Best that I’ve ever had? Best that I’ve ever had!
Sometimes too many lunch choices can be a treacherous thing, as we first went down Sussex Street checking out display menus along the way, hoping that something might catch our eye; then over to upper Dixon Street in a similar vein; before a temporary touch-down at Fratelli Fresh ICC; then it was a slight backtrack to find out that Doyles Seafood ICC has shut-down; and after 45 minutes of walking here-and-there we finally gave in and went to our new go-to precinct of Steam Mill Lane to try one of the last stores we’ve yet dropped cash on.
I think our hesitation of trying Bánh Mìs from Marrickville Pork Roll (MPR) is due to the fact that you know you’re paying a bit of a premium for the brand-name; considering Sydney Pork Roll on George Street had recently hiked up their prices, however their Bánh Mìs are still only 5 bucks! But when you’re comparing $6.50 for a MPR Bánh Mì, to the $24 which Fratelli Fresh were charging for the cheapest plate of pasta …….. All of a sudden $6.50 for the humble pork roll seemed like a bloody bargain!
They weren’t kidding when they describe the store as a hole-in-the-wall, as you pretty much make your order, pay, and then back-yourself out the front door to wait for your food, so others wanting the same thing can make their orders. I chose the standard Pork Roll (as I wanted to compare this to what I was familiar with); while my wife went with the Pork Belly Bánh Mì ($8). And in a matter of minutes, we had our rolls in hand and perched ourselves on some high wooden benches just outside the store, and ate our first Marrickville Pork Roll!
**Apologies, I was too eager to get stuck into my roll that we forgot to take pictures. So you’ll just have to close your eyes and imagine it. Okay, picture a white paper bag, the nose of a baguette poking out the top with some fresh veg peeking out……OK, open your eyes, you got the picture! Hehehe**
But yeah…… I’m admitting it! Best Bánh Mì I’ve ever had! There used to be a couple of pork roll places in Burwood and they were always really good. And Sydney Pork Roll on George Street were even better than them. But Marrickville Pork Roll, you my friend take the crown! Baguette, super fresh and crispy (which isn’t always the case by lunch-time); the veg, super fresh – probably it’s the fresh veg which stands MPR out from other places; the pork was on par (maybe not as generous as other places though); and the mayo, soya-sauce, pate, chilli…. All perfect! What can I say, bánh mìs are always winners! However MPR just does it a little bit better than the rest!
Yeah, granted, there is a bit of a mess factor with the sauces pooling at the bottom of the bag; which eventually bores a hole and drips out. But that is the authentic pork roll experience we’re all familiar with! Love it or hate it! Without this ticking-time bomb, where is the excitement in trying to eat the bánh mì faster than the sauce can eat its way through paper! And not having your fingers smell of pate, mayo and pork fat until your next meal……where’s the fun in that!
Okay, without dragging out what ought to be a short post into another epic 4 pager, I’ll conclude by saying that Marrickville Pork Roll is my new favourite Pork Roll hole-in-the-wall! I just hope that all the workers in the vicinity, and the soon to move in residents of Darling Square will all line-up on a regular basis and get their best-in-class pork rolls here (I’d love to see MPR thrive in the city!).
Our end verdict, 4.5 Stars (3 from 3 for Food; 0.5 from 0.5 for Service; 0 from 0.5 for Atmosphere; and 1 from 1 for Value for money).
Marrickville Pork Roll- Sunday 20 January
https://www.darlingsq.com/eat-drink-shop/marrickville-pork-roll/
16 Steam Mill Lane, Darling Square NSW
Mon-Wed 7.30am – 6pm
Thurs-Fri 7.30am – 7pm
Sat-Sun 9am – 5pm
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