As part of March into Merivale, Papi Chulo, Merivale’s new dining hot spot in Manly, crossed the Harbour waters bringing a taste of their smokey menu to the Ivy.
Palings Bar and Kitchen was buzzing with excited guests donning ‘Papi Loves Ribs’ badges and bibs with ‘Talli Papi Syndrome’ branded across them. These bibs came in handy and definitely saved a few BBQ sauce spillages.
With colourful streamers dangling in bunches from the roof and African Columbian rocks and roots band, Watussi, performing, the party spirit was in the air. Folks were swaying their hips and clicking their pork-smothered fingers.
Papi Chulo is a smokehouse and grill headed by chefs Christopher Hogarth and Patrick Friesen. Their meat has an incredibly aromatic and flavoursome punch to it as they smoke their marinated meats over wood for at least six hours to create the rich pit barbecue flavour.
The menu for the night included smoked maple black pepper pork belly, tender pork shoulder with pepper, Rangers Valley wagyu brisket, smoked lamb ribs with Papi’s BBQ sauce, plus kingfish ceviche and prawn skewers.
The pick of the night would have to be the pork shoulder: tender and juicy pork with a light tang of pepper. Stuff the pork in to a soft roll, add some BBQ sauce, pair it with some guacamole and corn chips on the side and you’ve got yourself a true mouthgasm. There really is no other way to put it.
If you’re more of a lamb lover than a proud porky, the smoked lamb ribs will certainly appease and excite your taste buds. They are gloriously smoky and sticky and can be perfectly paired with a glass of pinot noir.
If you’re a diehard meat lover or just want to experience a taste of meat from deep south of America, get yourself to Papi Chulo’s on Manly Wharf.
Check out Papi Chulo’s website at http://merivale.com.au/papichulo