The White Horse is serving up a six-course menu of dreams, with lobster pappardelle, brie ice cream and more for just $55.
When Crown Street’s The White Horse underwent a major renovation and reopened its doors in 2024, it was the talk of the town. Although it kept its iconic rooftop pony and chic white paint, the building lost its pub status, becoming a sleek restaurant with an elegant bar and a relaxed outdoor seating area upstairs.
Two years in, the menu has evolved, spearheaded by Executive Chef Jun Hwang. He’s woven more of his Korean heritage into the menu, with dishes like lobster pappardelle in miso broth and Bannockburn chicken with gochujang jus, while staying true to the French technique that has defined White Horse from the start.
“We’re not trying to be a modern Asian restaurant,” says Jun. “The foundation of the cooking is still French, but I naturally draw on the Korean food and flavours I grew up with, as well as some South-East Asian influences. Ultimately I want the technique to be there without getting in the way of food that’s comforting, full of flavour and makes you want another bite.”
Another “comforting” thing about The White Horse? The price tag. It serves up premium dishes without hitting you with a stomach-dropping bill. Their new six-course dining deal is a stellar example of this, costing just $55 per person.
We popped into the Surry Hills institution to try some of their new dishes, and to make sure their new dining deal isn’t too good to be true.
The $55 lunch special
So, what’s on the menu for the $55 lunch special, and when can you get your hands on it?
The six-course deal is available from Friday to Sunday, between 12pm and 3pm, making it an easy weekend excuse to round up your friends and settle in for a proper feast. Unlike many dining deals that are only available during awkward weekday time slots, this one is made for leisurely weekend lunches.
The lunch kicks off with warm whole-wheat sourdough and fermented honey butter, served in a swirling cone that begs to be photographed. Next is silky stracciatella topped with confit tomatoes, shallot and chardonnay vinaigrette – the perfect balance of creamy indulgence and fresh zing.
The star of the show has to be the W.A. rock lobster stuffed pappardelle. Described as “somewhere between pasta and a dumpling”, the lobster is enclosed with the pasta, rather than tossed through it. It sits in a savoury, buttery miso broth made with brown fish stock, daikon, kombu and white soy, finished with lobster bisque foam and prawn oil.
This dish takes Jun back to growing up in Korea, where food trucks outside school sold tteokbokki and fish cakes swimming in the rich broth. “I used to drink litres of it,” he says. “That broth has always stuck with me. This is obviously a very different dish, but that memory is in there.”
Next on the menu is Bannockburn chicken leg served with gochujang jus, salsa verde and pickled cucumber. It’s another dish that combines great Aussie produce with Korean influences. There’s also X.O. fried rice with sugar snaps, egg, house-made sriracha and coriander. I could not get enough of the sweet chillies that topped the smoky rice.
Wrapping up the menu is a generous scoop of Adelaide Hills brie ice cream, sat atop strawberries and pistachio.
I’ll be honest, I did raise my eyebrows slightly at the thought of brie ice cream, but I am powerless against a cheeseboard, so I gave it a go. It was delicious: sweet but also a little bit savoury, extremely creamy and perfect when paired with the crunch of the pistachios. If brie ice cream is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Overall, each dish complemented the next one seamlessly. You know a set menu has nailed it when every new plate that arrives somehow becomes your new favourite. And really, where else are you going to find lobster on a $55 six-course menu?
Beyond lunch: à la carte highlights
If you’re looking to dine at The White Horse outside of the lunch special hours, we’ve got you covered. The menu spans snacks, small plates, larger dishes, sides and desserts, so we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites worth ordering.
Start with the salty, crunchy roasted chicken skin with spanner crab and cider gel, for $12 each. Then order a round of duck leg cigars: golden and thin, filled with overnight-confited duck seasoned with hoisin, shallot, leek and white pepper ($8 each). These are served with black garlic and sharp quandong.
The smoky Wagyu steak tartare (28) is another must-order, with Chef Jun’s Asian influence coming into play again. The dish does away with the usual Dijon, capers and cornichons, replacing them with soy, sesame and shiitake before sitting the beef over a bonito and horseradish custard with crisp potato.
One of the prettiest dishes has to be the Spencer Gulf kingfish with watermelon radish, mandarin, yuzu and white soy ($28). Hidden beneath the delicate, paper-thin slices of pink radish is meaty, beautifully tender kingfish with zingy, citrusy mandarin. You might not want to pull it apart and ruin the beautiful presentation, but it’s definitely worth it.
Also vying for the title of the most beautifully presented dish is the dry-aged Aylesbury duck with Australian fruits, rhubarb and radish ($44). The tender duck pairs beautifully with the sweetness and acidity of the fruit, making for an indulgent dish that’s decadent without feeling too heavy.
If you’re after the ultimate comfort dish, order the seafood pie ($46). It’s filled with mussels, scallop, prawn, potato and leek beneath a layer of buttery puff pastry, while dashi (a Japanese soup stock) and kombu (sea kelp) add extra depth to the classic sauce.
The bottom line? Whether you’re popping in for the $55 lunch special or ordering à la carte, you’re in for a treat. From comforting classics to more adventurous plates, the mix of French technique, Korean influence and Australian produce makes The White Horse an easy pick for dinner with family, friends or a date. Trust us, it’s one dining experience you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
You can find out more and book a table at The White Horse here.
