The Duck Inn Pub & Kitchen: Beer Garden and Pub Bistro, Chippendale (20 Jan 2012)

74 Rose Street, Chippendale NSW 2008

http://theduckinnpubandkitchen.wordpress.com

A chip off the old duck

This trusty Chippendale local has certainly had a face-lift since the days when it used to serve up a pretty decent BBQ Beef Ribs. I like the decor update and the lounge area looks like a nice spot to settle in for a lazy afternoon. The main attraction though on a sunny day is the beer garden surrounded by a fair amount of greenery to make you think you're somewhere a bit more distant from home or work for that matter. The La Vielle Ferme Rosé, Cotes du Ventoux, France ($7.50) and White Rabbit ($6.50) aren't too pricey I guess for a satisfying thirst quencher. The Pan Fried Atlantic Salmon ($24) from the specials menu had a nice salad combination of quinoa, celery, cucumber, lemon and fresh herbs. The fish was well-cooked with a fairly crispy skin as hoped. My Duck Inn Beef Burger ($18) came with crispy fries and salad with a tasty dressing. I enjoyed the addition of the chopped gherkin and wondered if some beetroot would have helped to add some extra juiciness to the meat patty I was hoping to be a bit more moist.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Beer garden, Nice and cosy decor, Interesting pub grub menu, Service seemed friendly enough at the time

CONS: New revamp menu seems more expensive than the original pub, BBQ Beef Ribs no longer on the menu

MUST TRY: Having a drink on a sunny day in the beer garden

BABY ON BOARD: No change table available in toilet, Beer garden casual and noisy enough to feel comfortable with a baby

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Nice beer garden setting

La Vielle Ferme Rosé, Cotes du Ventoux, France ($7.50), White Rabbit ($6.50)

Pan Fried Atlantic Salmon with a Salad of Quinoa, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon & Fresh Herbs ($24)

The Duck Inn Beef Burger, Farmhouse Cheese, Crispy Bacon, Relish and Fries ($18)

Menu

Daily specials menu

Baby Isabelle on board — thankfully stay asleep

Beer garden

Casual bench seating

Tropical-style greenery around beer garden

These seats look a little fragile and uncomfortable to me but I didn't sit on them so perhaps they're OK

Inside verandah seating

Bar area

Table setting

Lounge room seating area

Australia Day 2012 Whole Lamb on the Spit

Finally a decent powerful hand dryer that drys hands in seconds

Duck Trivia for the Smarty Pants

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Simon's 41st Hawaiian Birthday at the Coach and Horses Hotel, Randwick (15 Jan 2012)

147 Avoca Street, Randwick NSW 2031

http://www.coachandhorseshotel.com.au

Celebrating another year older

After having a casual lunch at the Coach and Horses Hotel I was inspired by the improved menu to have my 41st birthday in The Red Room function space on level 1. Sundays usually incur a $1000 minimum spend on the bar for private functions but since my event was held during the day and I knew it wasn't going to be a big drinking affair I was able to convince management to thankfully waive the minimum spend. A $200 refundable security deposit was still required and I organised five different platters of food for guests which were brought up by Barry who was friendly and accommodating along with Hiro who looked after the bar area. The theme for my birthday has been Hawaiian for many years now — how else would I get to wear my Hawaiian shirt and lei. Bar prices for drinks was pretty reasonable with the cheapest bottles starting at $23. Making it affordable enough to order a few Mt Lawson NV Brut ($23 bottle) at the very start. The private function space worked out really well and was separate enough from any public thoroughfare so security of the area could be maintained. The decor and seating was comfortable and roomy enough for 48 adults and 9 kids.

The Vietnamese Vegetable Rice Paper rolls ($50, 25 piece platter) were very good and I was impressed to see the flavoursome dipping sauce was homemade. The decent sized Moroccan Lamb Skewers ($50, 30 pieces platter) were better than I expected with nice flavours and tender meat. Prawn Wontons ($50, 40 pieces platter) were tasty and cooked with a nice crispy outer wonton shell. The Vegetarian Arancini ($50, 30 piece platter) had nice flavours too except the packaged grated parmesan used was really smelly which could be easily fixed by using freshly grated parmesan. You could smell it from across the room when it arrived — I even thought it might have been baby Isabelle needing a nappy change. The Vegetable Cocktail Spring Rolls ($50, 50 pieces platter) were crispy and tasty as hoped — I'm such a lover of spring rolls at parties. The Wedges ($8) were hot and crispy as expected and a good way to fill any hungry stomachs at the end. Chef Anthony did a great job in providing above average platter food and hopefully freshly grated parmesan will be used in the future for the arancini to make it a winner. My birthday cake was made of mini cupcakes from Coles ($30, 72 pieces) which came in two flavours, chocolate and vanilla — with a tonne of sugar. They're probably not the healthiest cupcakes in town but they suited my requirements to be affordable, bite-sized and not needing cutting or cutlery. I could also spell out '41' on the platter.

Other birthdays for Simon:

• 15 Jan 2012 - Simon's 41st Birthday - Coach and Horses Hotel

• 8 Jan 2011 - Simon's 40th Birthday - Centennial Hotel

• 10 Jan 2010 - Simon's 39th Birthday BBQ

• 4 Jan 2009 - Simon's 38th Birthday BBQ

Other visits to Coach and Horses Hotel:

• 15 Jan 2012 - Simon's 41st Birthday in The Red Room, Function platter food

• 5 Jan 2012 - Octopus Salad, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Piri Piri Prawn Skewers, Barramundi, Atlantic Salmon, Prawn Spaghetti, Beer Garden

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Decent platter food, Friendly staff, Nice decor, Reasonably priced drinks, Function space suits around 50 people and sectioned off from public access, Easy access to bar area

CONS: Packaged grated parmesan used on Arancini making it very smelly — hopefully fresh parmesan used in the future, Minimum spend conditions may apply

MUST TRY: Vietnamese vegetarian rice paper rolls, Prawn wontons

BABY ON BOARD: Lift available to level 1, Plenty of space in function room and separated from main bar so pretty good for security of area

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41st birthday cake made with mini cupcakes from Coles ($30, 72 pieces)

Vietnamese Vegetable Rice Paper rolls ($50, 25 piece platter)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Moroccan Lamb Skewers with Yoghurt & Mint Dipping Sauce ($50, 30 pieces platter)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Prawn Wontons with Nutty Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce ($50, 40 pieces platter)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Vegetarian Arancini ($50, 30 piece platter)

Vegetable Cocktail Spring Rolls with Sweet Chilli ($50, 50 pieces platter)

Wedges ($8)

Mt Lawson NV Brut ($23 bottle)

Drinks menu

Function room — plenty of comfy seating and easy access to bar

Babies on board

Poker and Thai boxing next door on level 1

After party drinks with an Aperol Spritz

After party munchies with Doughboy — really like their Malabar pizza (right) with prawns at the moment

$41 for 41st birthday — clever idea!

Hang loose

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