Sydney Eat Street: 10 places to try in Kings Cross
THE winds of change have swept through Kings Cross and both old and new eateries are set to reintroduce The Cross to Sydney foodies.
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THE winds of change have swept through Kings Cross and both old and new eateries are set to reintroduce The Cross to Sydney foodies.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street.
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ET AL. RESTAURANT
AS THE softer side of Kings Cross emerges, so too has a renewed sense of community, particularly with restaurants and cafes along Llankelly Place who between them have been adjusting menus to suit day trade and welcome patrons to this foodie hub.
For et al.’s co-owners Stephen Craig and Daniel Backhouse that meant veering away from their extensive fine dining background (Stephen being front of house while Daniel overseas the kitchen) and creating “something more accessible”.
Daniel describes the menu as “comfort food with classical fine dining polish”, such as with the housemade pickles he has added to the smashed avocado breakfast staple, or the scrumptious bread pudding based French Toast with orange marmalade, and dark chocolate giving it the nostalgic taste of Jaffa Balls.
With warmer weather on the way, the sliding glass doors out front open up to a greenery-filled courtyard, a delightful place to start the weekend off with a bottomless brunch featuring Mimosas made with juice, Bress organic sparkling wine and turmeric or simply enjoy dinner with friends.
Though Stephen and Daniel are at the forefront of the business, its success is noted in the name, “et al.”.
Latin for “others”, it recognises the friends and family that got them to where they are now plus the locals and community that are making it all happen.
— 7/24-30 Springfield Ave, entry off Llankelly Pl
ROOM TEN
WHEN Einstein said “Genius is taking the complex and making it simple”, little did he know that the perfect example would be found in a busy cafe where husband and wife team, Andrew Hardjasudarma and Yuvi Thu have turned a tiny spot into the epitome of efficiency.
A ladder moves back and forth between the near-ceiling high shelves that hold excess ingredients.
A friend with Magnolia Mountain, custom-made saucers that hold both a small and large cup, is easily arranged in one tall stack.
With a small kitchen comes a relatively small menu, but that by no means makes it boring.
Here you’ll find generous servings of avocado on toast, seasoned simply with “lemon and love” plus a few chilli’s and soft-boiled eggs if you’re keen.
For lunch, try the slow-cooked beef brisket sandwich or a chicken salad sandwich with walnuts and celery.
The simplicity is what makes these classics perfect and at a reasonable price, they’re easily a go-to lunch option. Coffee is from local roaster Mecca, but rather than going for the old standby, try Room Ten’s straight Cold Brew Coffee or one with almond milk.
Served in a shallow but wide cup with a giant ice cube, the coffee doesn’t become diluted plus it limits the amount you can pour in — perfect for summer and yet again, wonderfully efficient.
— 10 Llankelly Pl
CHULA
WHAT “shrimp on the barbie” is to Australia, that’s what cheesy nacho chips and salsa are to Mexicans. Sure they both exist but neither is a true representation of an entire cuisine.
To set the record straight on Mexican food, chef Alvaro Valenzuela has created a menu that reflects the street foods he grew up on in Mexico City, such as tlayuda, similar to a pizza but made with a thin and crunchy corn tortilla topped with the likes of spicy chorizo, avocado and Oaxaca cheese.
Alvaro has also created many dishes that feature Sydney’s abundant seafood selection such as the easily sharable classic ceviche made with fresh raw fish cured in lime-ginger juice topped with pico de gallo, avocado, jalapeños and cilantro or for a main, try the signature pescado a la talla ‘Contramar’ — grilled snapper with a green and red adobe sauce, for those still wading into Mexican waters, there are plenty of taco options including slow cooked lamb, pulled pork and even the Noplaes, a vegetarian version with cactus, mushrooms and onion.
Complement the meal with a Tecate beer, an array of margaritas or one of the clever cocktails.
— 33 Bayswater Rd
KINGS CROSS ORGANIC FOOD MARKETS
WHILE the fine mist coming off the renowned dandelion-shaped El Alamein Memorial Fountain makes for some stunning photos, come Saturday, it’s all about the fresh produce and artisan foods.
It’s here in Fitzroy Gardens that city-dwellers are able to get hold of seasonal certified organic fruits and vegetables without climbing into an Uber and heading to the burbs.
While perusing the stalls with their overflowing boxes and baskets of vibrant greens and a vast array of salad fixings, grab something to nosh on such as a pulled pork and crackling on a toasted roll from The Butcher’s Lunch’s or a rhubarb apple cinnamon brioche scroll from Birgitta’s Kitchen.
Later on, take a breather and sit down for a bowl of beef or chicken pho from Eat Fuh.
Made with a slow cooked bone broth and seasonings such as a lemongrass and anise the soup has become so popular that co-owner Hoang Nguyen has opened up a successful brick-and-mortar shop in Marrickville, and yet the white takeaway containers remain a veritable stamp of legitimacy for those in the know at this weekly market.
— Fitzroy Gardens, 60-64 Macleay St
DOUCE FRANCE
WITH a desire to travel and improve his English, Joffrey Van Asten arrived in Australia as a tourist with every intention of returning to his native France.
But as fate would have it, he unexpectedly fell in love, both with “the friendliness of people around the country” and the uniquely Australian cafe culture.
He was pleasantly surprised to see patrons linger over coffee and a vanilla slice.
“In France, the majority of cakes are takeaway and eaten at home,” notes Joffrey.
So with an inherited entrepreneurial spirit and a background working under a pastry chef, he opened Douce France, a chic spot where “French patisserie meets Aussie cafe”.
His classic chocolate, coffee and vanilla eclairs became so popular that within two years, he swapped all other sweets to accommodate the now 13 varieties including tropical fillings to suit Sydney summers, such as passionfruit and rose as well as the popular Paris-Brest.
Made with hazelnut praline, the wheel-shaped choux pastry it was commissioned in 1910 to commemorate the famous Paris to Brest bicycle race.
— 7 Darlinghurst Rd
MUST TRY
SPINACH AND PEAR SALAD
SINCE you’ll probably be spending a bit of time deciding on one of the delicious mains, you might as well start off with a salad.
As all of the fruit and vegetable come direct from Rita’s Organic Farm in Kemps Creek, the selection chances regularly.
While spinach is in season Chef Mauro Forgillo has carefully balanced it for colour, adding Parmigiano for crunch, pearl couscous for carbs and pears for vitamins and sweetness.
— House Bar & Bistrot; 62-64 Kellett St
GOURMET CHEESE TOASTIE
AFTER a career of working in the cheese industry, owner Penny Lawson has finally landed her own shop, a cute corner spot offering 50-70 award-winning cheeses and dairy products, with over 50% coming from Australia.
Stop in for a Toastie, made with four different Australian cheeses and a tick of onion. After that, there’s no going back to tasty.
— Penny’s Cheese Shop; Shop 1/11 Ward Ave
XIAO LONG BAO
THE test of a true dumpling shop is said to be judged by its “soup dumplings”, with a dough that is thin yet firm, soup that had been stewed for hours and a perfect meat to fat ratio filling but how you eat it is just as telling — either by scooping it up on a spoon, gently nicking the side to let out the soup to sip that first then eat the dumpling or get straight into it and, eat it all once so the soup explodes in your mouth.
-Dumplings and Beer; 2/9 Ward Ave
SEASONAL TOAST TOPPINGS
A HEALTHY diet is so much easier when a plate of colourful market fresh seasonal Australian ingredients is brought to your table such as this summertime Christmas toast with blood orange marmalade, ricotta, honey, baked peaches, red currants and ham off the bone on house-made spiced fruit toast.
Take particular note of their “Pay It Forward” board where you can pay for an item for someone else.
- Orwells Coffee; 4/29 Orwell St, entrance off Llankelly Pl
TRUFFLE CACIO E PEPE
SITTING up on vintage chrome and red vinyl barstool with classic Johnny Cash playing overhead, the energy only gets bigger when a hollowed-out wheel of Sardinian truffled pecorino cheese is brought to the table in which spaghetti, salt, pepper, parsley and black truffles are aggressively twirled before hitting the plate.
— Chester White Cured Diner; 3 Orwell St
Originally published as Sydney Eat Street: 10 places to try in Kings Cross
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