26 March 2013

Lunch at the new Debacle. A review

| johnboy
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mezze platter

For lunch today Barcham and I were upon our bicycles and down to the newly reopened and relocated Debacle.

For those who’ve missed the news this is what the old Debacle currently looks like with George Rose’s evolving wall animation shamefully tagged over by the mindless falsies crew.

old debacle

And a very short stumble down the road one finds the newly re-opened new debacle where everything smells like wood stain.

new debacle

The new interior reminds me a lot of Tongue and Groove. It’s certainly a more upmarket decor than the old Debacle.

Mind you I really liked the old Debacle.

The enormous projection screen has been retained which will be a relief to sports fans.

The menu also looks largely unchanged. Although my impression was there are more desserts on the blackboard.

As you can see above we got the mezze platter which at $35 is not cheap, but for a quick whirl through all the flavours of the tapas well worth it.

A pint of glorious Budvar doesn’t hurt with lunch either.

On the platter’s arrival there was something nice you don’t see enough of in Australia. Edamame! Or soy bean pods. One of the great beer snacks of the world and a staple in Japan.

The pork belly bits were also great. Nicely glazed and properly cooked to mouth melting deliciousness.

The spring rolls and gyoza would have benefitted from a dipping sauce but were delicious and beautifully textured.

The lentil dip was novel, and well worth having on the crisp bread.

The calamari, wings, balls, and chorizo were all good but nothing out of the ordinary.

A pretty good way to spend a lunchtime if you ask me.

For those wondering the new layout certainly feels quieter than the old (which was famously loud) and queueing for the bar should be less chaotic without the step just in front.

Barcham thought that it felt more like a place to drop in to than the old incarnation’s sense of destination.

Much that was good has endured, some things are probably better, but change is always a challenge.

If you liked old Debacle it’s definitely nothing to be afraid of.

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Deref said :

johnboy said :

Vegetables, and even tofu, have their place.

They have indeed. Here, it’s a little plastic bucket on the sink, prior to putting them in the compost.

How’s that fitness thing going for you? (-:

johnboy said :

Vegetables, and even tofu, have their place.

They have indeed. Here, it’s a little plastic bucket on the sink, prior to putting them in the compost.

You can pick up Edamame at most Asian supermarkets in the freezer sections. I have a couple of packets in my freezer at home. Ready in under a minute.

Madam Cholet8:24 pm 26 Mar 13

You don’t see enough of edamame in Australia, unless of course you go to Costco where they sell hulking great bags of them. And yes, yum. Even my four year old loves them.

Oh, Budvar dark! What a beer!

Kerryhemsley4:21 pm 26 Mar 13

So that’s what George Rose did before ending up in NSW Cup for Manly.

Can you two claim lunch back as a business expense on your tax returns? The ones you review, at least? That would be great 😀

Vegetables, and even tofu, have their place.

Edamame hey…..
So you hassle vego food like tofu, then when it suits as a snack to wash down with beer, all of a sudden it’s wonderful! Hahaha! 🙂
Good to see you balanced that hippy stuff with some pork belly bits after!

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