As the name may have given away already, this funky little cafe nestled under one of the new apartment complexes in Macquarie Park near the shopping centre is run by Uel and Shannelle, of My Kitchen Rules 2014 fame, and fans can watch them bustling away in the open kitchen.
The decor is upbeat and vibrant, while the modern Asian fusion menu is playful and it seems like the crowds are loving it, as tables are hard to come by during weekend brunch times. We manage to snag a table inside to try out a few items off their relatively simple menu. We’re a little disappointed to hear that our first choice off their lunchtime menu available from 11.30 (the Submarine) has already sold out by about 12.30, but luckily the rest of our choices were still available.
We started with a huge bowl of Cappuccino (that’s what happens when you order a large coffee) and a Milo Mocha (served in an easier to drink cup – phew), which was a nice blend of that distinctive powdery chocolate flavour with their house blend.
Cappuccino, $4 (large) and Milo Mocha, $4
Their puntastic Cheeky Burger sounded pretty ambitious, substituting rendang beef cheeks instead of a beef pattie in between the fluffy brioche and paired with pickled vegs and “crunchy bits” which turn out to be peanuts. The beef rendang is cooked to perfection, with tender beef flavoured with an exotic blend of spices which was pretty authentic, even to my South East Asian relatives’ tastebuds.
Cheeky Burger, $15
The other bun we tried was the BFF Bun, their rendition of the classic bacon and egg roll bun with added chilli mayo all sandwiched in a brioche bun. The oozing yolk is messy but definitely delicious, especially with the crispy bacon!
BFF Bun – $10
After that promising start, we were also won over by the next dish, which was the aptly named Miso Yummy, with a slice of salmon infused with miso and cooked just right so that the flesh was still soft and moist. But you could be forgiven for thinking that the 2 gloriously cooked onsen eggs were actually the heroes of the dish, oozing runny yolks all over the sourdough and sesame spinach. This dish has now convinced us that all salmon should always be cooked.
Miso Yummy, $17
The Waffle Belly was one of the more intriguing dishes on the menu which had piqued our interest, featuring slabs of indulgent caramel soy pork belly, a fun potato waffle base, more onsen egg, mushrooms and shredded cabbage.
Waffle Belly, $17
Although Uel and Shannelle came to fame through their time on a reality cooking show, the well-executed Asian fusion flavours at their bustling cafe shows that they have serious skills in the kitchen and are a welcome addition to the Macquarie dining scene.
KIN by us.
1a/2 Saunders Cl, Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Ph: (02) 8068 8690
