Review : Kitchen by Mike

85 Dunning Ave
Rosebery

02-9045 0910
https://www.facebook.com/kitchenbymike

Breakfast & Lunch 7 days

This Saturday finds us paying a return visit to what is becoming a favourite dining destination of ours (and everyone else's it would seem), the uber fantastic Kitchen by Mike.

As we did last time, we have also forgotten our camera so apologies in advance for the photo quality.

As everyone is no doubt aware, Kitchen by Mike adjoins the Koskela design showroom in beautiful, downtown Rosebery.

We are huge fans of Rosebery's industrial vibe & we love that this light industrial feel has worked its way into the design of  Kitchen by Mike.
The space is open & airy, with ample seating inside and out (regardless however, most seating is filled by 12.15pm). The Mike behind this kitchen, is none other than Mike McEnearney, former head chef at Rockpool and the man responsible for the Mike's Table series of pop up dinners.

The food is served 'canteen' style, so while I secure a table, Buggles joins the ever extending queue to order our lunch.

The lunch menu today (posted early each morning on their Facebook page), is as follows:

/corn, chilli salt & lime
/ cabbage slaw
/ mixed leaves with verjus dressing
/ wood fired pumpkin, tamarind & spiced yoghurt
/ roast figs, chickpeas & cumin scented onions
/ puy lentils, sprouts & lemon
/ roast chicken, za'atar & pine nuts
/ pork sausages, mash & onion gravy
/ pumpkin & persian feta tartine
/ margherita pizza
/ rosemary & garlic focaccia
/ goat's cheese & spinach tart

Buggles decides on the pork sausages & mash with a rather large helping of the puy lentils, sprouts & lemon and a cob of corn with chilli salt & lime.
The sausages are deliciously meaty with a strong fennel component, the mash is so creamy & lush with just the right amount of salt...it is a rich, buttery masterpiece.
The sprouts and lentils are well cooked & delicious. The addition of the chilli salt & lime gives the sweet corn a nice edge, plain butter will never do again.

My roast chicken, za'atar & pine nuts is thankfully low on pine nuts (not a fan). The chicken is very moist with a wonderful spiced skin, the accompanying roast pumpkin, with its charred, chewy edges is divine (thanks in part to the tamarind yoghurt), I also enjoy the corn very much & the cabbage slaw is fresh, crunchy and dressed perfectly.

Pretty bloody impressive.

We wash down these meals with a house made lemonade for Buggles and a Murray's Whale Ale for me.

We finish off by sharing a slice of Lemon Drizzle cake. The sponge is light with a gorgeous lemony hit.

Lunch at Kitchen by Mike always feels like a 'guilt free' affair. The food is so fresh & so light (while still packing a monstrous flavour punch), that you feel like you are doing your body good - that you are nourishing it, along with your soul.

Part of the secret to this fabulous food, is the wood-fired oven and we hope the coming winter months bring with them some wonderful slow cooked beef dishes.

So lunch two completed - and yes we are still very much enamoured with Kitchen by Mike.

We are also very much excited that by the end of the year, we will be living a mere 5 minute walk away.

We cannot wait.

Squeak