Perth’s best chicken parmigiana

The humble chicken parmigiana is probably the ultimate “pub meal”. It’s reliable and there for you when you’re not sure what you want to order or when there’s nothing else on the menu.

Communitynews.com.au reporters have hit pubs across Perth – and some outside of Perth – to bring you their list of Perth’s best chicken parmigianas.

Clancy’s Fish Pub in Canning Like any male, I always take quantity over quality, but in this case it had both. It was the size of my hand, with an authentic, chunky marinara sauce. Its golden crumb was almost regal in appearance and housed some of the most moist, tender white meat I’ve ever chewed. The mozzarella had the perfect amount of stretch and was balanced well with the sharpness of the parmesan. The only downside? My chips were plonked under the perfection on my plate. Everyone knows chips go next to a parmi, right? – Declan Byrne. Paddington Alehouse in Mt Hawthorn Their chicken parmigiana is $24.90 and comes with salad and fries. It’s a lot of food. They offer a traditional chicken schnitzel or a Mexican version. Bonus, on Thursdays, it’s only $16. –Francis Curro Silver Sands Tavern in Mandurah This pub is better known for their Holstein schnitzel, but their parmi, which is bigger than your head, and comes with chips and a side salad, is nothing to sneer at. The salad isn’t great – but you don’t win friends with salad. At $19 their parmi is a bit more expensive than other pubs, but you’re going to get your money’s worth. The marinara sauce is chunky and super savoury, the crumb is crunchy, the chicken is moist and the cheese on top is tangy and gooey. A must taste. – Rachel Fenner Tiamo Café in Nedlands A popular venue for nearby college students to score a free meal from visiting parents, Tiamo’s produces a monster, albeit pricey, parmi that has been lining young stomachs for years. Not enough carbohydrates in the chicken’s deep-fried crumb casing? The always-juicy chunk comes served on a king bed of tomato-ey spaghetti. It also comes in well under $30 at $26.90. – Mark Donaldson Osborne Park Hotel in Osborne Park I don’t know if it is the “best” but it’s still yummy and definitely value for money. It used to be the Tuesday $15 lunch special, but they still serve it for dinner. I would just get one and share it because it is huge and comes with chips, and salad. Even with two people sharing we would still not eat it all. – Julian Wright Buck’s Diner in Bunbury Technically not in Perth, but this is legitimately the best chicken parmigiana I have devoured. The key ingredient, would you believe, is gravy. I know it sounds weird but trust me on this one – you dip each mouth-watering bite of parmi into the bowl of gravy provided on the plate and it adds a new dimension that somehow manages to make it even better before. And I’m not even much of a gravy fan. Must be experienced to be believed. – David Johns Williams Hotel in Williams Featuring free range chook, with an awesome meat to sauce ration thanks to their homemade Napolitano sauce with loads of delicious cheese. It comes with crispy chips and the whole meal is the size of your head. It’s only 170km from Perth and if urban sprawl keeps going Williams will be a metro suburb by 2030. – Pia van Straalen