96 Kepos Street, Redfern
Sprouting up in the old Strangers with Candy Restaurant site on the Waterloo side of Redfern, Kepos Street Kitchen is already winning praise with locals and the media. Chef Michael Rantissi, formerly of Bathers' Pavilion is at the kitchen's helm, adding some Middle Eastern flair to the expansive café menu. Another thing worth mentioning is that they are also open for dinner Wednesday - Saturday. So for a reasonably priced night out i.e. mains under $30, KSK is a good bet. If you can get a table that is!
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| Jill Dupleix rates it: Soft baked eggs and tomato shakshuka, coriander tahini, sourdough $15. A signature dish of sorts, this is a fantastic way to start the day. Oozy baked eggs and a fair whack of paprika, plus carbohydrate for mopping up is mandatory. |
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| Tucked away on a leafy corner in Redfern, Kepos Street Kitchen is the place to be rain, hail or shine. Photo credit: Kepos Street Kitchen |
With a pared back interior, KSK welcomes you with open arms and a rather impressive spread of cakes and other bakes on the front counter but more on that goodness a bit later ;). It really is a miniscule place, with the kitchen hidden in what looks like the garage. Be warned that on weekends you could be in for a bit of a wait, it gets rather packed rather quickly. Early is probably best if you can even fathom setting an alarm for a Saturday...
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| It's curious that I've tried coffee from the Grounds without actually having been there. For the record, it ain't bad but I refuse to queue up over an hour for breakfast! |
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| Tunisian style seared yellow fin tuna, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, egg, potato, harissa dressing $19. This is a very generous portion size and ideal for sharing (or stealing). The tuna is largely left alone which makes it all the better. Lashings of fresh herbs liven it up - a perfect choice for luncheon |
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| Steak sandwich, caramelised onion jam, wilted spinach, aïoli, roasted tomatoes $19. Something would be amiss if there wasn't some sort of burger or steak santa on the menu. This one is on the larger side, so an obvious for the guys. That melty cheese is making me weak at the knees. |
You know me, I couldn't resist a little early afternoon tea...
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| If I was motivated enough to have this photo printed and framed, I'd do it. I'm already reminiscing about this cake (cray cray!!!). A triumph at the hands of the pastry chef, this hazelnut torte is crowned with strawberries and cream and chockablock with hazelnuts. So incredibly good without drowning your palate in sugar. Give it a go, I dare you. |
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| KSK churros, salted caramel. Call it overkill if you so wish but I thought this was rather unmissable from the menu. More shell than anything else, the churros were good though could have been a bit fluffier on the inside. The salted caramel thing is a total fad thing but I went with it that day. |
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| This is a particularly hedonistic close-up. Enjoy. |
If I had my way, I could probably eat my way through the day at Kepos Street Kitchen. Rantissi does a brilliant job of lifting the reputation of the neighbourhood café. Good coffee, great food - it really is a simple formula but often so difficult to execute (in this economic climate, amongst other things). The rave reviews about KSK certainly weren't lying. Take a gander, have a taste.
And now a quick recipe to whiz up in minutes, literally
KSK Green Tahini recipe from Delicious magazine (April 2013)
Suggested to be served with felafel or to dollop on that lush shakshuka! One batch makes a 3/4 cup
Ingredientsss
2 bunches coriander, roughly chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup tahini paster
Method
1. Whiz coriander and lemon juice in a blender until combined
2. Add garlic and tahini, then blend until smooth
3. Season with 1 tsp sea salt
Have fun and thanks for reading!
xGourmand
Yum... the steak sandwich and the churros with caramel...yes please!!
ReplyDeleteShakshuka Eggs ++ Churros w Salted Caramel = Happy Chappy!
ReplyDeleteWoaah that looks so good! :)
ReplyDelete