KIN by us., Macquarie Park

Shannelle and Uel 

Call me an optimist but I believe dreams do come true. Married couple Uel and Shannelle Lim is a living testimony of that. From hosting dinners for family and friends to becoming a viewers favourite in the T.V. show My Kitchen Rules 2014, and now this power couple has recently opened their cafe "Kin" in Macquarie Park.

KIN relates to family and the menu consists of the food they cook, eat and share with family and friends. Expect classic dishes with a twist that are inspired by various cuisines such as Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, American, Modern Australian etc. The space has a mixture of modern and industrial fit-out. The wide-open entrance allows a lot of beautiful natural light to enter the premises. The coffee beans are a house blend sourced from Reuben Hills. They are also equipped with a La Marzocco linea for amazing espresso extracts. It's been almost a week since they opened during my visit but the place is already jam packed with happy patrons.

Piccolo latte

The piccolo latte ($3.50) tasted amazing! The textured milk and temperature was spot on. It had a medium body with fruity and chocolate notes.

Snap crackle plop

Their snap crackle plop ($10 and available after 11:30am) is straight off the bat all kinds of awesome! It consists of chicken rice, chicken crackle and onsen egg. The chicken rice is bursting with chicken flavour with a nice balance of garlic and ginger notes. The crackle was lightly crisped and well seasoned. The slow cooked onsen egg is perfect with custard like texture and runny yolk. The peas added a nice touch of sweetness.

Waffle belly

The waffle belly ($17) is another cafe dish that I've never seen anywhere. It had a melt in your mouth Singaporean-style braised pork belly. Besides the sweet soy caramelised flavour, I could also taste the spices used in a masterstock such as star anise, cinnamon etc. The pork goes well with the potato waffle, mushrooms and slaw. The custardy onsen egg was the icing on the cake!

Durian affogato

Since I wanted to take it up a notch I opted for the durian affogato ($7) rather than going for the standard one. It's durian gelato drowned in a shot of Reuben Hills house blend espresso. The durian gelato itself was quite potent but when combined with the espresso, it's like having coffee infused with a very sweet banana. It was exquisite!

Delicious and alluringly presented food, excellent service and a cheery vibe is just some of the things I love about Kin. Having said that, I am really "kin" to return to try other items such as the congee, kaya toast and rootbeer float. Congrats Uel and Shannelle!

Kin by us.

2 Saunders Close (corner Herring Rd)

Macquarie Park NSW

Opening hours:

Monday to Saturday 7am to 3pm