06 Jan Kitty Burns, Abbotsford

Kitty Burns is attracting plenty of attention for its beautiful interior design and eye-catching food. Like Frankie Says, Kitty Burns takes its place within the Sanctuary apartment complex. The interior, courtesy of Biasol: Design Studio, features plenty of pale woods, pastels and white ceramic tiling. The bright, light-filled space feels even more open with its high ceilings, and though we didn’t sit there, those booth seats looked enticingly private and cosy.

Kitty Burn’s chef, Aaron Duffy, has been pumping out beautifully presented dishes from a menu that reads so well. What do I eat? It’s hard to decide. Herbal elixirs from Raw Satya and pastries from Rustica are also options.

The torched kingfish with kimchi mayo, leek ash, sea succulents, roast sesame dressing, edamame, Japanese rice and poached egg was actually at the top of my shortlist, but I allowed A2 to order it instead. Its no surprise this dish tempted both us – we’re both suckers for Japanese flavours. Being lightly torched, the texture and flavour of the kingfish was simple and unadulterated, and the tasty sesame dressing and lightly flavoured rice complemented the fish so well without stealing its thunder. I may have to have one of these to myself at some point.

Of course, I had to have something different, so I went with my second option – the smoked pea and garden mint panna cotta. The spectacle of wispy smoke emanating from the jar as I opened it was as pleasing to the eye as it was to the nose. When I ordered it I was still a little confused as to whether to expect a sweet or savoury dish. It was most certainly savoury, and I certainly was not expecting that amount of flavour from the panna cotta itself. The egg was perhaps a little more solid than I’d have liked, but it did make it a bit easier to capture all the elements so I could enjoy everything in one bite. The Rice Bubble-like appearance and crunchy airiness of the potato popcorn was a delightful surprise, and the bacon crumbs injected some more smokey, savoury nuances to the whole combination. It’s not the type of dish that I typically order when I go out, but after taking a gamble I was impressed.

I’m excited to see how Kitty Burns develops given its spectacular beginnings. Those apartment dwellers are very lucky indeed.

Kitty Burns
24 Acacia Pl
Abbotsford, VIC, 3067
(03) 9427 0164
kittyburns.com.au