KIN by us - Macquarie Park

After their success and popularity on 2014's My Kitchen Rules, Uel and Shannelle recently started a new Asian-inspired cafe in Macquarie Park - KIN by us.  We visited last weekend on a wet, autumn day - though this certainly did not discourage the crowds from visiting.  Thankfully for us - we came just before the lunch time rush so we did not have to wait too long for a table.

The cafe has a homely, welcoming atmosphere.  The open kitchen and large share tables gives the cafe a communal, lively feel, reminding C of Singaporean/Malaysian Kopitiams.

K is a coffee addict and few drinks would ever intrigue her enough to pass on her usual coffee order. This durian affogato was different.  For those who don't know, durian is a pungent fruit, especially popular in South East Asia and often referred to as the "king of fruits".  You either love it or hate it and in South East Asia, people even go on durian degustation tours to sample different species of durian.

Anyway, back to the affogato - it was a real surprise.  The ice cream had an intense durian flavour which was mellowed out by the coffee - it actually worked quite well together!  C was very jealous. A really unique drink that we recommend you try - as long as you are not adverse to that durian aroma!

Durian affogato

Onto the food.  C ordered the Waffle Belly - caramel soy pork belly, potato waffle, onsen egg, mushrooms and fresh cabbage.  Portion wise, the dish is a little on the small side.

Waffle Belly

The pork belly was really well cooked - tender and flavoursome, packed with umami.  The mushrooms and cabbage offset the heaviness of the pork belly. And the onsen egg...well, the next photo really speaks for itself...

K ordered the Congee - a chicken rice porridge with an onsen egg, pork floss and Chinese doughnut. This dish is beautifully presently.  The addition of fresh chilli, onsen egg and pork floss adds a real flavour kick to the congee and gives it a bit of a modern twist.  A comfort food, this dish brought back childhood memories of having congee on cold wintery days.  That said, at $17 a serve, we would be more inclined to try out the other dishes on the menu next time.  The Chinese doughnut could also be a little bit more crunchy/deep fried.

Arriving just before the lunchtime rush meant that we also got to order from the lunch time menu (which starts at 11:30am).  We picked the Sub-Marine, a soft shell crab brioche with a chilli crab paste. The soft shell crab was deliciously crunchy.  The chilli crab paste had chunks of crab in it and was very fragrant and gave the dish a strong chilli kick.

Overall, we love the concept of the cafe. We love how they've not shy-ed away from their Asian heritage but instead used it in combining familiar Asian flavours with a modern, Western twist.  Their menu changes from time to time so be sure to check the place out before these dishes go off the menu!