Rodney Holmes
15/05/2023
Let me set the scene: it is Mother's Day and we have just completed a walk around the Australian Botanic Gardens in Mt Annan. The plan was to revisit the Camden Valley Inn to express thanks to my mum for everything she does via a glorious schnitzel as previously reviewed by Rodney Holmes on that venue's Google Maps page.
Due to the unknown timing of completion of the walk, I did not make a booking at the Camden valley Inn.
As you can probably guess, there was very little space, and as luck would have it, the heavens opened up with a localized downpour at precisely the moment we arrived, sending all those seated outside scurrying for cover and any remaining tables were quickly snapped up.
For this reason we abandoned the attempt to dine at the Camden Valley Inn, and decided to head back towards Sydney and stop off at the next available pub with a decent looking menu and at least 4 stars on Google Reviews (I note that prior to this review, the Narellan Hotel was sitting at exactly 4.0 stars, hence this review was not added in a corrupt attempt to bring it up to par for my mother).
The Narellan Hotel was identified as the most appropriate option. Upon arrival, there were far fewer people meaning that there was abundant choice in seating. We had arrived at the prime time between lunch and dinner, and thankfully this was not one of those pubs that closes their bistro in the prime hours between lunch and dinner.
Fast forward approximately 20min after we had acquired a few beverages and decided what to eat (don't worry my mind was made up on a Schnitty well in advance), and our food had arrived.
I selected a schnitzel ABB. To clarify, the schnitzel was not manufactured by the Swedish-Swiss multinational corporation in the electrical equipment industry. The ABB stands for how the schnitzel was beautifully adorned with Avocado, Bacon, and Bernaise. Usually I am not one to adulterate the basic Chicken Schnitzel with unnecessary toppings and condiments, but on this day I was feeling it. And I must say it did not disappoint. The crispy bacon perfectly complimented the crispy batter and crumbs of the schnitzel. The avocado slices lended a creaminess in addition to the lashings of Bernaise sauce. The dollops of sauce were such that the usual condiments of mushroom or pepper sauce (or mustard as I am known to enjoy) were not required.
The chicken itself was well cooked and sized, of appropriate thickness and strength of chemical bondage to its crispy batter.
The accompanying chips were well seasoned and nicely cooked. Cannot fault.
The accompanying salad was reasonably good, nothing that brought enlightenment but not bad, except for the two large slices of cucumber which I don't really care for in this context.
Price was $24 for standard option schnitzel, plus $5 for the cost of manufacturing 3 off ABB high voltage electric motors for use in one of the many pump stations found in Sydney Water's vast potable and wastewater network.
All in all, a very good experience after the chaos and disappointment of not getting to eat at the Camden valley Inn again. 8.5/10.