Falafel, hummus,tabouleh,mint schiacciata bread $16 with fries
Going to a hot cafe can have it’s detractions. Do you head in, hoping you are hip enough even if you have forgotten your distance glasses and have to squint to see the end of the cue?. Or do you consult Urbanspoon ….or any other on line review forum, and encounter a lot of negative comments before you ever reach a table, making you a little more critical than you should be?.
Kepos Street Kitchen opened some months ago taking over from the much loved Strangers with Candy, on the corner of Kepos and Philip Sts, Redfern. This cafe was a trail blazer in many ways. It’s most astounding achievement was opening in this location, the far end of Redfern once the cafe equivalent of Siberia. Times have changed and Kepos has swung it’s doors open amongst apartments shops and services, this area is thriving. So too it appears is Kepos Kitchen. The owner chefs Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley are both previously from Bathers Pavilion in Balmoral.
Kepos Kitchen
I work in this area and each time I have driven past Kepos Street Kitchen. I’ve seen a horde of hungry looking peeps waiting out side. This has fuelled my desire, to see what I have been missing out on. A few lunches ago, we decided to have a lunch meeting here. Lucky for us they let us book at table for 5.
The small hallway
Its a very small cafe with some seating in the front and outside and another small dining area out the back past the kitchen. The back courtyard has been painted brightly and is completely enclosed . It feels a little back roomish but would probably be cosy at night.
Steak sandwich, caramelized onion jam,aioli,wilted spinach and roasted tomatoes $19
The food hails from around the Middle East leaving lots of scope from big generous flavours. Coffee from The Grounds and bread from Brassiere Breads means they can concentrate on pumping out some pretty delicious fresh food. Breakfast and lunch include plates like..
“dad’s favorite breaky – falafel, hummus, labneh, dukkah, hardboiled egg, tomato salad,
schiacciata bread $16” or “woodsmoked salmon salad, olives, kipflers, soft boiled egg, za’atar $18”
Our lunch included the meltingly tender steak sandwich ($19)and a herby crunchy falafel sandwich ($16), and light refreshing Tuna Salad. The sandwiches came with sides of golden crunchy fries that no one seemed to want to share
Tunisian style seared yellow fin tuna, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, egg, potato, harissa dressing $19
Meltingly tender steak Sandwich with fries
Fries can be ordered separately if there’s fighting ($7)
There is a short but interesting selection of desserts that we didn’t have time to sample, like ….. “churros, salted caramel $14 & “potted chocolate mousse, halva brownie $14”. The front counter also had a selection of quick desserts to take away with coffee or eat in, along with a little produce.
Pastries at Kepos Street Kitchen
Made at Kepos Street Kitchen
The service was efficient and swift for us, and we were served pretty quickly.
Just a note:
Since we visited we have tried to book for another lunch meeting and were refused. They no longer take bookings. Whilst I understand this is due to people rudely not showing, we were a little disappointed as we had asked a client to join us. This is quite difficult when you are in the middle of a work day and know you will be in and out in an hour. Should they ask for credit card details and then take bookings from people who need to get back to work. What do you think?
went there and the food and service were simply exceptional.
I ate the Tunisian style seared tuna, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, egg, potato, harissa and I would love to know the recipe of the sauce that was with the salade. I do not know if in the book this is inside, is it? Is this recipe inside the Farafel For BReakfast book?
Thanks
Ana
Hi Ana thanks for your comment. glad you liked kepos kitchen it is one of my favourites. Sorry but i have no idea what recipes are in their books. I’d love one of their books though I am sure they are fantastic
Tania
I am about to make the Persian Pavlova and have tried to buy Halva without success. Is there something I can use instead? Thanks
Hi Peggy. I think they have a halva pavlova on the menu from memory. You could make my praline recipe and add almonds and a bit of tahini 5to it when you are making it. Let it cool a little bit first before stirring it in or it will splutter too much and possibly burn. You could use rose water scented cream and toasted chopped almonds too.
That tuna looks perfectly seared. What a great find.
I’d go there just for that fabulous-looking falafel.
We so enjoyed our meal here but we have noticed that there’s always a queue outside here on the weekends! And I have no problems putting my credit card down for a reservation as I dislike queuing without a definite end 🙂
Okay – I very want to eat ALL of those things right now. Looks like you’ve found a bit of a gem, even if they don’t take bookings.
I need that falafel sandwich in my life!! yum 😀
It’s a hard one, isn’t it? So hard for little cafes to keep tables, but I’m loathe to go anywhere that I can’t book, and I definitely wouldn’t be taking a client anywhere without a reservation! Food looks great though!
All of these bites look so tasty! Especially that falafel sandwich…I definitely want that for lunch!
I wrote about this horrid trend of booking a reservation and then not showing up. I don’t blame the restaurant for its action but surely there is a better way so your good customers aren’t inconvenienced.
The tuna really does look good indeed Tania. I think that mid week, for a business lunch, and repeat customers, it would be nice if they held a table for a limited time. Especially when you work in the industry and meet with clients who do too 🙂
The food looks absolutely DIVINE! That steak sandwich…I desperately need one large portion!
All 3 meals look great and I would have been happy with any one of them. I could see myself becoming a regular. Few, if any, of this areas small cafes accept reservations. It’s every patron for himself at lunch. This doesn’t appear to hurt their for lunch crowd, though I doubt if many business people go there. As you said, they have to get in and out in an hour and that becomes less likely when seating isn’t guaranteed.
While I understand your fustration at inviting a client but not having a table reserved, logistically I can see why a cafe of this size wouldn’t save tables. It’s a tricky one!!
Dad’s favourite breakie sounds AMAZING!!! Nice to know where to go if you want a good Middle Eastern inspired breakfast without heading west.
The food looks really good and the menu appropriate for lunchtime dining. I do wonder how long this board fad is going to last – I can’t remember the last time I went to a cafe and had my meal served on a plate! I don’t think tiny cafes are keen on bookings – it’s a pot-luck situation. It’s the same at a really large cafe in Balmoral that’s just opened – it’s every man for himself! xx