Universal - Carlton

The uni group decided to finish the semester the way we started, by eating at Universal on Lygon Street. K ordered the Universal Chicken Schnitzel ($14) for himself. S, A.B and A shared the BBQ Meats Plate which consisted of grilled beef steak & lamb skewers, slow roasted tender marinated pork ribs & wings, homemade pork sausage & chicken shashlik served with Universals beer battered chips and dipping sauces ($52.90). Mingang and I shared the Universal Chicken Schnitzel served with special mushroom sauce, Universal’s beer battered chips & Italian slaw ($14) plus a side of pesto scented mashed potato ($5.50).

Universal Chicken Schnitzel

The schnitzel was just the bomb dot com! I can honestly not go wrong with ordering this every time I go to Universal. This portion is plenty for two and the sides complement the schnitzel perfectly. A minor complaint was that the chips could have been crunchier. The mushroom sauce was divine and I would've loved more to mop my chips up. The pesto mash was nice but I could have gone without it.

BBQ Meats Platter

I trust S' opinion more so than the other two boys. She said that the meat was tasty but not spectacular. There wasn't as much meat as you would expect because the bed of leaves took up half of the plate. The ribs fell off the bone easily and meatballs had good flavour when they first came out. The other meats weren't as memorable but still decent.

Overall, it was a great meal full of good food and rowdy laughter. We love Universal and when we order our favourite dishes, it does not disappoint. Service was lovely and they didn't kick us out when we just rested for the longest time as the food coma kicked in. I look forward to going back to Universal in Semester 2, but probably much later in the year.


Taste: 8.5/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10 (~$10 for my meal)

Fancy Hank's BBQ Joint - CBD

We decided to go to Fancy Hank's BBQ Joint after our uni break. We ordered the Angus Beef Brisket ($17/200g),  Beef Short Ribs ($17/200g) and Kansas City Style Pork Ribs ($17/200g) with a side of Mac & Cheese ($5.50) and Home Fries ($5.50).

Pork Ribs, Beef Short Ribs and Beef Brisket

The Beef Brisket was the best thing here and that's not saying much. The Pork Ribs looked juicy but it was underwhelming and needed to be drenched in the supplied sauces. The house made sauces were pretty decent though. The Beef Short Ribs were so disappointing because it was dry and the outside was so charred, it was basically burnt.

Mac & Cheese and Home Fries

I enjoyed the sides more than I did the main. The chips were top notch because they were coated with crispy bits and just so yummy. The mac & cheese was super cheesy which was to be expected so I could only eat it in between bites of the meat.

Our meat platter!

Overall, we left the restaurant feeling a little deflated. We had to order at the bar and the servers were friendly and talkative. The inside was really nice and there were so many seating options. We were expecting big American style portions with succulent and flavoursome meat. It just didn't hit the mark and we were left wanting for more. Although, it was nice that we had enough stomach room for some quality time at Max Brenner's afterward.


Taste: 6/10
Presentation: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Value for Money: 6/10

Grand Trailer Park Taverna - CBD

I have been looking forward to going to Grand Trailer Park Taverna for a while and the opportunity came up when Sham couldn't see her boyfriend and had to hang out with me instead. We met up with A.B, S and Mingang who were finishing their burgers by the time we got there (rude). Sham got the Atomic Burger which consisted of a beef patty, cheddar cheese from Murica', chilli cheese kransky, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce and truffle cayenne mayonnaise ($16.50). I ordered the Francis Underwood (love love House of Cards) which had a beef patty, American cheddar cheese, tomato, butter lettuce, POTATO MAC & CHEESE CROQUETTE, special burger sauce and mustard ($16).

Francis Underwood ($16)

The Francis Underwood was massive but I managed to compress it to a manageable size. It completely hit the spot and I could taste all the ingredients in every bite. The croquette sounded amazing but it was a teensy bland so with some extra ketchup, my burger was complete. Just, yum! 

Atomic Burger ($16.50)

Sham really enjoyed her burger. She said it was saucy, juicy and packed with flavour. 

Donutella ($9/3pcs)

S loved the Nutella Donuts. She was super giddy and devoured them. They were oozy and the donut was fluffy at the start. She would have preferred if they were dusted with icing sugar though. S left one for me but since it wasn't fresh, the donut tasted too bready and the Nutella hit wasn't as strong as I would've liked. 

Overall, we had a pretty good time at Grand Trailer Park Taverna. The venue was cute and service was friendly. It was nothing over the top since we had to order at the bar. I was so full when we left and actually needed to lie down (which I did do). I wouldn't be rushing to come back here any time soon though since only the 'Francis Underwood' appeals to me and that carb loaded monstrosity was a struggle to finish. 

Taste: 7.5/10

Presentation: 8.5/10

Service: 7/10

Value for Money: 7/10