Matcha Mylkbar’s epic response to KFC opening in St Kilda
It’s not always easy being green, especially when the Colonel becomes a neighbour. Here’s how an Acland St vegan eatery — a favourite of Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth — is beating the big boys at their own game.
Inner South
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Popcorn chicken, cheese burgers and classic parmas aren’t what you’d expect to find on the menu at a vegan cafe.
But when KFC moved in next door the team at Matcha Mylkbar — a favourite eatery of actor Chris Hemsworth — decided to create some plant-based versions of the guilty pleasures their new neighbour was offering.
“Initially it was a bit of a shock to find out that the Colonel was moving in,” Mylkbar co-founder Nic Davidson said.
“Then we decided to have some fun with it.”
The Acland St eatery developed their own finger licking good fried chicken using jackfruit, and launched a weekly dinner service.
“We wanted to test the waters a bit to see if our customers would want to come in for dinner so we started doing Fried Chicken Fridays,” Mr Davidson said.
“The menu is really different to anything I’ve seen before.
“As well as popcorn chicken, we have cheeseburgers, chicken parmas and some amazing blue mac n cheese waffles.”
Mr Davidson said it took some trial and error and “a lot of taste testing" to perfect the fried chicken.
The winning version was created by steeping organic jackfruit in a lightly smoked broth with coconut oil and kombu dashi.
The crumb was created using a “not so secret herb and spice mix” containing
panko crumb, chipotle, cayenne pepper, black pepper, native Australian pepperberries,
cumin, lemon zest, crushed garlic, onion and Mt Zero pink salt.
The Friday night menu features a Popcorn Chicken Tray with popcorn chicken, potato and gravy, slaw and curly fries ($21); Cheese Burger with fried chicken, American cheese, sesame bun, mustard, ketchup, pickle and curly fries ($19) Chicken Parma with curly fries ($26).
Mr Davidson said the fried chicken proved so popular it was added to the regular day time menu.
Matcha Mylkbar opened about three years ago and quickly gained global attention with its Smurf Latte.
The turquoise coloured coffee, made with blue algae, was joined on the menu by a raft of lattes created with unusual ingredients ranging from mushroom to charcoal.
Mr Davidson said his current favourite was the almond butter cacao latte ($6.80) which paired Mork dark chocolate with natural almond butter in almond milk.
He said the cafe had become a hangout for Hemsworth: “He says it’s his favourite place in Melbourne”.
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KFC opened at the corner of Carlisle and Acland streets last summer after signing an $80,000 five-year lease.
Fitzroy’s property agency executive James Spencer said the fast food giant “wanted to capitalise on being in a prime location opposite Luna Park and McDonald’s, the new Palais Theatre, close to St Kilda beach and at the top of the popular retail and night-life precinct of Acland St”.