Melbourne Lion Bar - Melbourne Central 12/8/10

So, Thursday night brought me back to the Melbourne Lion. I'd been sitting outside the establishment for a while waiting for J2, listening to the noise being generated by the pub rabble, and wondering if it would actually be worth going down the street to get some Chinese food instead of coming back here for a Parma which had in the past brought me nothing by tears and misery. Before I had made up my mind on the matter, my partner in crime arrived. After listening to my rambling judgement on the dangers posed by loud-mouthed drunken hooligans, she assured me that she was in fact just as much of a bar room menace as anyone that we might encounter that evening. With my confidence sufficiently boosted, I boldly charged forward (as the man does) into the gaping mouth of the Lion.

We took our seats, I ordered our meal, and we sat sipping coke together making pleasant small talk. None of this dulled the memory of my last visit here, which resulted in my consumpiton of a sadly average Parma; naturally hopes were not high for the meals which soon wound their way towards us in the hands of a member of the bar staff. Little did I know that I was about to be pleasantly surprised. Aside from the chips (which were not flavoured at all and seated underneath the chicken fillet), the rest of the plate was excellent. The salad placement did not interfere with the chips and fillet; there was no hint of wandering dressing to soak the main course. The fillet itself was flavoursome, with the perfect sized slice of ham and enough Napoli to provide a flavour balance to the chicken, but not enough to swamp the dish. Had the chips been salted (bare minimum), this would have earned a 4.5, but for tonight, the highest score I can give this dish is a 4

Now if only Groove Train tried to arrest their downward spiral and took up the challenge to revisit their Parma recipe and bring a little competition to the Melbourne Central Parma scene...

Fillet 2
Cheese 2
Napoli 2
Ham 2
Chips 1
Bonus 0

Total 9/12
($20.00)