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)