Bock Bock Book yourself in to Chicken & Sons
Forget the monkey, it seems 2016 is the year of the chicken. So many new chicken shops have opened all over Sydney and this tasty poultry has become a prominent feature on many menus about town. Fried, roasted or grilled it seems we can’t get enough of the tasty bird and ahead of the trend is Chicken & Sons. Owners Adam Spencer and Mark Jan van der Goot recently opened their third venue after the success of Chicken & Sons stores in Leichhardt and Chatswood. Together they have teamed up with The White Horse Hotel’s Steve Hiles, to take over the kitchen at the Surry Hills pub serving up their popular menu of burgers and salads.
The talented chefs take pride in their chicken, which is done in a smoker for extra flavour. In fact their roast chicken goes through quite a process before it hits your plate. Spencer explains they brine it, dry it, smoke it, char it, then roast it to make sure they get that perfect crispy skin and tender, moist meat.
On this occasion we try one of their renowned chicken burgers. The Motherbutter burger ($16) comes with buttermilk fried chicken, lettuce, bacon, tomato, tortilla crumble and Motherclucker hot sauce plus a side of chips and ailoi. It’s full of flavour and leaves you walking away without the regret of smashing a greasy meal. This is a clean burger that uses really good ingredients so enjoy guilt free. If you are looking for a healthier option though, Chicken & Sons have a great selection of sides and salads that are all $8 for a small or $14 for a large serve.
The Cauliflower collapse made with za’atar roasted cauliflower, raw cauliflower, pearl cous cous, pear, golden raisin, goat curd, mint and crostini crumb is delicious on it’s own or served with a side of roast chicken. For something different, try their warm salad of roasted beets with lavender honey, caramelised pear, raisin and pedro ximinex vinaigrette. It seems Spencer has a way with words not just knives with plenty of amusing, tongue-in-cheek dishes such as ‘You are what you Beet’, ‘The Hodor’ and ‘I think there’s a leek’. You’ll have to go in and order yourself to find out what these dishes are all about.
The White Horse hosts regular live music, has a lovely rooftop terrace and is a popular drinking hole for Surry Hills locals. Order a drink from the bar, and shoot some pool while you wait for your food. Chicken & Sons strikes the perfect balance of hangover cures and healthy meals which means you can dine there a few nights of the week depending on your mood. When asked why he thinks chicken is so popular right now Spencer explains “it’s familiar, low cost and sustainable”. Works for us!
Chicken & Sons have also just started doing a Sunday roast. For $35 you’ll get a three course feast starting with Yorkshire pudding and onion gravy then, roasted Black Angus Rump Cap with duck fat roasties, lemon thyme and honey roasted carrot, truffled cauliflower cheese, buttered broccoli, cabbage and bacon, horseradish mustard, ANOTHER Yorkie and Mum’s onion gravy. To finish you’ll be served Grandma’s apple and pear crumble with vanilla custard.
Chicken & Sons (White Horse Hotel)
