The Exchange Hotel - Best Parma on the Southside

There was a fair amount of speculation the other day regarding where to find the best Parma on the Southside of Melbourne. I normally do not enjoy the mighty filthy piece of chicken in pubs, but not having enjoyed a decent one for a while, the banter made me curious so I walked to The Exchange Hotel on Bay Street in Port Melbourne to check out what was reported as being "the best" place south of the Yarra to purchase a Chicken Parmigiana.

I had never been in the Exchange Hotel before although I had walked past it multiple times. What I thought was a case of great timing was that the vendor that they use for chicken was double parked outside making a delivery.

Luckily, the Chicken Parma was on special as it was Wednesday so for $32, I was able to purchase it, two sides and a pint of beer. I took a seat at the high tables next to the fireplace, ATM machine, cigarette machine and near the televisions so I could be educated on the comings and goings of sport. I learned that we are indeed ranked #7 of 9 teams in international 20/20 cricket. Bangladesh is ahead of us in the rankings however we do have bragging rights that we are still ahead of the Irish.

The Parma was delivered about fifteen minutes after placing the order. It was huge. Dressed in ham, napoli sauce and cheese, it certainly complimented the Kosciuszko Pale Ale that I was drinking. The chicken was remarkably moist and cooked perfectly and matched with the coleslaw that I ordered as one of my two sides nicely. I opted for the "spicy" option and really did not taste any spice, but no matter because I really enjoyed this counter meal. Once again this blog and Twitter have encouraged me to go outside of my comfort zone and live life on the edge just a bit. If you subscribe to my Twitter feed, you would have seen a photo of the parma, but if you are interested in a picture, it can be found here.

Despite wanting to nap after gorging myself, I walked back to Southbank and braved the wind. Walking off lunch I thought was a good idea however that just led to dehydration and I ended up in the warm grasp of Merrywell for a pint of Carlton Draught.

The Exchange Hotel
Link to review
39 Bay Street  Port Melbourne VIC 3207
(03) 9810 0058
www.theexchangehotel.net.au
My Rating: 12/20
Service: 1/5 (Bar service)
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Comment: Good value specials daily it seems



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I posted this review, 68% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon agreed with me and like this place. I am surprised that the figure is so low.