dressing, just veggies on a plate. The cucumber was fresh and crisp but otherwise there's no love lost with this salad. 

$17 is an impressive price point, I couldn't tell you the last time we had a parma below $20 on a non-parma-night, let alone one with a free soft drink included in the price.

The Food Inc. parma was not the biggest, and not the "baddest" in either definition of the word. If the price tag is all you're concerned about then it might be worth checking out, its a cheap feed that you won't walk away from hungry - But if you find yourself in the middle of Melbourne there are most definitely better options around. 

Parma - 5.50

Chips - 7.00

Salad - 4.50

Value - 8.00

Total - 6.10

The search continues...

#348 - 'Grand Hotel Portarlington'

Where - 76 Newcombe St. Portarlington

Price - $25

Website - http://www.portarlingtongrandhotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

While driving back from filming our video review at The Barwon Heads Pub I thought to myself "This drive sucks. I wonder if there's an easier way to get to this side of town".

I did a bit of googling and came across Port Phillip Ferries, a ferry company offering daily trips across the bay from Melbourne to Portarlington (and sometimes trips to & from Geelong when the footy is on). It looked like a fun idea so I tucked it away for a few months, then last weekend when I saw we finally had a break in our string of horrible weather we made plans to take the ferry down to Portarlington - And what else is there to do in Portarlington other than hit the pub and check out what sort of parma the town has on offer?

Up bright and early the ferry departs from behind Etihad stadium (Marvel Stadium, if you're reading this in the future ... This review is going to age horribly, isn’t it?) at 11am on Saturdays, $29 for a return ticket. 

Super spacious and seemingly brand spanking new, the ferry is a super cool way to travel. The trip takes around an hour and a half each way, but praise the lord, there is a bar on board...

Beers, wines, ciders, even rudimentary cheese and crackers are available to tide you over on the trip. 

With a lovely view of Port Phillip Bay out the window the ride was smooth as silk and absolutely flew by. We arrived at Portarlington at around 12:30, if you want to take your return trip on the same day the ferry leaves at 4:15, leaving about three and a half hours to explore the town. 

We left the ferry behind and wandered up the hill to the biggest building in the town, pretty much the only one you can see from the dock - The Grand Hotel.

To the left of the pub proper is a spacious open air beer garden, with a stage up one end for live music and an ocean view (bay view?) down the other. We grabbed a pint, snagged a seat and checked the menu for our target...

Some of the other items on the menu looked pretty spectacular also, we spied some bowls of Mussels going around (apparently Portarlington is big on Mussels) that were absolutely huge - I've never seen a serve of mussels so big in my life, so if you're bringing a seafood fan along on your parma day trip they won't be disappointed. Oh, and its also worth nothing that there is a 1/2 parma available for kids and seniors. 

The tap list at the Grand is pretty much what you'd expect from a country pub. Carlton, Great Northern, Wild Yak Pacific, 4 Pines, Bulmers - Nothing overly crafty, but enough to find something you'd feel like drinking for the day. 

A little over half an hour after placing our order (a bit of a wait, but a large group snuck in their order right before us so totally understandable) our parmas arrived at the table...

First up, the schnitzel was quite thick, lightly hammered pure, unprocessed chicken breast. Slightly dry but not noticeably so, the panko crumbing was thin however rather soggy and fell away from the schnitzel while eating - And that's where my criticisms of this parma pretty much end. 

The schnitzel was top quality, as were the toppings. Applied liberally, The cheese blend was flavoursome and grilled to a picturesque golden brown. They weren't at all stingy with the ham and the napoli sauce was fresh, chunky and rich (although slightly heavy on the tomato paste for my liking, but thats an immensely minor complaint). A very enjoyable meal

The chips were pretty good, they would have been pretty standard pub chips however I spotted a "sauces" section on the backside of the menu and opted to order a side of gravy purely for chip dipping, which definitely saved them for being a relatively bland affair (they were cooked well and served beside the parma, but were desperate for a bit of seasoning) would definitely recommend getting a side of gravy with your parma order also. 

The salad was impressive. Served in a seperate bowl, stacked high with ingredients (I hope you like grated carrot) there was plenty to tuck into and enjoy, with the house made vinigarette 

$25 for a parma is a bit pricey, but with quality fresh ingredients such as the ones used here I'm happy to pony up the cash again. If you can make it down mid-week The Grand offers a $20 parma and pot day on Thursdays, featuring some novelty parmas thrown into the mix as well, definitely worth checking out if you're a local.

The Grand serves up an honest, down to earth, no frills country pub feed - an absolutely delightful meal and one I'd happily have again if I were in the area. 

After finishing our parma we had a relaxed afternoon in the beer garden. Watched a bit of footy on the TV's out there, downed a few more pints, had a wander around town then headed to the dock at 4 and hopped on the ferry home, grabbed another beer from the on-board bar and arrived back in the CBD just as the sun was setting. 

I totally recommend both the parma at the Grand and the trip across the bay on the ferry. If the sun is out and you've got a Saturday free it's definitely a great day out. 

Parma - 8.00

Chips - 6.90

Salad - 7.40

Value - 6.50

Total - 7.36

The search continues...

#347 - 'A Tale of Two Galways: Seven & The Keilor Hotel Redux'

And we're back!

Our 3 week hiatus has concluded, and we are back to our quest for the best parma Melbourne has to offer, but rather than dive straight in, I figured I'd share the story of the one parma we found while abroad (with a proper review after, If you're looking for The Keilor Hotel: Redux review, scroll on down)

For some reason, the world doesn't seem to be as infatuated with the humble parma as we are down here, so tracking one down in our three weeks around Europe proved to be a more difficult task than I expected. Luckily enough, in Galway, Ireland of all places, we managed to track one down, so before we get to our next official review, lets quickly go over our Irish parma experience at...

Seven

Where - 5-7 Bridge Street, Galway, Ireland

Price - €13.95

Website - http://sevenbridgestreet.ie

Reviewers – Carly, Grace, Kylie, Ivy, Lee, Nikki, Shanan, Tony

Galway is an interesting town. Situated on the west coast of Ireland the town seems to consist mainly of pubs, the main street of the town basically consisting of a pub, next door to a pub, next door to another pub. Basically, it was heaven. 

It took a bit of googling but eventually we came across Seven, a bar which, inexplicably, had an Aussie style parma on the menu.

Perfection! Our visit to Galway was about a week into our trip, so at that point I was absolutely hanging for a meal that wasn't a hamburger or hamburger derivative. 

Seven is primarily a cocktail bar, which seems to be a rarity for Galway as all of the other pubs we visited were more traditional Irish pubs. The cocktail list was impressive, as was their extensive Gin menu, should a bit of gin tickle your fancy. 

About 15-20 minutes after ordering our parmas arrived - 

The schnitzel was pure, almost untouched chicken breast. The shape of each parma different wildly around the table, which was great assurance that there was no processed chicken in sight. My schnitzel was a little overcooked compared to the others around the table, but it was surface damage only, under the crispy crumbs a bounty of juicy white chicken breast awaited.

The toppings were pretty good also - The cheese could have used a little more time under the grill, but it was flavoursome and plentiful. I don't think Ireland had gotten the memo about ham on their parmas yet, and as much as I would have enjoyed it, the Seven parma stood up pretty well without it. The napoli was thick, rich and carried a delightful smokey flavour as advertised, The true star of this dish, however, was the herb pesto drizzled on the plate underneath the parma - An amazing addition to the dish that really elevated it to the next level, and being on the plate as opposed to the parma it's easily avoided if its not your cup of tea - Pubs of Melbourne need to take note: Herb pesto drizzle on the plate - The way of the future.

As far as Im concerned, chips in Ireland have no need to exist unless you cover them in curry sauce, so that's exactly what we did for the chips that accompanied our parmas. Absolutely delicious, especially the ones at the bottom of the bowl to soak in the curry for a while - You may need a spoon to eat them, but they're totally worth it. 

The chips we ordered that didn't come with the curry sauce paled in comparison to the point I don't feel there's much need to even talk about them. They were chips. Standard, curry-less chips. 

The salad was so/so. The cubed beetroot throughout was a nice touch and something we don't see very often, but other than that it was pretty much a standard garden salad. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

“The parma was quite tasty and the pest complimented it well. Chips needed seasoning, but that’s an Ireland thing. ”

— Shanan

“Thick, juicy chicken, great crumbs, flavoursome napoli and cheese - A great all rounder parma!”

— Grace

The parma at Seven clocked in at €13.95, which at the time of writing this review converts to about $21.95 Australian Dollars - Standard parma prices and I'd happily pay it again for what we received. I don't think Ireland is familiar with the concept of a "parma night" just yet, so I wouldn't count on any discount nights any time soon. 

I wasn't wrapped with the food I had tried in Ireland until I got to Seven. It was a fantastic, tasty dish that could go toe to toe with some of the better parmas we've had in Melbourne, and was probably in the top 5 meals I had in the three weeks we were travelling across Europe. 

No score for this review as our reviews abroad fall under the category of "special attempts", but If you ever find yourself in Galway, it's worth checking out.

Oh, and I know you're wondering so I'll answer the question - Yes, Seven does have a mural of Ed Sheeran painted on the outside of the building.

The search continues...

The Keilor Hotel: Redux

Where - 670 Old Calder Highway, Keilor

Price - $24.90

Website - http://keilorhotel.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

Okay, now bear with me here, as there is a connection between the Irish parma and this one. 

We first reviewed the Keilor Hotel back in 2010, way back in the early days - it was the 15th review we had ever done. You can check it out here, however at the time of writing I seem to have been much more concerned with the arcade machines out the back than the parma itself.  

The Keilor Hotel has been around for a long time, it first opened way back in 1849 as the Galway Arms Tavern (See! I told you there was a connection), and to this day, the bistro at the Keilor Pub is still known as the "Galway Arms Bistro", So I figured what better place to come back to after a parma in Galway, to another parma in the Galway Arms!

The Keilor Pub is always a bit of an enigma. It has the vibe of a country pub, yet its a 15 minute drive out of the CBD, and being one of the only pubs in the area it gets busy. We arrived as the bistro opened at 6pm on a Thursday and a lot of the tables were already marked as reserved. 

We took our seat in the quickly filling Bistro. Not much has changed since our last visit, or even since I used to visit the Keilor Pub as a kid in the 90's (other than the kids room that used to have super nintendo's set up in it, which is now gonebut I won't fall down another video game hole like I did in the last review)

We checked the menu for our target -

A decent description! Hopefully they could live up to their claims. We placed our orders and waited for the parmas to arrive.

Tap list is what you'd expect for a suburban pub, nothing too crafty on offer - However I did spy some Two Birds, Stone & Wood and Fury & Son stubbies in the fridge, so not all hope is lost!

We started the meal with some garlic & cheese focaccia, which went down an absolute treat, about 20 minutes later our meals arrived from the kitchen.

As is tradition with revisits, lets compare the 2010 parma to its 2018 counterpart -

The Keilor Pub's parma in 2010 -

And what we received last night -

To the Keilor pub's credit - the Schnitzel was served fresh, insanely hot and extremely juicy. It might have been as we were the first patrons through the door the Thursday we were there, but this schnitzel was cooked perfectly. 

The crumbing was a bit of a mixed bag. There were soggy patches and there were crunchy patches. The crispy edges to the parma were fantastic, the soggy bits weren't as great. 

Toppings were overall pretty good. My first bite tasted a little bland, however once I got to the area with ham the added smokiness really improved this parma. Good coverage of cheese and a tasty enough blend, however halfway through the meal the oil started seperating from the cheese and it got a little bit greasy.  The napoli got a little lost amongst the other elements, I think most of it got soaked up into the crumbs before serving. 

The chips were pretty standard. Under seasoned and undercooked much like they were in 2010 (although they seem to have changed from a plank chip to a more generic fry). With a bit of salt I managed to bring them back to life, but otherwise they were so/so

On the plate the salad didn't look like anything special, but I was pleasantly surprised when I dug in to find it relatively well dressed under the leaves, with a decent serving of onion, cucumber and tomato. The lettuce leaves could use a little more love though (and what happened to the bowl we had in 2010?)

“Other than the chips being undercooked it was an enjoyable parma. Bottom was a little soggy but otherwise good!”

— Nikki

I'd say $24.90 is a little pricey for the parma they received - I can't fault them for the quality of the ingredients of their parma, no doubt they used a high quality chicken breast for this dish, however the sides were rather lacklustre. The "What's On" section of the website isn't reporting any parma nights that I'm aware of, which is a shame as I'd probably recommend it if they had a special dropping it under $20. 

Given that there aren't many pubs out Keilor way I'd probably say that the parma at the Keilor Pub is probably the best you'll get in the area. The pub is an eclectic slice of history that is worth checking out if you're out that way, The parma is serviceable, but I wouldn't be rushing back to try it any time soon. 

Parma - 7.00

Chips - 4.50

Salad - 5.50

Value - 5.74

Total - 5.95

The search continues...

#346 - 'The Grand'

Where - 333 Burnley St. Richmond

Price - $24

Website - https://grandrichmond.com.au

The Grand is a pub that has flown under my radar. I don't get to Richmond very often so just stumbling across pubs in that area is rare - However when a few friends organised a catch up I figured it would be the perfect time to bank a review before our upcoming trip overseas (By the time you are reading this I'll be somewhere above the equator, check our Facebook or Instagram for more info)

To be honest the Grand doesn't feel like the kind've pub that would even have a parma. The dining room is a fine dining gastropub affair, with menu items such as Tortelli di patate con funghi, burro e salvia and Bollito misto con lenticchie, salsa verde e finocchio brasato. The Public Bar however, is a bit of a more laid back affair. The cosy lounge area in front opens up to bright glass room and spacious beer garden. 

Everyone turned up, we grabbed a seat and checked the menu...

Well, menu, you've got one thing right - I do want a parma. This is a menu that screams confidence in their product, fingers crossed they've got the ability to back it up. 

As for beers on tap it was a small but robust selection. Stone & Wood, Mountain Goat were there kicking things off strongly, backed up with a few more adventurous selections, including a stout and saison. If nothing on tap tickled your fancy the fridge behind the bar housed a few more boutique options - Definitely something for everyone to wet their whistle's at the Grand. 

We ordered our meals and about 15-20 minutes later the parmas hit the table.

Schnitzel thickness varied around the table but overall it was pretty good. decently sized and real, unprocessed chicken breast (mine seemed to be two smaller schnitzels fuzed together as opposed to one big one).

I wasn't a huge fan of the crumbs, they had a strong store-bought vibe and were a little bit soggy, in contrast to the chicken itself which seemed a little dry. Not an offensive schnitzel, yet nothing too exciting either. 

The toppings were overall quite tasty. Cheese blend was on point and the napoli was fresh and plentiful without tasting canned. The toppings definitely helped elevate a so/so schnitzel. 

The one omission? No ham. I stand by the claim that a good parma doesn't need ham if the rest of the elements are perfect (the parma that started it all was ham free and it was perfection on a plate). The toppings on the Grand Parma were great, they raised what would have been a pretty bland schnitzel to new heights - But it would have been even better had they thrown a slice of ham/prosciutto/bacon/something into the mix.

I make no attempt to hide my bias against shoestring fries. It's a dislike that runs down to my bones. However I can appreciate when a shoestring is done right, and these were shoestrings done right. Well seasoned, nice and crunchy, served hot and there were plenty of them. If you're gonna have shoestring, this is how you do shoestring (although some dipping sauce would have been nice)

The salad looked like it was mostly an afterthought at first glance, however on digging deeper I was pleasantly surprised. The cucumber was fresh, it was well dressed and the addition of marinated capsicum was the absolute highlight, if they dialled back the amount of lettuce leaves and upped the amount of capsicum, onion and cucumber this would be a damn fine salad 

“Parma size was good, chips were plentiful and shoe string style. There were a lot which made the value better but $24 is still fairly high up for a Parma. Salad was alright. Didn’t have much dressing but not bad.”

— Nick

“I’m a sucker for shoestring fries. They don’t belong on a plate with a parma, but they were at the appropriate crispy/soggy boundary that satisfies me.

For the parma itself, the sauce and cheese were all that saved it for me. The schnitzel left a little to be desired. Not cold, not overcooked, not burnt... not much of anything notable.

Salad was fresh, lettuce heavy, but the addition of roasted capsicum was a nice surprise.”

— Chris

“Parma was simultaneously dry yet soggy enough for the crumbs to fall off. Massive omission not having ham featured. The Napoli was tasty but there wasn’t a lot of it. Cheese coverage left a bit to be desired but was melted enough to be stretched to cover bare patches. Decent size though.

The shoestring fries were perfectly cooked, which is a rare feat for shoestrings. The salad was actually great; substituting huge wedges of tomato for roasted capsicum was a great idea and the dressing was tasty.

Overall not worth the $24 though considering how confident they were about it on the menu. If it had ham and were juicier it would have been bang on for the price.”

— Emi

“Parmi was hamless and simultaneously dry yet somehow soggy. Chicken was nice and thick. Salad was adequate decoration.”

— Nick

As far as value goes I think Reviewer Emi hit the nail on the head - Not quite worth the full $24. If it had ham I'd say it'd be worth the price, but as it is I'd say this is a $20 parma ... maybe as high as $22. As far as I can see the Grand doesn't offer any sort of parma night (although Wednesday Duck Night does look delightful).

Overall the Grand is a super cosy pub with friendly staff and a fantastic beer garden and I have no doubt that the food coming out of the dining room is phenomenal. 

The parma was good, but it missed the mark in a few areas and just fell short of greatness. I'd say it's worth a visit if you're in the area, fingers crossed they add a slice or two of ham in the future.

Lets face it... You know we WANT it!

Parma - 6.82

Chips - 7.10

Salad - 6.80

Value - 6.56

Total - 6.82

The search continues...

Crossing the Road #5 - 'Frank's Ristorante'

Where - 324 Keilor Road, Niddrie

Price - $24 + Delivery Fee

Website - http://www.franksristorante.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

Well hello everyone. As we haven't done a "Crossing the Road" yet in 2018, a little refresher. "Crossing the Road" is a review category dedicated to delivery parmas, the ones we would never get to if we stuck to pubs alone ... Let's be honest, delivery parmas are usually pretty terrible, but lets call this an effort to find that diamond in the rough. 

For as long as I can remember, there has been Frank's. For as long as there has been a Niddrie there has been Frank's, and I'm pretty sure in the infinite vacuum of nothingness that existed before the earth as we know it formed, there was Frank's. 

Growing up I always remembered Frank's as a seafood restaurant and thus not of much interest to ParmaDaze, however it seems to have pivoted in recent years to a more Italian vibe. It has been on our list to try since I noticed recently that they do a parma, but the fates were against us this week and we were unable to get to the restaurant itself ... Luckily, I noticed they also list on Uber Eats, so as we don't really score Crossing the Road reviews, lets call this a trial run to see if Frank's is worth an official, in house, ParmaDaze review. 

Wow. Top billing in the app! According to Uber Eats the "Cotoletta alla Parmigiana" is the most recommended item available at Frank's. (Also, who is ordering a $42 steak delivered... That can't be good, right?)

This isn't the first time we've run across a "Cotoletta", the first time being late last year at the fantastic Baden Powell Hotel, So po-tay-to/po-tah-to, if its a schnitzel with cheese and napoli on top I'm happy

A few clicks later and our order was placed. Frustratingly Frank's doesn't seem to offer any sort of beverages (alcoholic or not), so you've got to be pre-prepared on that front.

We wre originally estimated at 30 mins delivery, in reality it was about 45 minutes before the parmas arrived at our door. We unpacked. 

Three plastic containers, one salad, one parma, one chips - Definitely not the norm for the parma as it didn't quite fit the container and was a little wedged-in. 

Once the lids were popped everything looked pretty good. Salad looked fresh, parma looked plump and the chips looked thick, I'd be darned if they weren't our favourite Bad Boy Chips, or at least a very close facsimile.

On Crossing the Road reviews we know that delivery food never looks good in delivery containers, so lets plate this bad boy up so we can really see what we're working with 

Looks good, we quickly tucked in. The schnitzel was pure white, thick and juicy. The crumbs were a little soggy, but I'm sure that's the fault of the 20 minute drive in a plastic container and not the fault of anyone at Frank's. 

The toppings were quality - Rich napoli and a tasty cheese blend, with plenty of coverage of both. I don't think there's anything in the definition that says a Cotoletta can't have ham, as the Baden Powell had a lovely smoked ham that was the absolute best part of that dish. The Frank's parma was a fine dish without ham, but a slice or two would have really elevated this dish. 

The chips were great, but suffered the same soggy fate as the parma, would have been fantastic fresh from the fryer but by the time they arrived were no longer in their prime

My biggest problem with the Frank's parma & chips? It was cold. Now I know cold food is pretty much a staple of the Uber Eats experience, but it was particularly depressing in this case as the dish had so much potential to be great, it was just marred by poor temperature control. 

The Salad, the one element of the parma that was supposed to be cold, fared pretty well. Other than the chunk of tomato that really should have been sliced thinner than an orange-wedge, the cucumber was fresh, the onion was crisp, it was well dressed and the lettuce survived relatively un-wilted. As far as delivery salads (which are normally universally shit) go, this one was okay.

The price tag of $24 for this one seemed fair. It was filling and the ingredients weren't at all skimped on, and with the glory of coupon aggregator sites you can usually find a 10%-15% off Uber eats floating around.

My criticisms of the parma at Frank's all seem to be the fault of the transportation process and not of the restaurant itself, which has cemented my decision that we will definitely be visiting the restaurant itself for an in-house review some time in the next few months. Until then it's probably worth a crack, either delivered, pick up or eat in! 

The search continues...

#345 - 'Charles & Gamon'

Where - 2 Gamon Street. Seddon

Price - $20 (Chicken or Eggplant)

Website - https://www.charlesandgamon.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

We've been meaning to visit this week's pub for a while now. From memory it was scheduled to be our last review of 2017, but got pushed due to some issue I'm having trouble remembering six months later. So it got bumped back to our To-Do list where it waited until this week, when I received a glowing review from a reader, urging us to check it out. I bumped it up our list and last night we visited Seddon's Charles & Gamon.

If you're thinking from the above photo that Charles & Gamon looks like the ground floor of somebody's house has been converted into a pub, then you are correct! As far as I can tell Charles & Gamon is the ground floor of somebodies house, converted into a pub. Proof to all the men out there that you can start serving beers out of your man cave and people will turn up. Don't let your dreams be dreams. 

Upon arrival at C&G we walked past the beer garden which, while it looked quite inviting, would have been a little too chilly for us to choose for our meal this brisk May evening. We ventured inside and grabbed a table. I was expecting a relatively small bar however Charles & Gamon is roomier inside than I had expected. A mix of high tables, low tables, booths and couches filled the room, offering the full gamut of seating options. We grabbed a high table in the corner and checked the menu - 

Although having an Vegetarian friendly eggplant parma is good to know, tonight our sights were set (as always) on the chicken. 

The menu at C&G is a wide spectrum of options. If you're feeling fancy you could try the likes of Duck Liver Parfait, Kangaroo Tartar or Braised Beef Tongue, right alongside more traditional pub fare such as a Cheeseburger, Parma or Bangers & Mash.

Beers selection on tap at C&G is slim, but adequate. Stone & Wood Pacific Ale and local brewery Hop Nation struck my eye as standouts amongst the four taps available, with plenty more options available in bottles should you be feeling adventurous. 

Our parmas arrived about 15 minutes after ordering, and my word, did they look fantastic on the plate...

Before continuing to the photos themselves, be aware that Charles & Gamon is quite lowly lit - Nothing but Edison bulbs and tea light candles as far as the eye can see - Which, while great for setting a mood, isn't very conducive to good food photography, so be gentle. 

We grabbed our cutlery, tucked in and were greeted with pure, white, juicy chicken breast. Thick, well cooked and the crumbs were thin and crispy - On looks alone it was near perfection. 

Then I started eating it, and on first bite I knew this was gonna be a parma that divided the room. 

There was a spice through the crumbs. A sweet spice. At first I thought they had used candied or maple bacon like the parma at nearby Smokehouse 101, but on trying the bacon on its own I couldn't detect it, followed by trying the napoli on its own ... Nope not there, through the process of elimination I had narrowed it down to the crumbing on the schnitzel. I want to say it was cinnamon, possibly nutmeg? Whatever it was it was a divisive choice that split opinions on this parma down the middle. 

The toppings on this parma were phenomenal. The three cheese blend was impossibly gooey and flavoursome, the bacon was thick cut and an absolute triumph, and the napoli was plentiful and rich (and the extra dollop on top of the parma was a nice touch, something unique that we have not yet seen before) however every bite was overwhelmed by the mystery spice.

It penetrated the dish. After a few bites I had adjusted and wasn't too offended by its presence, however some of the review team with a less-than-positive outlook on cinnamon could barely get through the meal. My preference would be that it not be there, but I could get through the dish and appreciate the other elements for what they were, yet for others it was a deal breaker and ruined the meal entirely. 

The chips were spot on. Beer battered, well cooked, piping hot, crunchy and not served underneath the parma - Pretty much a tick in every box (a little shy on seasoning, some salt & pepper shakers on the table would be appreciated).

The garden salad was mostly fine. Leafy greens with some tomato and onion. It was crisp and fresh however the dressing used was very sour and could be backed off a little, but mostly a refreshing palate cleanser for the meal. 

“This parma had the potential to be a 9 or 10, but the addition of nutmeg/cinnamon through the crumbs completely ruined the dish for me. Would much prefer regular crumbs as the sweet and savoury flavour combo just didn’t work for me. ”

— Nikki

A parma with ingredients of this quality for only $20 is insanely good value. Weird spice aside this is a pure chicken breast with thick cut bacon, a mountain of high quality cheese blend alongside a decent serve of chips and salad. Hard to walk away from this one hungry, and for only $20 that is quite a bargain. 

From the crumbs to the salad, the parma at Charles & Gamon is one of bold flavours. They have taken some risks, not all of which have paid off. As Reviewer Nikki said in her comment above, this parma has the potential to be top tier - Maybe even make it to our top ten, however the addition of the mystery spice completely overwhelmed the dish, they have the makings of a phenomenal parma here but they just took it one step too far.

As for the pub itself It is a cosy little spot with super friendly staff and a great atmosphere - If I lived nearby I could definitely see this becoming my local (On a night like that one I was eyeing the mulled apple pie cider on the menu pretty hard). If I heard the mystery spice was removed from the crumbs I'd happily go back for a redo any day of the week, otherwise I have to drop my recommendation to possibly worth a try... maybe? 

Parma - 5.50

Chips - 8.75

Salad - 6.00

Value - 6.5

Total - 6.45

The search continues...

#344 - 'The Pizza & Grill Co.'

Where - 2/10 Camp Road, Campbellfield

Price - $23.95 Classic Parma, $25.95 Mexican Parma

Website - http://pizzagrill.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

We don't get out Campbellfield way very often ... To be honest it's rare that we have a reason to. Decent pubs are few and far between this far north, so when I get recommended a spot that actually looks decent it's top priority to check it out. 

From the outside the Pizza & Grill Co Building looks suspiciously like it could have once been a Pizza Hut, however doing a bit of research turns up no proof of that. in 2009 it was Il Divo (an Italian Restaurant), in 2014 it was Il Ciccio (another Italian Restaurant) then around late 2016/early 2017 it was revamped as the Pizza & Grill Co. I found one mention of it possibly being a "Hartee's" burger joint in the '70's, but I can't substantiate that beyond rumour. 

Either way, it looks pretty good now. Massive space, plenty of seating, and they're really leaning in to the Sports Bar vibe with TV's as far as the eye can see. 

Walking into the Pizza & Grill Co. it hit me instantly what this place was. An American Chain Restaurant. If you've ever been to Chili's, The Cheesecake Factory or Applebee's State-side then you'll know exactly what the Pizza & Grill Co. feels like on the inside... I also got a very strong Sporting Globe vibe, in fact If I had to pick an Aussie Pub/Restaurant to compare it to, Sporting Globe would definitely be it. 

We were shown to our booth and checked the massive menu. Past the chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, chilli fries, burgers and giant pizzas we found the main event...

And below that also appeared a Mexican parma option...

Now regular readers will know that I'm normally a parma purist, and the promise of triple smoked ham definitely piqued my interest, however I am also a sucker for a good Mexi-parma, and the promise of "rustic hot salami" won me over. I went for the Mexican, Reviewer Nikki got the traditional. There is also a "Parma Burger" on the menu, which I have heard is pretty decent, but we didn't get to it on this trip unfortunately. 

There are 8 taps going at the Pizza & Grill Co, but there's nothing pouring to get too excited about. First up we have "3 Brats Lager" Which I am assuming is an in-house brew as it's cheap, I've never heard of it before and right now, trying to Google it returns zero results for a brewery called 3 Brats. Following that we've got Carlton, Fat Yak, Minimum Chips, and Coors for the full strength, Cascade for the light with Bulmers and Canadian Club bringing up the rear for those who don't feel like a beer, all available in pot, pint, jug and a 2.5L beer "tower" sizes. 

Plenty more options in bottles, with an expectedly American leaning (Blue Moon, Sam Adams, Coors, Miller, Budweiser, among others) If you're in for a big sesh there are buckets of 4 beers all available at around the $25 - $30 mark. 

Now, our parmas came out insanely quickly. Scarily quickly even. I didn't have a clock on it but I don't think we waited longer than five minutes before our food was in front of us, I'd have to assume there was at least some sort of pre-preperation involved, as everything was cooked pretty well. 

The Traditional

The Mexican

Still reeling from how quickly our parmas arrived, we tucked in. To be honest I was expecting a lukewarm, dry precooked schnitzel (how else could it be out so fast?) but to be honest I was pleasantly surprised. The crumbs were a little too thick for my liking and the was slightly dry, but neither to an extreme that would put me off the dish.

The schnitzel was quite big, engulfing the large plate. It did seem a little bit manufactured and fast-foody, but was real chicken and not at all processed. It was piping hot on the plate and, while not perfect, was a decent foundation to the dish. 

The Mexican toppings were the right choice as they are where this parma shone for me. The rustic hot salami was applied liberally and with the addition of chilli flakes and heaps of jalapeños this was definitely on the hotter side of the spectrum as far as Mexican parmas go (and if you want to punch it up a notch the Pizza & Grill Co. has a selection of hot sauces available at all of the tables).

Switching from this one to trying the classic definitely felt like a step down in the flavour department, but I suppose it's like going from the hot tub to the swimming pool - The pool always feels colder than it actually is. Reviewer Nikki, who had the majority of the standard parma, was also pleased, commenting that the smokiness of the liberally applied ham was one of the highlights. In both cases the house made special "Pomodoro Sauce" was fine, but not too different to many of the other parma napoli's out there. 

Chips were fine, needed a bit of help in the seasoning department but like the parma were served piping hot. Not a whole lot to say about them to be honest, pretty standard pub/restaurant chips. 

The salad was fresh & crisp, but almost definitely pre-made in bulk and kept in the fridge ... But, like the parma and my suspicions of that being pre-prepared, if its still tasty and they can get away with it without negative effects, good on 'em. 

“Was very concerned with how quickly the parma arrived ... But was pleasantly surprised that it seemed pretty fresh and was quite tasty. Chips need a bit of work. ”

— Nikki

As far as value goes the Pizza & Grill Co. standard parma clocks in at $23.95 and the Mexi at $25.95. A bit pricey but it was overall quite a large meal that I definitely didn't walk away from hungry. As far as I can tell there aren't any parma specific discount nights on the cards, but there are a few cheap drink specials to look through. 

The Pizza & Grill Co. feels like a chain restaurant without the chain (There seems to be only one location so far). They no doubt going for a "Sporting Globe" vibe, however my one issue with this is there doesn't seem to be any standing room in the restaurant - It's all sit down tables and booths. There is a front room on the other side of the bar that would be perfect as a standing room bar area, yet it is furnished with more tables instead. If they had some room to stand and catch the footy it'd definitely a place I'd consider dropping into to catch a game. 

To be honest I went into this review with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The Mexican parma was choc full of flavour that I'd be happy to try again (not to mention the burgers and pizzas I saw going around looked top notch also). If you're in the area and have yet to give it a try I'd say its definitely worth popping in for a feed. 

Parma - 7.88

Chips - 5.58

Salad - 6.50

Value - 6.90

Total - 7.05

The search continues...

Special Attempt - 'Pizza Parmas @ The Imperial - Video Review'

We have long heard rumours of the existence of the pizza parma. Not to be confused with a parma pizza, which is basically a standard pizza with parma stuff on top - the pizza parma is a chicken schnitzel, hammered out to the size of a pizza, covered with parma toppings and sliced like a pizza into convenient hand sized triangles. I am aware that the menu for the Impy still calls it a "Parma Pizza", but I have made the executive decision to call it a Pizza Parma, as a Parma Pizza is already a thing

Social media posts of the creation started popping up pretty regularly, however they always seemed to be a little too far for us to visit on Thursday parma night. A few weeks back I shared a post on our facebook page that a pub in Perth seemed to be the first pub in Australia attempting the pizza parma, and shortly after I received a message from our friends at Melbourne CBD’s Imperial Hotel letting me know that they had a similar item in the works that would be appearing on their menu soon.

We have quite a history with the Imperial, taking out our golden chook award for 4 consecutive years, for a long time we considered them the best parma Melbourne had to offer. After a change in management the quality of the Impy parma did drop slightly, however we still consider it to be one of the best parmas available in our city.

For this review I’m gonna skip the usual description of the pub as we have already covered it many times (Click for latest review) although the new renovations still look fantastic, So lets skip straight to the Pizza parma. 

We arrived at the Impy on a Saturday arvo, grabbed a seat, checked the menu, placed our orders and before long the fabled pizza parma was sitting in front of us. 

First things first - This meal is designed to be shared. I tried to tackle it solo and try as I might still left two slices on the plate. It’s a beast.

As for the dish? I’d say super enjoyable! although the chicken is slightly thinner than its non-pizzafied counterpart the experience is pretty much an impy parma that you don’t need a knife and fork to tuck into. I thought I’d hate the cherry tomatoes and rocket dumped on top, but it does succeed in giving the parma a bit more dimension as well as making it feel a little more like a pizza and not just a schnitzel you’re eating with your hands … which you kind’ve are. 

My one criticism? I miss the chips. The Imperial has always had such fantastic chips accompanying their parma and their absence from the parma pizza was definitely noted - The next time I try the pizza parma I’ll definitely get a side of chips to round out the meal. 

All up the pizza parmas at the Imperial Hotel is a unique take on a parma that is definitely worth trying the next time you find yourself in the city, On its own it costs $27 And if you can find someone to split it with you can get the pizza parma and two pots for $32 … or there’s nothing stopping you going solo and keeping both beers for yourself. 

Also, between recording the video review and posting the Imperial have announced they are now doing the Pizza Parma in 4 different varieties. So much choice!

I’ll definitely be back to try this one again, be sure to check it out!

The search continues...