Sydneysiders are used to waiting in line. Coffee, breakfast, burgers, doughnuts, cronuts – it’s no secret we’re prepared to wait for the good stuff. But if you’re a restaurant that’s full for breakfast, lunch and dinner, what do you do?
If you’re Kepos St Kitchen, you can’t add more tables (elbow room is already at a premium), so you open up a new restaurant just across the road!
Don’t go past the dips
Kepos & Co is the brand new space from Michael Rantissi, the chef and owner of Waterloo’s wildly successful Kepos St Kitchen. He’s brought the same finesse of flavour to this small spot inside the Casba complex off Danks Street – and he’s upped the ante with a new wood fire oven and a moorish theme.
Entering Casba through Danks Street or Phillip Street and finding Kepos & Co tucked into a corner of the courtyard is a little like wandering down a laneway in Istanbul. The glow of hanging lanterns and the aromas from that awesome oven pull you in.
Try to find the largest table possible – the menu is designed for sharing and you’ll want to try a little of everything. Space (on the table and in your belly) will be your biggest issue.
The lights are low and the food is designed for sharing – date night!
Start with the tableside hummus – we’ve had tableside guac before but this takes things to another level. A giant mortar and pestle is used to grind up the chickpeas into the tahini, it’s scooped into a bowl and, served slathered onto za’atar flat bread, goes down a treat. Beware the dish doesn’t come with bread and while we would have been happy eating it by the spoonful, the flat bread is a good side order.
Move onto a whole roasted cauliflower, which proves vegetarians are onto something, and finish up the smaller dishes with a cute bun of burrata cheese served with smokey eggplant.
By this point you’re stuffed and you haven’t even reached the larger plates. Persevere – wagyu brisket melts into its copper pot.
Don’t forget to order a pot of tea – the extensive hot and cold tea menu brings the Turkish tea tradition to life.
Kepos & Co
Shop 5, Casba, 18 Danks St, Waterloo
(02) 9690 0931
keposstreetkitchen.com.au/keposandco
