Sydney Eat Street: 10 things to try Kensington Street Precinct
IT was once neglected terraces and industrial warehouses but this gritty city street has been resurrected and converted into an eclectic array of bars and eateries.
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IT was once neglected terraces and industrial warehouses but this gritty city street has been resurrected and converted into an eclectic array of bars and eateries.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street.
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1. SPICE ALLEY
The thrill of navigating the hawker centres in Singapore comes as much from the sights and smells of food being cooked as it does from the frenetic quest for that elusive table. The main draw of course is the food itself. With no two stalls offering the same thing, everyone is bound to find something to suit. It’s this unique experience that has been brought to a laneway off Kensington Street where Sydneysiders can choose from literally hundred of offerings before sitting down at tables surrounded by vibrant murals under a canopy of paper lanterns. This Kopi-Tiam (translates literally to “coffee shop” but colloquially refers to hawker centres), Spice Alley is cashless for hygienic reason, plus by using a pre-purchased card, this speeds up service, which is a plus as you’ll be waiting with bated breathe to tuck into dishes such as Singaporean laksa from Alex Lee’s Kitchen; stir-fried pork belly with Chinese broccoli from Bang Luck’s Thai Street Food; Malaysian flat noodles from Old Jim Kee’s; Hong Kong Diner’s prawns dumplings or the miso ramen from Kyoto. — 18-20 Kensington St
2. CONCRETE JUNGLE
Amidst the chaos and urgency of congested streets, and people bustling anonymously along the footpaths, dwarfed by urban development, there is a sun-drenched cafe, with pristine white-tiled walls, brass fixings and a bold illustration of a lion. “He’s the king of this concrete jungle we live in”, says owner Mo Mrad adding that to survive people need to both happy and healthy. That ethos is reflected in the dishes that emerge from the kitchen, looking as phenomenal as they are tasty and nutritious. A fan favourite is the Blue Majik Smoothie Bowl, a blend of pineapple, banana, coconut water and an intense cobalt-coloured superfood, blue-green algae. Yes, algae. It may sound, well, odd, but it’s actually a vitamin packed supplement, which Mo then blends with the fruit. Grab one of these beauties for breakfast along with a cup of coffee topped with lovely latte art, and get set for a brighter day. — 58 Kensington St
3. THE CLARE
By the time the old Kent Brewery closed its iconic gates for good in 2005, the adjacent Clare Hotel, then a rather scruffy version of what was once an impressive inter-war art deco hotel, had already begun to see its core clientele of brewery workers joined by a mix of uni students and creative types who put their stamp on the place, bringing in second-hand furniture and independent music acts. When it too was closed, many feared its history would be lost, however as part of the hotel and inn’s redevelopment into an award-winning boutique accommodation, it actually embraced the past. The Clare, which serves double as the lobby bar for The Old Clare Hotel, has an entrance covered in old gig posters, while inside, the original tiles surround the room’s mid-century modern furniture and central bar with earthy amber hues. It has the elegance of a classic martini, the underlying ruggedness of a thirst-quenching Resch’s beer and the funkiness of an irreverent and creative cocktail. Food is mainly bar snacks but with two restaurants under its roof and an abundance of eateries along the lane, drinks are but a nice place to start. — 1 Kensington St
4. HANDPICKED CELLAR DOOR
When your go-to wines become a bit boring and you’re after something new, you could fight traffic and drive to the Hunter, or take the train to Central and head to Handpicked Wines’ cellar door. What makes this different from a wine bar is that in addition to ordering glasses of wine and charcuterie boards, you can experience a tasting session of six different wines with a sommelier. For those after variety but prefer to go it alone, sit in the lounge and order a “flight” of wines — four or six small glasses served on a board with tasting notes. Unique to this cellar door, are some clever wine-related events that include Yoga, flower arranging and a native ingredients workshop. And seeing as Spice Alley is BYO, they can suggest a wine for your meal, such as a lighter pinot gris to accompany spicier foods. — 50 Kensington St
5. MEKONG
Chefs around the world will often declare how global travels have inspired their cooking but hearing chef Tiw Rakarin explain his dishes, it sounds more like an adventure story than a menu item. The Glacier 51 Toothfish, which is actually the name of a fish from the sub-Antarctic region, already has an air of mystery to it and then, to add to story, Tiw presents a deep white oval bowl with the fish delicately topped with a squid ink tuiles — a sort of baked wafer with a lattice effect. To him, the pattern is more like a fish net and thus begins the culinary journey along the Mekong River. The symbolism of the rest of the dish is left up to your imagination but the menu itself travels further along, taking in the cuisines of Myanmar with a chicken salad and chickpea fritters; Cambodia’s crispy rice vermicelli; and the green papaya salad of Thailand. The curries are equally exciting, but you’ll have to head upstairs to experience the adventure yourself. — Level 2, 14 Kensington St
When in Kensington St, you must try ...
1. FRUIT CAKES
The masters of desserts have done it again with their latest creation of fruit-themed mousse-filled cakes. Looking like the real deal, the flavours match their respective fruit, such as the pear cardamom mousse with poached pear, White peach mousse with a touch of peach schnapps and apple mousse with apple cinnamon confit. So pretty, so tasty. — Koi Dessert Bar, 46 Kensington St.
2. BLACK ANGUS TRI-TIP
You’ll be taking about this place for days to come, as award-winning chef Clayton Wells presents dishes that can sometimes be perplexing with the appearance of a dish, not quite matching your preconceived notion of what it should taste like, such as this dill pickle with mustard oil. Absolutely delicious. Now bring on the next challenge. — Automata, 5 Kensington St
3. SQUID INK TONNARELLI
When chef Lino Sauro brought Sicilian flavours to Kensington Street, it was more than the region’s seafood-centric dishes as he proudly introduced diners to the pure olive oil from his family’s farm in Sicily. That pride carries to the menu with squid ink spaghetti mixed with generous portions of spanner crab. — Olio, Level 2, 2-10 Kensington St
4. PURPLE PUMPKIN GNOCCHI
Keeping things interesting not just for diners but also for the kitchen is how these dishes evolve, explains chef Stanley Wong. And what could be more interesting than the regal purple hues of these fluffy gnocchi, alongside pumpkin, pecorino pearls and crispy sage. — Eastside Kitchen & Bar, Level 1, 2-10 Kensington St
5. HIRAMASA KINGFISH
With a menu based on sharing, conversation abounds and one topic that is sure to make the rounds is the generous portions on each plate, such as the thicker slices of kingfish with cucumber, wasabi, pineapple, coriander and pepper jam. That’s just to start so be sure to save room for the next items on the list. — Kensington Street Social, 3 Kensington St
