Chester White – Dani Valent

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Chester White: 302 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, 9819 2200

My score: 3.5/5

Chester White has closed. The space has re-opened as Orto.

There are restaurants that steer people and there are those that give them what they want. Chester White trots happily into the latter category. There’s stuff for kids, sizzling lunch deals, a BYO night, all-day pizzas (gluten-free available) and heaps of wine by the glass. A ‘say yes’ mentality doesn’t tend to stretch Joe Public but most people like a restaurant that preaches to them, the converted, and there’s nothing wrong with ticking the boxes when it’s done with Chester White’s finesse and fine taste.

The all-day restaurant opened in May, replacing Middle Eastern Canvas (its chef Pierre Khodja is now at the Flinders Hotel). The new entity is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the large first-floor space with its open kitchen and a flexible dining floor that can be carved into function zones. The sweeping deck scoops up sunshine, suits and celebrators with equal success.

Chef Simon Arkless (ex-Comme) loves pork (‘Chester White’ is a lop-eared white pig breed) and aims to source free range. His house-made chorizo appears in a lovely salad with chick peas, calamari and cubed tomato. The pig also stars in a jamon and rockmelon salad with torn burrata (creamy mozzarella) and roasted chilli. Our salad was marred by underripe melon but it’s a perfect summer starter with a great balance of flavours. There’s always a pork special, maybe pork schnitzels, roasted rack or slow-cooked belly, but we had fat, pink slices of rump, slow-cooked sous vide then coloured in the oven. The crackling was great: salted, dried and deep-fried, it puffed up like a porky prawn cracker. On the side, slivered apple was tossed with lovely toasty walnuts and truffled polenta eagerly slurped up the meat juices. A gorgeous lamb shoulder dish plies a similar route, wherein hero meat is attended by groovy augmenting salad, in this case a superfood tumble of quinoa and pomegranate with yoghurt dressing.

The children’s menu has the usual pizza, penne and fish ‘n’ fries but it’s all fresh and nice. There are iPads for kids (reserve one if necessary to avoid meltdown). Let the technology distract them while you eat adult desserts like creamy choc-coffee parfait with zabaglione ice cream, and chilli-roasted pineapple with gingerbread ice cream. Chester White is a smart operation and the food is pleasing. I bet lots of locals consider other places but keep going back because it’s so easy.

More summer bites:

San Telmo, 14 Meyers Place, Melbourne, 9650 5525
Hot nights by the massive Argentine grill start with a glass of Patagonian sparkling and continue with empanadas, beef ribs and pork neck.

My Mexican Cousin, Melbourne Recital Centre, corner Sturt Street & Southbank Boulevard, Southbank, 9686 3389
A location in need of a restaurant has been bestowed a cool caff with a Creole skew. Try the Creole rice with lentils and elegantly restrained spices.

Fitzrovia, 155 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 9537 0001
Kick back on the terrace with a mojito diablo and choose from the Victorian-focused menu. In a radical move, it’s not a tapas menu so you aren’t obliged to share!

First published in The Age, December 11, 2011

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2017-09-18T18:00:30+10:00

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