There’s nothing like a late-night schnitzel after an evening at the cinema. It’s ten o’clock, I haven’t eaten dinner, and I’m wandering around with a mate (just casually throwing that in there so that people don’t think I go to the movies on my own. I don’t. Really.) seeing what Rundle Street has to offer us. At the Exeter, we are told that they only do curries on Wednesdays. It’s the second time I’ve tried for a schnitzel there and been knocked back. I silently promise myself to never go there again.
So as we walk along the street, tummies rumbling in unison, we come across a semi-fancy (does that description even make sense?) looking Italian restaurant. Or was it more like a café? Or was it somewhere in that spectrum of eatery where it’s neither a restaurant nor a café, but somewhere in the middle? Who knows. Suffice to say, anything that had a chicken schnitzel on the menu was gonna be good enough at that point in time.
The café/restaurant had a nice atmosphere inside, and was quite well presented. The service was friendly and efficient, although I guess at that time of night there wasn’t the sort of mad rush that brings out the worst in waitresses. Definitely a nice place to pop in to for a coffee or dessert in the evening.
What I was served up with looked more like battered fish than a chicken schnitzel. It tasted a little that way as well, although it was certainly still palatable. However, it was about as processed as a schnitzel can get, and not at all impressive in size. There was a generous serving of chips, of excellent size and texture, but unsalted. Also, there was no salad with the meal. I realise the salad isn’t the thing that makes the meal, but it is nice to have a bit of roughage; something healthy on your plate to make you feel like you’re not completely violating your body.
The gravy that I asked for never arrived, but I guess everyone makes mistakes.
My mate’s parmi topping was to his liking, with a delicious tomato sauce and a generous serving of cheese. At $16.90 ($19.90 for a parmi) it wasn’t great value, and just a few small changes could have made this meal so much better. Oh well, the search for the elusive perfect schnitzel continues…
The Verdict: Not too bad considering the heavily processed nature of the meal. Maybe some salt on my chips next time though? And a salad? Maybe a bigger schnitzel too?
Taste 3/5, Size 2.5/5, Value 2.5/5, Sides 2.5/5, Experience 4/5
Total 58%
