Kitchen By Mike- Rosebery
“If you don't read Broadsheet, or you don't live or work in the area, how would you find out about this place?” I ask Lily.
In the south-west suburb of Rosebery stands an old cannery. This block is resident to furniture store Koskela, canteen Kitchen by Mike, patisserie Black Star Pastry, and Italian restaurant da Mario, amongst other things I never knew existed.
The Cannery sits on Dunning Avenue, east of Botany Road - a short walk from Green Square train station, or a blocks' walk from a 309 or 310 bus stop. Surrounded by warehouses, fashion outlet stores, businesses and residential homes, other than the locals or blog readers, how would you know Kitchen by Mike is here, for example? Word of mouth.
Kitchen by Mike
Opening in February 2012, Kitchen by Mike has been feeding mouths well beyond words.
Last weekend we were at the SMH Growers Market in Pyrmont. Chef and founder Mike McEanerney served up some of their mean, thick slices of house-baked sourdough. They look like they could float on water and carry animals the way Noah did. They were slathered with Pepe Saya butter and your choice of jam. I had the plum.
Today, I have the same only with strawberry jam (all available for sale). What I remember from the weekend was the resplendent serving of those two combinations - butter and jam- on that bread. It is unforgettable. There's something of the street urchin in me when I see this being served on the enamelled tin plates. I want to go up again and ask, “Please sir,can I have some more?”
Lily eats poached eggs and a halved-avocado, its ripe-green crater speckled with black pepper, and it holds a puddle of virgin olive oil that deepens its flavour.
Behind the counter, a rectangular-cased beeswax oozes its golden honey onto the paper. Burly, bearded men lay down kneaded and yeasted bread. For tomorrow, I think. The woodfire oven awaits.
The ceiling is far up, there's two black-woven lamp shades hanging mid-air that could encase the coffee drinkers below. The continuity of space from furniture-design store Koskela gives Kitchen by Mike an air of importance that will sort of leave you wanting to come back, or move suburbs.
Words by Mart Basa and Images by Lily Wang
http://www.kettletown.com/kettle-town-tales/rosebery-profile-the-cannery-discovering-kitchen-by-mike/