Beef Sirloin @ The Moderation 19/10/2014

Beef Sirloin @ The Moderation 19/10/2014

The last time I went to The Moderation for a roast, I was disappointed.  It was a couple of years ago so I felt it was
time to try again.  They used to do very
good roasts 5-6 years ago.

Available choices were chicken, pork or beef, so I plumped
for the beef sirloin, to give its exact name, and went for 2 dishes for £12,
instead of the £10 roast, which seemed reasonable value.

There were around 15 of us seated and our dinners arrived at
the same time which is always appreciated and the waitress had understood my
request for extra gravy despite not acknowledging it.

So in the order that I ate it, the one piece of cauliflower
was fine.  Crunchy but fine.  As was the one piece of broccoli.
My one baby carrot was really nice.

Photo clarifies that I did get a carrot.

3 of my 5 a day done.

The selection of roast potatoes were reasonably decent.  The larger one was fairly tough inside, but
the others well-cooked and reasonably crispy on the outside.
The Yorkshire pudding was disappointing.  A decent size but it was filled like a
dumpling.  I am struggling to describe it
well, but it was a filled, fluffy bowl. 
Not what I class as a Yorkshire.
It was a decent piece of beef sirloin – in steak format as
opposed to carved from a joint of beef.  A
little pink inside, it was cooked nicely.

The gravy however, was tomato-flavoured and rather watery.  An attempt at modernisation where it is not
required.  The extra gravy was surplus to
requirements.  Well…mostly.  I certainly didn’t bother asking for some
bread to soak it up.  Nor was I tempted
to hide under the table and lick the remaining gravy doggy-style.
Inconsequentially, as this is a roast dinners around Reading
blog, not a roast dinners and desserts around Reading blog, the chocolate
brownie, though unsurprisingly limited in size considering the generosity of
just one carrot, was very tasty.

I didn’t hear anyone in my group expelling excitable endorsements
about the meal, but likewise nobody complained either.
It was decent and I wouldn’t recommend against it.  But there are better roasts out there.

5.2 out of 10.

Next up might be somewhere slightly outside of Reading.

Roast Pork @ The Moderation 07/04/2013

Roast Pork @ The Moderation 07/04/2013
3rd in my occasional series of local roast dinner reviews.
I haven’t been to The Moderation for some time, it is a nice, modern pub just about in Caversham.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the roast dinner listed for only £9.00 – I am sure it used to be a higher price.
Pork, chicken and beef were the options on the menu.  Except they only had pork left.
We didn’t have to wait too long, around 15 minutes – the pub was moderately busy for a Sunday early evening, plenty of seating available.
The roast dinner was well presented, if a tiny bit on girlie size (or is that just my above-average belly talking?).  A very impressive looking Yorkshire Pudding.
The cauliflower and broccoli were fine, a little tougher than I personally prefer.  The carrots however were sensational, some of the best I have ever had – if only there were more than 6 thin strips of carrot.  Not often I say that.
Good roast potatoes.  Roast potatoes at a pub seem to be the easiest thing to get wrong but they were good.
Onto the important bits – the pork was nice and tender however with only two slices, this was a little disappointing.  It seemed like it was an attempt to conserve the meat as they were running out.  Decent bit of crackling, and the Yorkshire Pudding was excellent.
Finally, the part you have all been waiting for – the gravy.  It was one of those homemade gravies which doesn’t really sit naturally with a Northern palette, but this was a good gravy, a decent consistency and there was plenty enough on the plate.
The empty plate would suggest that it gets the James Winfield seal of approval as a roast with good value for money, with room for improvement.
7.7 out of 10.