Pub of the Week: Tony Leonard reviews the Derrimut Hotel

The Derrimut Hotel

132 Durham Rd, Sunshine.
9311 1171
www.derrimuthotel.com.au

When? March 18, 2022.

VENUE 

On the corner of Sun Crescent and Durham Rd, the Derrimut Hotel has been the standout fixture for years with its  Spanish Villa looks and chocolate brown exterior.

Like the suburb itself the pub has moved with the times (to a point) and while the corner bar hasn’t changed a great deal – old style pub carpet, basic tables and chairs, the horses in the corner – the bistro has really been spruced up and offers a wide variety of options.

A minor drawback is you have two leave the bar and head up the street around 20 metres – past the bottle shop – if you want to dine in. (Is it just me or is the centre of this suburb obliquely set out – the pub is  a bit like that!).

The Derrimut is well run by experienced hoteliers – The Hunter family – who own  the Olive Tree in Sunbury and the Pinsent  in Wangaratta. TAB yes// Pokies Yes.

What assured me that this was a solid choice was the service with good staff, trained to please the customers.

There were no highs or lows to the visit and that’s not a bad thing. The Derrimut ticks over steadily.

FOOD/DRINK

The menu is extensive, and supported by a few specials so clearly the kitchen is having a real crack. The entrees are covered by the bread/potato variants, but Lemon Salt/Pepper Squid (16), Mexican Cheesy Nachos (15) offer different to the forementioned.

Four salads, five pastas, 11 Parmas provide the familiarity but it is good to see BBQ Pork Stir Fry (25), Cajun Atlantic salmon, fully plated (29) and a mixed grill (28), that comprises Minute Steak, Beef Sausage, bacon, grilled chicken tenders, egg, chips, onion rings, tomato, gravy.

And the Derrimut, like so many other pubs matches nationality with their Parmas. This weeks consideration is ‘The Irish’, topped with ham, mash potato, gravy and cheese. (26).

Be my guest.

The choice of beer is heavily tied to Carlton/Great Northern lines but is well looked after and wine is fairly priced, stating at $7.5pg (Yarra Burn/McWilliams) to Pepperjack at $38/ btle.

Average Prices:

Entrees:  $13

Mains:     $23 (steaks higher at 37, fully plated)

Dessert:   $11

Tried was;

• Caramel Pulled Pork Sliders, slaw. 3/$14. These compare most favourably with any going around in a pub, real flavour, plentiful, fresh slaw and fairly priced.
• Hoisin Duck Leg, Hokkien noodles, vegetables, shiitake mushrooms in ‘our own Singaporean sauce’. ($30).  Good meal, duck fell away from bone, stack of vegetables and flavours weren’t overly sweet. Good meal. Given that the dish was called ‘Hoisin’, it was a safe bet that the Singaporean sauce was indeed given away in the title!
• Spaghetti Carbonara. $19. Delivered as expected, big serve, just a bit too much oil in bottom of plate.

Summary

The Derrimut still represents an old school western suburban working class pub with all the feel of an age past, and the characters that inhabited within. The front bar is testament to that.

But to be fair, the pub has moved with the times, and offers a level of comfort here that would never  have been on the radar so  many, many moons ago when this suburb had a sinister reputation.

The staff, led by Ben, did a fabulous job in greeting the customers in the bistro and everyone was made to feel welcome.

Something that is within the powers of the owners is providing a sound barrier between the bistro and pokies.  It is a nice, bright , modern area to dine but that noise of the 5 Golden Rhinos is something diners/families do not need. Nor want.

That said, a pleasant pub experience from start to finish.

SCORE: 13/20