Cafe Kentaro
616 Bourke St
Surry Hills, NSW
During the relentless Sydney summer there is nothing better than finding a shady cafe to shelter away from the sun and soak up vibrant, fresh, flavourful food and sip on crisp, chilled drinks. Japanese fusion café, Café Kentaro in Surry Hills was the perfect spot for us to while away an afternoon and do just this.
Café Kentaro is the sister café of Oratnek in Redfern and Chef Kenny Takayama, former Head Chef of Bills in Darlinghurst, has created a modern, rustic space which echoes that of Oratnek. Boasting natural timber, tile and exposed brick surfaces with large bi-fold windows, it is an inviting, naturally bright and airy dining space.
The space evokes a fresh, natural feeling, which is matched by the food. Everything is made fresh in house with the exception of the bread delivered by Brickfields Bakery of Chippendale, and a signature roast blend coffee sourced from Aroma Coffee.
We started our late lunch with cooling drinks: a mint cucumber soda, PACKED with fresh strips of hydrating cucumber and an iced coffee which replaced my hot morning coffee with all the pleasantly familiar smooth roasted caffeine vibes.
Deciding to share a few plates to taste a little of everything we tried the Not so Mexican Tacos first. These were perhaps the Earls favourite, (but wait for the Japanese Poutine – then you decide!). The beautifully tender, melt in the mouth pork was complimented by a tantalising twist of lentils drenched in zesty lime, topped with fresh mint, coriander and pickled radish and tangy tomato wedges, all lovingly wrapped in a soft tortilla. These little cases were incredibly fresh, perfect for the scorching day, and wonderfully moreish.
There’s something you just can’t go past when dining Japanese. And for me, it’s an amazing chicken or pork katsu. They say all good things come to those who wait, and Kentaro’s Signature Katsu pork fillet sandwich was well and truly worth the 15 minute wait (a menu disclaimer from Chef Kenny himself). So good, I couldn’t leave my last wedge behind and had to grab a takeaway bag for the road.
The panko-crumbed pork was beautifully crisped and golden, giving way to succulent pork fillet cooked to perfection. Even on the hot day, this sandwich was great with a crunchy, cold, cabbage slaw with light vinegar and Japanese bbq sauce flavours mingled through. There was also a spread of mustard, which was an interesting alternative to the more traditional wasabi mayonnaise, but one I thought worked quite well for a modern, Australian twist.
But getting back to the Japanese Poutine… for any poutine connoisseur, (a growing, popular dish popping up in eateries around Sydney), we’d definitely recommend trying Café Kentaro’s Japanese Poutine. Perhaps it’s the salty miso gravy the beef is cooked in that helps tenderise this meat, but we couldn’t get over how tender this fall-apart beef was! And the chips it topped, were perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We guarantee, once you’ve tried it, you’ll be stopping in again and again to make this one your regular poutine favourites.
Café Kentaro is a great spot for early morning coffee and breakfast or a lazy weekend brunch or lunch. It seats up to 12 people outdoors and approximately 25 to 30 inside, including one large kitchen table with seating for 10 people making it perfect for a family or group get together.
The Countess and Earl dined as guests of Cafe Kentaro. Special thanks to Chef Kenny Takayama for the great service and delicious food. there. Thanks also to General Manager Daryl for the invitation. Cafe Kentaro is open Monday – Saturday 7am – 3.30pm and Sunday 8am – 3.30pm.