Kitchen By Mike

When it comes to Saturday evening and I am sitting down thinking of food (as i so often do), and contemplating where to venture to the next morning in order to satisfy my brunch cravings, Alexandria always pops into mind. I don't know what it is about this inner city suburb that interests me, but I think it has to do with something about the atmosphere and vibe of this suburb. 

In 1943, Alexandria was considered the largest industrial district in Australia, known as the "Birmingham of Australia". Although there are a lot more residential buildings that have been constructed in the area over time, this industrial aspect which constitutes the backbone of this suburb still remains. Driving down the streets of Alexandria, you pass many warehouses, storage facilities and production plants, and it definitely feels like the commercial heartland of Sydney.

However nestled inbetween these large warehouse buildings are some of Sydney's most highly esteemed cafes. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I visited the 'Grounds of Alexandria', also located in this suburb, which i thoroughly enjoyed. Keen to explore this suburb once more and see what other little surprises Alexandria held in store, my best friends and I decided to try 'Kitchen by Mike'.

Much like the Grounds, this cafe is not obviously identifiable from the outside, but once you walk through the gates into the compound, it is definitely hard to miss. Set up in a large warehouse, this cafe embraces the industrial culture and has kept the interior quite rustic. Cages and vines hang from the ceiling, which is left as exposed timber to create an authentic decor. Attached to the cafe at the back is a store that sells a variety of items from kitchen utensils to bedding and manchester. Although the concept may seem a little mismatched, the way in which the store is constructed and decorated makes it feel as though it is a natural fit. 

Unfortunately on this day my friends got a little lazy and didn't want to wake up in time for brunch, so we settled on coffee and cake. By the time we got there, most things had already been eaten as we arrived close to closing time, however, there were a few cakes to choose from. We decided to get the small almond lemon friands that were quite inviting, given that they were not too large and perfect for a little cheat sweet treat. To accompany this, we ordered a flat white, soy cappucino and an iced chocolate (i'll let you guess which one was mine :P).

The flavour that these small friands had was amazing! It was packed with a strong lemon flavour that was accentuated not only by the friand itself, but also by the zesty icing on top. The friand was full of moisture thanks to the honey syrup that this little cake was soaked in, causing it to melt in my mouth. Although we only had two small pieces, the richness of the flavour was enough to satisfy our sweet cravings and act as a substantial afternoon tea meal. 

One thing I do regret however is not visiting Kitchen by Mike for brunch. Looking at the menu on the board, which changes quite regularly based on the freshness of their produce, there were many healthy and tasty options that I would have loved to try. Based on the flavour of the friands, I am certain that the rest of the menu is just as delightful, and am therefore definitely keen to once again check out this cafe.

For this cafe, I say 8/10.