For the last sixteen years Lester Aruta has been cheffing about in Sydney, however it’s only recently that he’s been a chef for his own business, Paddock on Crown.

“I wanted something to call my own. Everything was new to me in the beginning, as a chef you can normally hide away in the kitchen, but when you’re the face of something you have to get to know the customers. And it’s turned into something I really enjoy,” says Lester.

Paddock is situated in an old terrace house. The moment you walk in you’re taken with the detail and colour that surrounds its interior, the vibe of which is also reflected in Lester’s menu. The food is colourful and thoughtful, with a focus on detail.

Lester’s pancakes are famous, and these aren’t your ordinary run of the mill pancakes, these are mesmerizing triumphs, topped with vanilla mascarpone, raspberry coulis, whipped maple butter and fresh fruits.

“It was my wife’s sister who had the idea of getting bloggers to come in and blog about our food… And they all fell in love with our pancakes and now people visit from all over to get them.”

Lester grew up with just his mum who was always busy juggling two jobs, which meant Lester had to sometimes take control in the kitchen. “On her way from work Mum would phone me and ask me to start prepping everything for dinner, that’s where my love of food began.”

It was a lesson well heeded, because the fresh food on offer at Paddock on Crown is as fresh as it is colourful.