Monday 14 November 2011

The Royal Oak - Launceston TAS

It was a Sunday, and I was feeling extremely lazy. So off to the oak I went. I ordered the parma with no salad and a jug of gravy. Which should be evident otherwise I wouldn't be writing this blog. I quite like going to the oak for dinner, the atmosphere is nice and very relaxed.

The parmy was $20 and well worth it. Very nice size, good amount of chips and a nice big gravy boat. Now, down to the nitty gritty. It came out on top of the chips which = ANNOYING. It means I have to get my fingers dirty moving all the chips to the side so I can put the parma on the plate. Anyway, the edges were quite crunchy and brown but I didn't really mind because the rest of it was delicious. There was a layer of ham but unlike other pubs it didn't make the eating experience any more difficult. The sauce was even and had real tomato and onion chunks. I'm not a huge fan of onion but I appreciate the effort. There was a lot of cheese which is an issue because I don't like too much otherwise it gets too oily. The meat was well cooked right through to the middle, WINNER!

This meal was so big that I almost didn't finish it. I was sipping on a pint of Classic Blonde throughout the evening and didn't get to finish it because I was sure I was about to explode. The company I had was Laura again which was lovely as usual. Safe to say I was very satisfied after a long day consisting of housework then working backstage at Allo Allo.

I might also add that Encore Theatre Company's production of Allo Allo is amazing and very very funny. Even if you haven't seen the TV show I'm sure you would get a laugh. Its on until this Saturday the 19th of November 2011 at the Earl Arts Theatre in Launceston. Tickets are for sale from the Princess Theatre or on the door if there are any left. Do not miss this opportunity to support the locals. It may well be your last chance to see Launceston's Matthew Garwood on stage here in town too as he's off to the big smoke to become a pro!

Parma rating: 7/10
Allo Allo rating: 10/10!!

Country Club Casino - Launceston TAS

I have a couple of parmy updates to do today. Apologies for the delay!

So this one is about the $10 parma and chips at the Country Club Casino in the water garden. Some of my readers would know that I am part of a friendly punters club where we take it in turns betting with $30. This is how it all began. It was my turn to bet so I decided to hit the roulette tables Friday after work and boxing. So Laura and I went up to the Casino and decided to have some dinner. And of course I ordered the parma. With chips. And gravy to dip my chips in.

First of all, good price! I doubt you would find a parma and chips that cheap ANYWHERE else. Secondly, fast service. These guys don't muck around wasting peoples time waiting for meals when they could be gambling away their life savings.

And now for the downfalls. My parma came out ON TOP of my chips. I know this is standard anywhere you go but it annoys me every time. There was a layer of ham, which isn't always bad but in this case it made it difficult to cut and eat. The entire thing was slightly soggy which made me feel like my parma was ready for me before I even walked in the door. The edges were crispy and burnt. The cheese was falling off the side and almost half of the parma didn't have any, better aim is required when applying cheese people!

Not all was lost, there was a good amount of sauce and had it have been fresh, there would have been no sogginess. The chips were yummy and I had a good amount of gravy to dip them in. The company was brilliant as always and I was able to head on up to rapid roulette in no time. I was successful that night and walked away with $75 for the punters club allowing me to bet again the next week. Lets not talk about how that went.

Rating: 6/10 (It was still edible)