La Rotisserie for Lunch

La Rotisserie
http://www.larotisserie.com.au/

Marc left his car in the Northside over the weekend so we went to pick it up on Monday. What better way to bribe me out for a tiresome task than to throw a lunch outing in the mix. We tried to find something on the way so that it made logistical sense and The Gasworks complex in Newstead came to mind. I'd never been there before but I heard of La Rotiserrie which promises meat and chips and really, what else do you need in life?

The shopfront is so cute, with rich red awnings and hanging ferns. It really makes you feel like you've stumbled across this place along a Paris side street.

There are tables outside and in and we took up a booth indoors to escape the wind. The decor is just as striking inside, with metal walls contrasting against fire engine red booths and wicker chairs. The ceilings were adorned with autumn leaves. It sounds like a big mess but they manage to pull it off and the result was, in a word: charming.

The menu is fairly straight forward with options of rolls with slow cooked meat, BBQ cuts with salad, different sizes of hot chips and gravy. It's typical takeaway store offerings but glammed up, so think 'raw shaved broccoli salad' rather than caesar and '12 hour slow cooked wagyu' rather than kebab meat.

La wagyu - 12 hour cooked and shredded, served with coleslaw

Marc and I chose a roll each (breadless for me) and a side of chips to share. My pick was the above mentioned slow cooked pulled wagyu with coleslaw. The wagyu was so incredibly soft and tender, it took no effort to bite through at all. It was also a larger-than-expected serving of meat. I'm not sure if they give you more meat and coleslaw if you ask for the bunless option but it was definitely a filling plate. The coleslaw was fresh and creamy without being too thick and sickly.

Big Tokyo - panko crumbed chicken breast with coleslaw, and raw zucchini salad on the side

Marc's pick was the Big Tokyo, which is a panko-crusted chicken schnitzel, coleslaw and Japanese curry in a roll. He really liked this combination of flavours; a bit like katsu curry meets baguette. For once, he was the messier eater than me.

To introduce some veggies to his meal, Marc also had a side of raw zucchini noodle salad. It looked vibrant and green and it had a bit of spiciness to it but otherwise, Marc was much more interested in the roll and chips.

Chips with La's famous gravy

My favourite part of this meal had to be the chips and gravy. On the menu, it's touted as world's best chips so my expectations were high. I don't know if they were The Best chips on entire planet but they were definitely up there. They are simple, thick-cut chips cooked to a deep golden crunch. The accompanying gravy was glossy and rich. It wasn't cheaply thickened with flour, so it slicked over and coated the chips perfectly. So good!!

Both Marc and myself waddled out of La Rotisserie feeling full and fat but very content. The food is nourishing, homely and delicious. Sure, there are naughty options on the menu but for the health-conscious, you could just as easily order a quarter roast chook and salad and feel guilt-free. That's if you could go past the chips and gravy...