Kitchen By Mike at Home

 Everyone who knows me knows of my obsession with Mike's famous bread. From about middle of last year until the beginning of this year, I embarked on a lengthy and ultimately unsuccessful mission of purchasing an entire loaf of bread from the restaurant. 

Then came Kitchen By Mike at Home, the home delivery service that Kitchen By Mike created to combat the COVID19 shut downs - and guess what? The bread is part of the menu! I won't spend this entire post sighing over the bread: I have included it in my review dedicated to the topic. 

I have a great deal of respect for the business for adapting its business model so quickly in what is an incredibly difficult time for the hospitality industry. Kitchen By Mike is known for creating fresh, produce-driven meals for office workers in the heart of Sydney's CBD. It is the "smart casual" of restaurants. Every lunch time, long lines form to get a hit of Mike's homey, comforting and delicious school-lunches-for-adults. So I wondered, it is possible for such meals to be recreated at home?

Twice Baked Goat's Cheese Souffle with Rosemary, $18 (serves 2)

I must admit I was skeptical at first. Souffles are beautiful because of how airy and fluffy they are - and how fluffy could a souffle be if it were frozen then re-baked? Well, I need not have worried. Though admittedly not as airy as a freshly-made souffle, the at-home version is really very well done. The rosemary cream is bright and fragrant, and it makes a perfect small entree to a three-course meal. 

Pulled Pork Shoulder Cooked in Cider, Coffee and Paprika Broth, $20 (serves 2)

The pulled pork was fall-off-the-bone soft! It has a deep, savoury flavour that doesn't particularly taste of cider, coffee or paprika, but it is very delicious indeed because of its subtle complexity. I served it with some roast brussel sprouts and roast sweet potatoes, with a little squeeze of Kewpie mayonnaise: slightly unconventional, I know, but it worked! Though one bag officially is two servings, it is actually very generously-portioned. You have the option of serving it with vegetables (as I have) and using up the leftovers as filling for a sandwich the next day. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding, $19 (serves 4)

This dessert was so beautiful I got emotional. I am not even kidding - wonderfully rich, moist, flavourful sticky date pudding is served with a truly inspired toffee drizzle. The toffee drizzle has that gently burnt flavour that beautifully balances the sweetness of the cake. I served the pudding with some ice-cream. Mike also recommends cream or even something with a little sourness, such as  creme fraiche. Again, the portion size is very generous. I think I got about 6 serves out of the one item - and trust me, a little goes a long, satisfying way. 

Roast Pumpkin, Pomegranate Molasses and Nigella, $15 (serves 4)

This is one of the most popular sides at the restaurant. Mike even generously gives away his secret: "I bake it with the skin and seeds in tact at a really high heat to caramelise the sugar in the pumpkin." I would say that this is one item that I think is much better done at the restaurant than re-baked from thawed at home. When there are so many other delicious-sounding items on the delivery menu, I'd probably prioritise those above ordering this again. 

Mike's Meat Loaf in Tomato Sauce, $34 (serves 4)

This is a very good meat loaf. Sat in a bath of tomato sauce, the instruction to baste as we bake ensures the meat loaf remains moist. Meat loaf is one of these things that I'm a little nervous about cooking from scratch myself, so I am glad there is this "semi-ready-made" version so I can enjoy a hearty meatloaf without going to all the trouble of making one from scratch. 

Vegan Dark Chocolate and Beetroot Cake, $25 (serves 4)

Mike delivers again! Another dessert that absolutely blew me away with how delicious it is: even though it is vegan, it is so absolutely creamy and moist. The dark chocolate's slight bitterness is perfectly balanced with the natural sweetness of beetroot - and if you're thinking it's weird to add a vegetable to a dessert, please, give it a try! It is truly magical. The avocado cream on top is so rich and satisfyingly fatty on my tongue that I do not miss dairy-based cream at all. Though perfectly good on its own, I like to serve it with a scoop of ice-cream for that added sweetness. 

Overall, I am very impressed by Kitchen by Mike at Home. My strong recommendation goes to the dessert items - they went so far and above my expectations, I'm salivating just thinking about them. I also think the more restaurant-y items are worth ordering. From the few items I've tried, the cooking instructions are easy to follow, the items come in their own baking vessels which, as a bonus, minimises cleaning up, and the delivery process was seamless. 

Kitchen By Mike at Home delivers every Tuesday. Although the order cut-off is Monday at noon, I would recommend ordering on the previous Wednesday or Thursday to avoid any disappointments with some popular items selling out regularly. Order from here.