I vaguely remember visiting Mooseheads once. In an alcohol abetted buzz I think I stuck to the floor, lost a shoe, fell down a flight of stairs and ruined a perfectly good dress. Whilst the majority of that train-wreck of an evening was my fault completely, the unfavourable experience didn’t offer any entice of a return visit. That was 4 years ago. I’m pleasantly and unexpectedly surprised to announce a lot has changed since then. Friendly management, knowledgeable staff, attention to detail, great relevant entertainment, themed nights, contemporary cocktails, a tried and tested smart phone application and, most importantly (from my current standpoint) an unbelievably good pub menu.
I’m not going to say entrée because contextually I sound like a bit of a snob, so from the snack menu, we were treated to Croissant D’or garlic breads, Beer Battered Fries with house made gravy and bemusingly entitled Chicken Wing Dings – spicy chicken wings served on a bed of fluffy rice and accompanied by salad.
Beer battered chips will always go down well, these ones are particularly golden and crisp, but the house made gravy really adds a more-than-decent level of integrity to the pub-grub staple. The chicken wing dings pack a serious punch and were even Frenched for perfect presentation and ease of consumption. The attention to detail had me reeling on the back foot and then placed me in quite a culinary conundrum – wanting to lick the tasty, sticky coating from the bone but risk suffering a throat burning sensation before the meal had even started. I licked and suffered gladly.
Mains here are generously portioned and very reasonably priced. Purely for the catchy title, we ordered the Surfin’ Chick – an exciting alternative to the Surf ‘n’ Turf consisting of Char-grilled chicken breast topped with grilled prawns and scallops in a creamy garlic and chive sauce, served with luscious mash and grilled, Mediterranean inspired vegetables of capsicum and eggplant. The ‘Chick’ component was comfortingly warm, tender and juicy, the seafood had a beautiful smooth, non-rubbery texture and the creamy garlic and chive sauce was all encapsulating, mellow, sweet, savoury and herbaceous all at once – a magnificent combination.
The Mega Burger is every bit as epic as it sounds – Moose-style patty with lettuce, tomato, beetroot, bacon, cheese, egg and tomato relish, Served with chips and wedged between a luxurious Croissant D’or roll. The presentation alone is salivating. So good in-fact, the towering burger of perfect proportions could have passed for a prosthetic prop in a multi-million dollar fast food campaign. The difference being, of course, this burger was real, edible and oh-so-very enjoyable. The patty was seasoned and moist, vegetables fresh, egg fried, bacon crisp and relish house-made and tangy. I’m not usually a burger person, but this one has the potential to sway me in forthcoming moments of weakness.
The Mexican Parmigiana is a fantastic example of a deviation from the familiar and a great showcase of Chef Kenneth Ives creativity amid crowd pleasing flavour combinations with a twist. Made up of pan fried chicken breast schnitzel marinated in authentic Mexican marinate, topped with chorizo, jalapenos and melted cheese and served with chips and salad, it was far better than the stock standard ham and napolitano Parmi any day. The schnitzel component had layering slithers of smoky chorizo with fiery-sweet jalapenos on top was sheer genius. We loved every last crumb.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Mooseheads without a cocktail or two and not only was the presentation again exemplary, they all tasted pretty darn amazing too. I took a particular shining to the cookies and cream (In the pub/nightclub atmosphere I’d rather have that for dessert than cake), but the mango weis bar was also far too easy to ‘sip.’
Definitely the surprise of my week, I would actually, without hesitation recommend giving the food at Mooseheads a go. Kenneth has been steering the kitchen since he was a second year apprentice and has really turned the monotonous and un-appealing approach to pub food quality and presentation on its head. Keep a keen eye out for his weekly specials on the smartphone application, I know I’ll be checking frequently for the return of Kangaroo and, a particular burrito everyone seems to be raving about. Maybe even take the opportunity for an extended midweek lunch, as the kitchen is open from 11:30am daily. If you rolled out of bed this morning and managed to put on a pair of pants and find the car keys, you’ve earned it.
