Battered potato moons
The hot and humid weather really isn't any inducement for either of us to cook, so it was to the Post Office Hotel that we went for dinner on our way home from work last Thursday. We've enjoyed a few bar meals here since they opened in around the middle of last year but are yet to try the restaurant. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the Post Office Hotel. It attracts a diverse crowd from people with young children, extended families taking their Nanas out for lunch, local shopkeepers and residents as well as the hip blow-ins. Well, what do you expect when Tex Perkins is one of the co-owners. Let's hope it stays diverse and welcoming.
The bar menu is not extensive offering six mains, sides, a couple of desserts and one or two daily specials that are chalked onto the blackboard over the comfortable, curved chesterfield. However what it offers is an interesting and delicious middle eastern twist on your classic bar meals. We've now tried most of the mains now and last week it was the scotch steak with green beans, nuts and sour cream, and the POH parma with rocket and onion salad that we went for.
The scotch steak was lovely and tender, generously topped with a green bean salad full of dill, parsley, hazelnuts and pinenuts. The tang of the sour cream provided a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the steak. 'Full of flavour?' I hear you ask. Yes it was. Deliciously so.
The parma was a cut above the usual pub chicken parmagiana, with a nicely-sized chicken breast covered in a variation on the classic Napoli sauce, melted cheese and served with a tasty side salad of rocket and a tangy pickled onion. The parma rested on some sliced cucumber and those delicious potato moons (more of which below). In terms of taste, the chicken was moist, with not too much sauce and just enough cheese to cover the chicken without smothering its flavour.
To complement our mains we ordered a side of battered potato moons. These are very moorish, having had spices added to the batter, either the middle eastern seven spices or ras el hanout, definitely some cinnamon in there, which gives them a lovely, fragrant aroma. They always go very quickly.
We both ordered the only sweet dish on the menu - sticky fig pudding with hot coffee syrup. This was an excellent dessert, far above what you'd expect to find on a bar menu. The density of the pudding was light but satisfying and perfectly complimented by the coffee syrup, which added a touch of sweetness without over-powering it. A small dish of sour cream on the side provided a bit of cream and tang. It was very good.
The serving sizes at of the bar meals may be considered a bit small by some. I have read some complaints about this on reviews elsewhere. Serving sizes do seem to have increased since we started coming here, that is, there is more salad and vegetables put on the plate, meaning that you don't have to order sides to bulk the meal out. However, the quality of the ingredients used and the resulting dishes more than make up for any complaints about serving size.
One other thing I would add about a bar meal at the Post Office is that it is not necessarily a cheap night out. The cost of all the dishes, plus a couple of drinks, can all add up very quickly. It is worth it though if you are looking for something above the ordinary in your pub meal.
Some other reviews to consider - Where's the beef?
Scotch steak with beans, nuts and sour cream - $20
POH Parma with rocket and onion - $20
Battered potato moons - $10
Sticky fig pudding - $15
The Post Office Hotel
229-231 Sydney Road
Coburg
9386 5300
To complement our mains we ordered a side of battered potato moons. These are very moorish, having had spices added to the batter, either the middle eastern seven spices or ras el hanout, definitely some cinnamon in there, which gives them a lovely, fragrant aroma. They always go very quickly.
We both ordered the only sweet dish on the menu - sticky fig pudding with hot coffee syrup. This was an excellent dessert, far above what you'd expect to find on a bar menu. The density of the pudding was light but satisfying and perfectly complimented by the coffee syrup, which added a touch of sweetness without over-powering it. A small dish of sour cream on the side provided a bit of cream and tang. It was very good.
The serving sizes at of the bar meals may be considered a bit small by some. I have read some complaints about this on reviews elsewhere. Serving sizes do seem to have increased since we started coming here, that is, there is more salad and vegetables put on the plate, meaning that you don't have to order sides to bulk the meal out. However, the quality of the ingredients used and the resulting dishes more than make up for any complaints about serving size.
One other thing I would add about a bar meal at the Post Office is that it is not necessarily a cheap night out. The cost of all the dishes, plus a couple of drinks, can all add up very quickly. It is worth it though if you are looking for something above the ordinary in your pub meal.
Some other reviews to consider - Where's the beef?
Scotch steak with beans, nuts and sour cream - $20
POH Parma with rocket and onion - $20
Battered potato moons - $10
Sticky fig pudding - $15
The Post Office Hotel
229-231 Sydney Road
Coburg
9386 5300
I would go back just for those potato moons!
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ReplyDeleteThey are great, aren't they? Very good with a cold beer.
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