All right. My second visit to Narooma and I
was hoping not to jinx it. The first time when I visited Narooma, the second
night was memorable for the wrong reasons. Dead tired, we dozed off and woke up
and ventured into the city at 8.30 P.M., only to find out that most of the
eating out options had closed. We frantically ventured from food joint to another
and alas, we found none. Eventually we had to sleep hungry.
Second visit, second day and similar
situation, we wake up and head out at 8 on a Sunday evening. I had the choice
of going either to Mosaic restaurant in the Whale Motor Inn or the Inlet
restaurant. Now Mosaic, event though highly praised fine dining, didn't make
sense to me as I couldn't eat beef and pork, which ruled out most options.
Besides, it was probably too high end fine dining that I could understand much
by reading the menu. We drove down to the Inlet Restaurant, which was famous
for seafood. Narooma being a small fishing town and famous for the fresh
produce, we thought lets go to the Inlet, overlooking the calm waters of the
Waroonga Inlet. Unfortunately, at 8:10 we were sent away saying the kitchen is
closed. While out of experience I didn't bother trying to use reasoning or
common sense to say What da !! , why is the kitchen closed at 8 P.M.
So I raced my car back to the main Princes
Highway and went to the Aussie Pub, Lynch’s. Now I hoped desperately that I get
some food, even a Pizza. As I spoke at the pub and requested, I was lucky.
Kitchen closes at 8.30 and it was 8.30. They were kind enough to do one last
order.
The decor was of a typical Aussie pub.
Wooden interiors, games and matches, and betting and the booze. I wasn't sure
if I would get my mom and brother here, but surprise, they lead me into the
restaurant, which was totally for family seating. Looking at the menu, I was
getting a bit stunned. I expected pub food like pizzas, schnitzel,garlic bread
and may be some pasta’s. but boy, the menu was unbelievably exotic. It had Moroccan chicken, Balinese curry. And wait
for it, Indian curries. Well I thought the max I can get, it a tandoori chicken
pizza or and anglicized version of the butter chicken. On the contrary, the
menu had a tandoori sampler on a sizzler plate, Nepalese chicken momos and
chilli chicken. There was korma with chicken, Nepalese chicken curry and lamb
saagwala. I was getting a bit high, seeing so many options in an Aussie pub. But
then being the cynic, I knew this is probably one of those creamy curries,
sweet and much to please the palates of the Aussies and locals.
So without too much expectation and happy
to have found food in the first place, I ordered for a tandoori sampler and a
Nepalese chicken curry. The Nepalese curry was on the recommendation of the
lady taking the order.
The interiors of the restaurant, again,
wooden finish and very cozy. A few big families enjoying their meals. It took a
bit of time, but eventually the food arrived. The tandoori platter came on a
sizzling plate. It had chicken tenderloins, lamb, and prawns, all with tandoori
flavors. Loaded with strips of onions, capsicum. The prawns were good, the
chicken was very well marinated and tasty. The lamb was the big chunk. I used to
avoid lamb initially, because of the smell and chewiness, but off late, I do go
for lamb, specially the tandoori ones. The lamb here was a big portion of meat.
It was juicy for starters. A few areas were a bit chewy, but not too bad. The
marination could have been a bit stronger for my liking, but then this was a
good one, which had the lamb soft and juicy, not too excessively cooked, and
not too over spiced. If I had it my way, I would have gone for just a little
bit more cooked, and a bit more flavor.
The prawns were descent as well. So all in all a good platter and I
loved it.
Next came the Nepalese chicken curry. Well
the plating was wow. An inverted bowl of rice, some salad and yummy looking
gregariously orange-ish red chicken curry, separated by a vertical papad. Wow.
Full marks to make it look great. The rocket and the papad, all ok. The rice
was jasmine. The curry,well let me tell you- it was heavenly. It was exactly
the kind of curry you don’t expect to get at restaurants. I mean, you go to a
restaurant, you expect thick creamy curries or over spiced curies. You don’t
expect a simple gravy like the one you get at home. The simple gravy made out
of only onion and tomatoes, with salt, turmeric and chilly powder, and the
chicken all well fried and then with coriander. It was like the homely chicken
curry which I have at home, in fact even better. One spoon and I was like
stunned. Man, this cant be true. I went to Melbourne, after a 9 day fast and
when I was craving for curries, I got crappy curries, in a city famous for food
and so many Indians. And you come to a small town called Narooma, with not even
Indians visible or Indian food, and there you end up with the most awesome
chicken curry. Its unbelievable and ironic.
A travel note needs to be issued. If you
are travelling to Narooma or on the way from Sydney to Melbourne or from
Melbourne to Sydney, must have food at Lynch’s pub at Narooma for the most
awesome curry. The curry menu is available at nights only.
I was very satisfied with the food and it
hit the spot. The bill was about $45, which was not too bad at all.
135 Wagonga Street, Narooma
phone2: 02 44763 022, (02) 4476 2001
Fax: 02 4476 2247
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