Chophouse - Perth CBD {CLOSED}

Chef and I literally blow in through the front door of Chophouse, from the blustery wind tunnel that is St Georges Terrace. The two story restaurant is a warm haven – full of hearty, meaty smells on a cold winter’s day in the city.

Chophouse, a Sydney based restaurant which has recently opened their second eatery in Perth, is right next to the revamped Cloisters food arcade, in the heart of the CBD.

We’re seated upstairs in the cosy dining room, which has the feel of a bygone time. Downstairs is a bar area and an outside deck which will be perfect for a cheeky after work drink in warmer months.

The pleasant service is off to a shaky start, which can be wholly blamed on technology – the iPad isn’t playing ball, so it’s back to the old pen and paper to take our order. Our friendly waiter brings us a selection of freshly baked breads to nibble on – I like the multigrain sourdough.

The wine drinkers are well catered for with an extensive list which has many local, interstate and international wines available from places as far away as Lebanon. Boutique beer is very on-trend and there is also worthy selection of local craft beers, including Eagle Bay and Young Henry.

Chophouse is described as an Australian version of a New York steakhouse. Whilst it’s not in-your-face American, there’s a few subtle nods to its influence on the menu. Chef has a hankering for some dude food and the mac and cheese bombs ($18.90) fit the bill perfectly. Macaroni cheese, made with three cheeses, is crumbed, deep fried and served with a Napolitana sauce, delicious!

I devour the Yellowfin Tuna entrée ($24.50). The exceptionally fresh fish is seared and sits upon a scrumptious avocado and wasabi puree – a tasty combination that should be used more often in my opinion. It is topped with crunchy kohlrabi – a vegetable from the cabbage family.

For main, we eye off the colossal chophouse tomahawk, which has been dry aged for 4-6 weeks. At $10 a kilogram, it would cost about $170 – my bet is that it’s worth splashing out on.

I choose a more conservative beef short rib ($36). The deliciously tender piece of meat practically slides of the bone with a gentle poke from my knife. It is glazed with a sweet and tangy house made barbecue sauce.

The beef fillet ($54.90), served on the bone, is perfectly cooked medium rare and full of flavour – as aged meat should be. Served with a chutney and jus, there is also a choice of accompanying sauces.

As with many upmarket steakhouses, at Chophouse you need to order side dishes, which turns it into quite an expensive meal for two. We share garlic and herb seasonal greens ($9.20), the shoestring fries ($9) and a piping hot cauliflower gratin ($12.90) arrives a few minutes later. It is made with a Gruyère and parmesan béchamel and finished with sourdough crumbs.

With very little room to spare, Chef and I share dessert. We are so glad that we do, as it’s a cracker! The popcorn brittle semifreddo is as good as any dessert gets. A fluffy layer of marshmallow tops the silky semifreddo, which sits on a layer of sponge cake. The popcorn and honeycomb brittle, and a smear of salted caramel sauce give crunch and a salty kick to the dish.

For such a new restaurant, Chophouse has certainly hit the ground running. It is pricy, though the seasonal produce is top notch and cooked to a very high standard. If you are mad about meat you won’t be disappointed with Chophouse.

**First published in the Post newspaper**

At a glance

■ Chophouse

200 St Georges Tce

Perth

Phone 1300 246 748

■ Opening times

Mon -Fri 12pm – 12am

Saturday 6pm- 12am

■ Rating

food 4

service 3