Hogs Breath (3) - Northmead

Valentines Day!
I was just seeing one of my clients out when I got a special delivery from a random woman with a huge big big box :) Opening it up, I got 11 (yes, 11) long stemmed roses LOL. I think they left one out. Nonetheless, it's the thought that counts :)

my valentines day surprise (1 of 2)

For a late late dinner (cos we both finish work late), we had decided to eat at Hogs Breath in Northmead. I remember that we ate here years and years ago for our first anniversary. Back when we were young, Hogs Breath was already a super cool and awesome "restaurant".

For this particular night, the restaurant was PACKED full of people. Service was somewhat lacking and the food was slightly slow. According to the waiter, it was because the restaurant "forgot it was Valentines Day" and hence, had the same amount of staff on as they would any normal Monday night. What amused my partner more was that their famous prime rib ("slow cooked for 18 hours") was actually sold out. No Steak at a Steak place?!?!?! My partner was unimpressed.

We ended up ording a finger food combo ($19.95). This came with three types of potato skins (chilli con carne, bacon and cheese, and tomato and basil salsa), 3 vegetable spring rolls, 3 crumbed chicken tenders and salt & pepper calamari. All this food was accompanied by sweet chilli and honey mustard sauce. In all honesty, I think I remember that the finger food combo used to be more awesome way back then... but I guess it's not TOO bad now. The spring rolls are fat and plump and filled with mushy veges all encased in a crisp spring roll pastry outing. The potato skins were average. The chicken tenders were a little too deep fried and the salt and pepper calamari was decent. I love the honey mustard sauce and the sweet chilli is just normal sweet chilli sauce.

finger food combo - $19.95

As they "ran out" of their "famous" prime rib steak, my partner opted instead for a cheeseburger ($12.95). It had a slightly too glossy bun, a grilled beef patty, cheese, lettuce, beetroot, tomato, onion and BBQ sauce. This came with curly fries. My partner kind of took it apart, ate most of the burger fillings and left bits of the overlly glossy bun all over the plate. From the looks of his faceGrilled beef patty topped with sliced cheese, stacked with lettuce, beetroot, tomato, red onion rings and smoked BBQ sauce. Seared with our own Hog’s Breath blackened seasoning.

cheeseburger - $12.95

I was tossing up between a few items on the menu but at the end, I decided to be reminiscent and ordered what I ordered years and years ago - the chicken and ranch salad ($14.75). I remember that this salad used to be AWESOME. It did, however, disappoint on this night. Did I say that the chicken tenders were slightly too burnt from out appetiser? Well, the crumbed and fried chicken breast strips on my salad were WAY WAY WAY too burnt - super dark brown to almost black. The rest of the salad (ie. the potato chunks, mixed greens, cheese and bacon bits) were all actually quite nice. I think I'm a fan of cheese with almost anything :) The rance dressing just takes the unhealthiness of this salad to the next level. Haha.

Chicken and ranch salad - $14.75

I'm not sure if the quality of this place had gone down over time or whether I've just grown up. Maybe both? But I swear, the food here used to be better back then :P

Ratings:
Food - 6/10
Service - 6/10
Ambiance - 6.5/10
Value for money - 6.5/10
Overall - 25/40

Hogs Breath Northmead
The Junction
Cnr Windsor & Boundary Rds
North Parramatta NSW 2151
Tel: (02) 9890 8333