chicken schnitzel Archives - PEGFeeds

Bear Brasserie – Westmead NSW Restaurant Review

I’m surprised I don’t already have a post up about this place – I recall with some degree of certainty having an expensive but absolutely massive plate of nachos for breakfast after a run of night shifts back in 2021, a similarly massive meal of a burger and chips in a subsequent year, as well as a lamb wrap earlier this year.

I won’t write about those out of respect for the fact that there’s no way that I could even pretend to remember details about a meal eaten as a first year registrar – that’s why this blog exists, after all. What I do want to tell you about today is the secret, off-the-menu item known as the “kid’s meal“.

This Kids Cheese Burger ($12), an off-menu wonder features a very basic cheeseburger with a beef patty, slice of American cheese and some tomato sauce between a seeded bun, and an ample helping of freshly made fries. Those who frequent this establishment will have become wary of their gigantic servings of mains and chips with every order, and yet we find that the simple kid’s meal provides an adequate portion for adults of most shapes and sizes.

There’s nothing particularly kiddy about the Kids Chicken Schnitzel ($12), which again is a delicious, normal amount of food, that can fill up your average adult, especially if they are on a GLP-1RA. The schnitzel comes out fresh, juicy, and piping hot, as do the chips. Ask for a side of tomato sauce in your order notes and enjoy it in front of your workstation whilst discharging patients if you dare. You may be rewarded.

Order via the phone or the website if you don’t want to face the shame of ordering a kid’s meal in person.

Bear Brasserie
Level 2, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, Westmead NSW 2145
(02) 9845 0915

The Garden Berry – Berry NSW Restaurant Review

Il Locale’s extremely limited business hours meant that we ate at Berry’s The Garden Berry (apparently their official name) for lunch instead.

This scone ($7) with cream and jam was quite expensive, but actually really very delicious, better, in my opinion, than some cafes that might do scones as a main attraction. The scone was warm and fresh and soft, and the jam was just out of this world. Just take a look at those chunks of berry. The value proposition is better if you order two scones for $10 (with an appropriate increase in the quantity of cream and jam), and it is a regret that I will have to live with because I really wanted another one.

I can’t say that I loved this Chicken Cotoletta ($26), self-described by the restaurant as “a fancy chicken schnitzel”. Though the sourdough breading is clearly and visually greened up by garlic, parmesan and parsley, I couldn’t really taste a huge difference in quality compared to just a normal schnitzel. The meat of the chicken itself was also not exactly top tier in terms of moistness, and I know it’s going to sound like I have a complaint about every element of this dish, but for some reason the chips just didn’t hit right – perhaps undersalted? (Recognising there was salt on the table for us to add ourselves)

Back to a happier state, this trout salad ($25.50) was excellent. My resident at work (JDK – seriously a great guy and a great future doctor for the local area) had recently made me a hot smoked salmon salad, and I wanted to replicate that experience at The Garden Berry. This house smoked Tasmanian ocean trout was equally wonderful, moist and appropriately oily and smoky, with a generous serving to boot. I loved the crispy capers and roasted leak which added textural and taste interest to the underlying greenery. I didn’t love the random tiny potatoes, which I felt didn’t really have any flavour do them, but my partner did and was happy that she got to eat more than her fair share of them. The dill and horseradish dressing was not particularly perceptible, but did add to the flavour of the potatoes. Overall and excellent salad.

COMMENTS

We chose to sit outside (in the garden, in Berry), so I guess I shouldn’t complain at the random spider that we saw climbing up the pole next to us. During our lunch we had no less than four groups of people rotate through the table next to us, including a couple who moved to an indoors table, and another couple who left without ordering. Their server was kind enough to offer them suggestions as to where else to eat in Berry. Super nice of him.

Get the scones.

The Garden Berry
103 Queen St, Berry NSW 2535
(02) 4464 1920