Gabrial Arnold

“All I want to say is that I apologise for the rating by my colleague this evening. This was good. Sauce was a standout and the crumb was very crispy. But otherwise it was a pretty average size for a good price with unfortunately cheap ham. Chips were VERY good considering they never even got a whiff of the salt grinder let alone a crumb of the seasoning that has served as a vital preservative, economic commodity, and political driver.”

“A classic crumb for what appears to be a classic pub on the Mordialloc foreshore. Unfortunately there’s not a category for “snarky look when ordering a ‘parmi’ in Victoria” otherwise they may have lost some points. This Bad Girl was fresh from the oven, with a good char on top of thick mozzarella that pulls more than a priest at Sunday school. The sauce here was a thick sugo that to my pleasure didn’t overpower the dish or cause excess fluid and a wet parmi. More impressive is that I added pineapple tonight and it STILL wasn’t a wet mess (unlike my Mrs when she sees me uploading yet another Parm rater) She was tender, juicy and crispy throughout. She’s clearly been treated with love and respect en route to my table and it shows. Despite the price tag this was massive, if it saw her on the dance floor I’d need a few more beers and wait until after 2am. The chips had a subtle spicy seasoning and while they appear soggy they’re appropriately crispy. The only knock on this place is a $2.50 upgrade for gravy and $7 schooner of Coke Zero. Otherwise I have no doubt I’ll be back for another go at this beauty. Worth noting the regular parmi is $31.”

“Dryer than Uluṟu during a drought. For this price you’re expecting something significantly better. Disappointed on footy finals night. I’d like to say they had an off night but I can’t see much potential with lacking flavour throughout. Maybe I’m too harsh, after all it was paid for by my girlfriend so I choked through it telling her how incredible it was. I’d get the literally anything else next time”

“Premium price for an admittedly premium parmi. This one is no secret, if you’ve been to this area you’ve probably heard about the Espy. I will admit that maybe my rating is biased based on the beautiful weather and catch up with a friend but this thing is worth the drive. The sauce on this was fantastic, cheese has what I would call a perfect char but the coverage left something to be desired, clearly damaged by some tongs but it didn’t disappoint in flavour. It was slightly dry for my personal liking leaving the taste at “just” 4/5. While it’s on the expensive side it did come with free aioli and was very reasonably sized, I certainly did not need the cheesy garlic bread I purchased (and ate). Overall, I’d recommend this to my nan. Thankfully she is on anticoagulants so the inflation in price won’t cause her to have a stroke.”

“Despite this being listed as a “Parma”, this meal was awfully similar to a parmi so I decided to post. This mid week deal was enough to get me off the couch and suggest you do the same. While the parmi itself is slightly above average in taste and size it is a steal for $19.90. Cheese was well melted with a bit of char and steak cut chips are always a winner for me. Unfortunately the beach views are reserved for the smokers area so I was left watching 3 grown men argue about how the recent Sydney Swan scandal has gone too far which while it left a sour taste in my mouth, I assure you did not influence my enjoyment of this parmi. A completely middle of the line salad served in a bowl fit for a toddler, gravy costing $3 to add on was a bit disappointing and some strange characters in the venue left me uneasy but I do think I will be back for this deal when some real sport starts. I am positive I will find better deals in nicer venues and of course I will update you.”

“In the heart of Richmond I paid $33 for a cold parmi. Apparently they’re called “Parma” here? Never heard of her. This feed was below expectations for my first time out in Melbournes outer suburbs.”

“A rare miss from the SBH. Toasted enough to melt the cheese into a wet mess, combined with juicy chicken this thing was WET. Kind of wet you’d associate with a brothel (which are legal in QLD), but this was saved by the herb and panko crumb. Overall it did not meet the usual standards but you can see the potential, I left extremely full for $28, pretty much what to expect from the premier pub in Kangaroo Point.”

“Situated at the main entrance of Mount Isa is the Overlander Hotel. When I asked a colleague if this place was worth a visit I was quickly told “not unless you want to get stabbed”, while I wasn’t stabbed on this occasion, nor the last, I did purchase a mediocre parmi despite the menu stating it would be “grilled to perfection”. The cheese and sauce were flavourful and the chicken was moist but it was a weird rubbery texture this evening, while I powered through for the sake of a review, I don’t know that I would again. I think the cheese could have been a cheesy sauce on top, however I will leave this to the next brave reviewer to confirm. The chips were slightly above average at best and soggy and unseasoned at worst, I’m not sure what happened here, to inconsistently deep fry a load of chips is pretty impressive, however there were some good ones which should be commended. I personally enjoy a coleslaw, it stays very cold throughout the meal and is a good palate cleanser between mouthfuls. But I’m not sure I want to allow this to be considered a reasonable “salad” for a parmi, please let me know in the comment section. If I am to go back to the overlander hotel i don’t think I’ll be giving this another chance. Also considering the rumours of mice in the kitchen I’m not sure why I came here to begin with. Overall a mildly above average parmi when considering the location it is offered.”

“At the dead centre of the Devils asshole (Mount Isa) lives the Isa Hotel. Half the pub is outdoors which is a spectacular way to spend a few hours in a cool 48° heat after a long day on the tools. Now the parmi. For $33 it comes in at one of the more expensive dinners in town and unfortunately it’s not large enough to justify this most of the time (massively inconsistent portions). However the cheese coverage is generally very good, along with the flavour of the sauce. But the soggy and hardly salted chips do let this down. You might think “maybe you went on a bad night”, but this was one of the good ones. I should also add that I did opt for the Hawaiian topper, an extra $3, not exactly justifiable with just 5 pieces of pineapple. Overall this is a slightly above parmi that is serviceable for Mount Isa, but with the option I am choosing an alternative venue to spend $30 at.”

“Hidden in the outback oasis of Mount Isa is the Buffs Club parmi. Which comes down to $27 with a membership card, which provides discounts for meals, drinks and pokie machines. This parmi is thick and does not lack in any categories, breading is crispy on arrival and doesn’t fall off the chicken, sauce is flavourful, chicken is tender and the cheese is melted, although it could have done with some more browning on this stint. it is my favourite in Mount Isa and can be enjoyed in the sports bar with a view of live sport on the 300 inch LED screen. The gravy is something to call home about, perfect for this gem in the dusty outback of Australia.”