The Italian Kitchen - Miranda - Sydney, Australia

The Italian Kitchen is open as part of Westfield Miranda's multi-million dollar redevelopment. Popular restaurants such Mejico, Braza, Kazbah, Grill’d and Din Tai Fung have also established their presence in this precinct. 

Restaurateur Con Dedes, the owner of famous restaurants such as the Flying Fish and Watergrill, has teamed up with renowned chef Danny Russo, opening The Italian Kitchen in the Shire. A modern Italian restaurant in the south boasting a casual and sophisticated dining space. 

The open courtyard is filled with plenty of natural light and fresh air.

The concise menu showcases traditional Italian food, providing an assortment of options including antipastis, entrees, salads, mains and desserts. Pizza is cooked in a woodfired oven and pasta is made fresh on premises.

What grabbed our attention was the ‘Shoestring Chips ($8.50)’ with a truffle mayo. Who could say no to that? The fries were deep fried to a nice golden yellow and balanced with the right amount of salt. The accompanying truffle mayo was brilliant. 

The ‘Pollo Pizza ($23.00)’ is topped with chicken, mushrooms, roast peppers, ricotta cheese and a heap of rocket. A fluffy and light base with the right thickness and loaded with an abundance of fresh ingredients. This was delicious and a good portion size. 

To balance out our meal, we decided to order a lighter dish. The ‘Margherita Pizza ($20.00)’, while simple, was packed with a lot of flavor from the delectable tomato sauce, basil and buffalo mozzarella cheese. 

The ‘Seafood Linguine Pasta ($29.00)’ is made using freshly made linguine with prawns, calamari and mussels in a garlic and butter sauce. We enjoyed the overall creaminess and textures of the dish but the seafood must have shrunk during the cooking process and the portion was smaller than expected.

Photo courtesy of K

A must visit for those who are looking for authentic Italian food in a wonderful locale with a lively atmosphere. The perfect restaurant for a special occasion or gathering as it won’t break your budget. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will be visiting it very soon.

Where?

Level 2, Shop 2203/2204,

Westfield Miranda

Miranda NSW 2228

Phone no: 02 9188 2981

Opening Hours

Monday - Sunday: 11:30am - 9:00pm

Website

www.theitaliankitchenmiranda.com.au

Circa Espresso - Parramatta - Sydney, Australia

It's been a few months since I last posted as life has kept me occupied or should I say I've been rather lazy. Sorry dear readers! Continuing on with the backlog of posts I've yet to go through, next up is Circa Espresso, now one of my favourite brunch places. I've been there twice and on both occasions the food has been consistently good.

Circa Espresso is situated between two buildings in what used to be a laneway, then a garage and then transformed into a fully operational cafe in the greater western suburb of Parramatta. It's located on the quieter side of the train station and away from the hustle and bustle.

Having attempted to go here a few times, I just didn't have any luck as it was either closed or another restaurant took precedence over it. It just wasn't meant to be as one would say. Then the day finally came but it was raining and from the photos we saw online it looked small inside, so once again we were about to cancel and change location. Luckily, my friend was persistent in going to have a look and thankfully we did. Seating is unavailable outside when it rains but once it clears it becomes available.

On our first visit we got a table inside within 15 minutes of waiting, which was much shorter than what we were expecting. The miserable weather  didn't stop customers from getting their coffee and breakfast as it was buzzing with patrons. However, on our second visit, the wait was close to an hour for a table inside. Be prepared to patiently wait on weekends as it's extremely popular.

From the outside it looks very small and narrow, but once you enter it's much bigger than it actually looks with more tables towards the back. Even though there is limited space, they've made use of it very well.

The rustic walls are lined with bricks and brightly painted murals, bringing back memories of the cafe culture in Melbourne.

The cheerful and bubbly waitress brings us to our tables right at the back, alongside shelves of books and encyclopedias, reminiscing to the days when we were younger. While the internal decor is quirky and fun, the lack of light makes photo taking slightly difficult but that's what creates the ambiance.

The menu is presented on pieces of paper on a clipboard, and from initial observation it looks impressive. There is a decent selection of home-style dishes from the basic breakfast items to the much more elaborate and unique, all of which are well-priced and affordable.

The 'Cappuccino (regular size)' is made using a blend of Little Marionette beans. The coffee is potent, robust and full bodied, and is ultra smooth on the palate.

On another visit, I opt for the large size cappuccino and wow it's huge for an additional 50 cents! Well worth the money as it's nearly twice the size of the regular and you'll surely get your full caffeine fix from that single cup.

The 'Baked Eggs' is made with sujuk, Danish feta, diced tomatoes and free range eggs with a hint of chilli, served in a pan. The side of crusty bread makes a good accompaniment for the perfectly cooked runny eggs. The hint of sourness from the juicy tomatoes and the saltiness from the creamy fetta balanced out well . Overall, I really liked the bold tomato based flavours and wish there was more of the bread for scooping up the sauce.

The 'Avocado Smash' looked sensational with shades of greens, reds and yellow from the assortment of vegetables. Suitable for those who prefer a lighter or less heavy breakfast as there isn't any meat. It's made with smashed creamy avocado, feta and lime juice, with a side of boiled eggs. It was fresh, tasty and popping with not only colour but also flavour.

'Baked Squid' appears to be a seasonal item as it wasn't on the menu the second time I was there. It's a shame cause it was very delicious. It resembled the baked eggs with a tomato base sauce but with the addition of chick peas and squid. A hearty and comforting dish that's perfect for this weather.

While seating is limited and the wait may be long, the quality ingredients and delicious food makes up for it. The service staff were welcoming and friendly making it even better. This cafe is definitely worth a visit. Hopefully I can try out one of their delectable desserts on display at the front soon.

Where?
21 Wentworth St
Parramatta NSW 2150
Australia

Phone no: 02 8896 6071

Opening Hour
Tuesday - Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Saturday - Sunday: 8:00am to 3:00pm

Website
www.circaespresso.com.au