Kin by U.S

Special thanks to Rob from Instafoodie Meetup / @itd_be_rude_not_to for the invite to this Instafood meet-up. Thanks also to Kin by U.S for hosting this event for all us food bloggers standing on chairs taking photos. 

Set in the heart of North Ryde is a little cafe hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Macquarie Centre. 

Kin By U.S which is better known as "That new cafe the contestants from My Kitchen Rules opened", is small family establishment run by Uel and Shanelle. 

Their photogenic menu has made Instagram hot page many a time; they're known for their perfect onsen eggs and the pun-tastic and irresistible menu items. 

I was lucky enough with group of fellow food Instagrammers to try out Kin’s new menu as well as some all time favourites. 

Nutella Mocha

The drinks menu had so many tempting options including a Golden Gaytime shake, durian affogato and a black sesame shake. Since it was a fairly windy and cold day I opted for the Nutella mocha for comfort. The coffee art was adorable and distinct in everyone’s hot beverage. The barista put a lot of detail in every cup to get such delicate linings of milk froth. 

It was fun to watch the chefs at work and see their precision and speed. At the pass was Shanelle serving up dishes to both her husband and the waitstaff with swift efficiency. 

How they've made so many perfect onsen eggs is beyond me, but each dish came out just as beautiful as the other. 

Miso Yummy

The first dish up was the ever-popular miso salmon. Sitting on the all day breakfast menu, this dish comprised of seared miso salmon, onsen eggs, sourdough and sesame spinach. 

The eggs were my favourite element of this dish. The golden egg yolk leaked into the crusty bread like a sauce. The Miso wasn't too pronounced that it overtook the taste of the salmon but subtle enough that it was still there. The dish paid homage to traditional Japanese breakfasts whilst in my mind reminded me of a fusion of Japanese breakfast and eggs benedict. 

Waffle Belly

Next dish up was something I've been eyeing for a long time; caramel soy pork belly, potato waffle, mushrooms, cabbage and onsen egg.

Pork, eggs and potatoes for breakfast – best brekkie combo ever. 

This beautiful concoction took a leaf from the books of waffles and bacon but gave it an Asian twist. Again the onsen egg was the sauce that held the whole dish together, the pork was wonderfully rich and sticky whilst the potato waffle was the perfect thing you needed to complete the meal. 
 

Sub-Marine

Next up was a hefty brioche submarine filled with soft shell crab and chilli. 

Personally I'm not a huge fan of brioche and nor was I a fan of the sauce that was on the inside. 

I found it fragrant but not quite enough and the combination of the doughy soft shell crab tempura made the dish a little heavy. Personally I would've liked a little more soft shell crab and maybe a dash of chilli sauce. Others on the table however loved the combo saying that Kin could give Subway a run for their money. 

Chew Bak Kwa 

This pretty dish was a new addition to Kin's menu with an adorable Star Wars name. 

I've never had bak kwa before but I have seen it a lot in local small Asian stores in little plastic containers. The bacon had that sweet and salty combo that was uplifted by the creamy avocado. The corn fritter and bursts of cherry tomato gave the dish a hit of textures. I loved the taste of the bacon bak kwa. I could've had a whole bowl of it as a snack. 

Ayam Legend 

Another menu item came served with an egg that was just asking to be popped. The dish smelt like satay and the diners at the table were drooling just looking at it. 

We couldn't help ourselves. 

We had to get this gorgeous egg shot before we tucked in. 

The burger consisted of Indonesian grilled chicken, slaw, peanut dressing and brioche. 

Again I wasn't a huge fan of brioche but otherwise the fillings were well balanced. I loved the combination of the egg yolk and the peanut dressing. The slaw didn't overpower the chicken but instead complimented it in texture and flavour. 

This was a definite favourite for all in the day. 

Kins Bibimbap with Cauliflower Rice

A dish sat on the table that we haven't heard of before but was a vegetarians delight. It was Kin's rendition of a Bibimbap with cauliflower rice. Vegetarian dishes usually turn me off as I find them to be over textured and under flavoured most of the time. I anticipated the same with this dish but
it actually wasn't that bad in the end. The egg held the dish together and the cauliflower rice was surprisingly flavourful. Although personally I would've liked some sort of protein, I would still happily eat this dish if it was served to me. 

Kin's Mango pudding & Granola

Another beautiful but nameless dish was set on the table as a final hurrah. The dish was described as Kin's take on granola. 

It was beautiful. There was a super delicious mango pudding that combined with the cornflakes, strawberries and yoghurt which made for anyone’s dream breakfast or dessert. 

The granola went really nicely with the yoghurt and fruit but I couldn't stay away from that mango pudding. When this hits the menu all you sweets lovers must have it. 

Kin was a cute little cafe that does all day meals and some killer drinks. 

I would certainly make this one of the cafes to visit on a day off or on a weekend. The menu is diverse and their respect for eggs is a dream come true for me. 

Uel and Shanelle are both incredibly lovely people as are the rest of their staff. 

I'll leave this post with a gorgeous cake by the equally gorgeous Cordys Cakes who brought this stunning work of art for all us ravenous food bloggers. 

@the.eatventures

eatventures@hotmail.com

Tweet: jayybearable 

www.facebook.com/jayybear