Little Kitchen, Big Smiles

By Marcus Braid on August 14, 2014 in

I have a little kitchen at home, but I would never consider making breakfast or lunch for 30 people in it. Luckily, creative restaurateur couple Amy and Neil Thompson are doing exactly that in Coogee, and they’ve invited everyone over to try it their way.

The Little Kitchen is located at the non-commercial end of Arden Street, just south of the beach. On this sunny but chilly Tuesday afternoon, I was greeted and seated by Amrita, the engaging server, who was working the floor solo. The Little Kitchen’s motif is of a vaguely minimalist English cottage, with a large communal wood plank table in the centre of the room. There are white walls (bare of paintings or framed photos), ceiling fans, and cow skin pillows and stools similar to ones I saw recently in Ethiopia. You can also sit outside if you choose to soak in the Coogee sun.

The Little Kitchen’s menu is just a simple one-pager, though the breakfast selections certainly looked intriguing – cinnamon poached pears, ricotta and a honey-rolled oat crumble concoction anyone?

Given the time, I opted for the lunch offerings. Thirsty, I ordered a yummy peach iced tea, which came in a mason jar with an old-school red and white, candy cane striped cardboard straw. I wanted to try at least two things from the menu, but after heeding Amrita’s warning about the large portion sizes, I asked for a half-portion of the poached chicken, braised lentils, winter greens and salsa verde salad. This mélange of colours and textures on a deep green plate really stood out. I wasn’t sure what was what until I started eating. It all comes together perfectly despite in the mouth the anarchic appearance.

The Little Kitchen appeals to families, as the mum and three daughters at the table next to me attested. Further proving that it’s not your typical Coles-stocked café, there’s no Coke or Pepsi here. Instead, you can treat yourself to a Phoenix Organics cola or an organic sparkling pomegranate juice, which one of the daughters was cheerfully enjoying.

Following the salad, I dived into a mountainous burger and chips, specifically the Coorong Angus burger with bacon, pickles and a soft grain bun. Dripping with juices and topped with tomato, lettuce and aioli, this beast was all the beef you could ask for. The chips were especially good; crisp on the outside but practically melting in your mouth one salty bite at a time.

As I’d already had a coffee that morning, I didn’t try one of their Double Roasters blends, but instead their much-hyped iced chocolate. It’s a freezing cold mason jar filled to the brim with milk, chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream and the hype is not unwarranted. Forget about the calories and enjoy!

Overall, The Little Kitchen punches far above its weight with freshness, style and flavour, and it seems like a great way to start off the morning or early afternoon in Coogee. Now if I could only make my little kitchen just as good…

The Little Kitchen

Address | 275 Arden Street, Coogee
Phone | 0450 118 744
Website | www.thelittlekitchen.com.au
Email | littlekitchencoogee@gmail.com
Open | Mon-Fri 7:30am-3:00pm, Sat-Sun 7:30am-4:00pm, Fri & Sat Dinner
Prices | Brekky $7-$18, Lunch $12-$23
Seats | 30
Cards | All major cards
Licensed | Yes