The Depot

I have been meaning to come to the popular Al Brown's 'The Depot' since it opened its doors more than a year ago but it's always packed and they don't take booking plus I am not a fan of waiting around watching others gobble delicious food. I have heard really good reviews too, so it made it more painful. After several attempts, we finally got ourselves in for a late lunch last week. 

First impression is good, I personally like the rustic decor and friendly service from the staff. I feel very welcomed here and that my experience is going to be great and I wasn't wrong. 

We ordered 5 dishes and the first to arrive is their signature pulled pork sliders with coleslaw. It was delicious and the flavours of the meat was intense. I savoured every bite of my bite size slider. When the first dish is great, it truly lifts your mood and expectation and we were not disappointed.

Next up was the lamb ribs with skordalia with paprika oil. The serving was generous for 3 people to share. The lamb was so tender that it comes off the bone as you sink your teeth into it. Every mouthful was a delight. The flavours were beautiful balanced.

We did not order any freshly shucked oysters although it's very popular here because neither one of us is a big fan of oysters. We ordered mussels instead but the photo is not doing justice to the beautiful grilled mussel dish we have ordered. The mussels were accompanied by small chunks of prosciutto and croutons that made this dish so enjoyable but not heavy.

 We were fairly full at this point when our pork hock with salsa verde, black beans and grilled sweet corn arrived at our table. I have to say this was my least favourite dish although it is still a very good dish. I think I was getting a bit full and I didn't think all the components went well together. They were all very good, but just didn't create spark together on a plate. 
Our last dish was potato skins with gouda and porcini salt. I love the strong gouda on the potato skins but it they were too generous with the gouda here and made me feel a bit too bogged down but that could also be because I ate too much.

The Depot lives up to its hype unlike Tin Soldier. I think it's fair to compare the two because the have very similar concept, decor and menu. In my opinion, The Depot beats Tin Soldier hands down. I would definitely come back  here with friends soon.

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