28 Jun United Kitchen Dining & Tapas, St Kilda

Opening in late November last year, United Kitchen Dining & Tapas is a Latin American restaurant and cocktail bar on burgeoning Fitzroy Street. The warm and inviting interior features concrete floors, wooden trimmings, copper accents and splashes of greenery. All four walls are a display of various materials, creating a different feel on different sides of the room.

There’s a leather sofa and ottoman area perfect for drinks and nibbles around the drum tables, and a leather booth by the other window that’s semi-private and cosy. The tables are well spaced, and there’s neat sense of privacy that’s often lacking in venues trying to squeeze in as many tables as possible. It creates a more relaxed environment that suits anything from romantic dates to group functions.

Head chef and owner Tong Li is originally from Qingdao, China. Li spent a number of years living and working in Mexico, gaining invaluable cooking experience under his belt, before returning to China and starting up three award-winning restaurants. United Kitchen represents his first venture in Australia since moving here, and the menu draws its influences from Mexican, Spanish and Latin American cuisines, with touches of Asian inspiration.

Ron Espresso Martini – Espresso, Ronde Jeremy Rum, spiced syrup & Frangelico ($18) Lemon Thyme Margarita – Tequila, Altoviso, homemade lemon, thyme syrup and fresh lemon

The cocktail page includes a few different margaritas, and the Lemon Thyme is one of the more popular drinks containing Tequila, Altoviso, homemade lemon, thyme syrup and fresh lemon. Being my favourite cocktail at the moment, I couldn’t pass up the Ron Espresso Martini made with Ronde Jeremy Rum, spiced syrup and Frangelico. It’s a little smoother, rounder and sweeter than most other espresso martinis. Cocktails at United Kitchen are made with house-made syrups, and both of ours go down extremely well.

Grilled Corn – Char-grilled whole corn, parmesan, ancho chilli, lime, & blue vein cheese ($4 ea)

Of the small bites available, we try the corn. Beautifully charred and very cheesey, the juicy corn is smothered in parmesan and blue vein cheese, and spiked with ancho chilli and lime. The use of the milder ancho means the spiciness doesn’t overwhelm the tastebuds. Absolutely delicious, and one to rival Mamasita’s famous cob.

Ceviche – Yellow fin tuna, pineapple, chilli, onion, coriander, tomato & salsa picante ($8.50 ea)

Crab meat stuffed avocado – Avocado stuffed with Blue Swimmer crab, cherry tomato, onion, chilli & fresh lime ($16)

Pork Tostadas – Slow cooked pork, fresh pineapple, refried beans, Pico de Gallo & Guacamole on crispy corn tortilla ($7.50 ea)

It’s perhaps not so surprising that tapas feature on the menu here. There’s a big chilli hit in the yellow fin tuna ceviche from both the chilli and salsa picante, and the pineapple and tomato creates a foil for the heat. One particularly intriguing item is the crab meat stuffed avocado. Diced avocado is tossed with Blue Swimmer crab meat, cherry tomato, onion, chili and lime before being presented back in the avocado shell. Blue corn chips are used as the utensil for it, and it’s a great eat. There’s a variety of tostadas too. The slow-cooked pork version is paired with fresh pineapple, refried beans, Pico de Gallo and guacamole, all served on a crispy tortilla. Substantial and satisfying.

Crispy Duck Leg – Confit duck leg, Dutch carrot, King Edward Potato, brown butter, fig & pinot reduction ($25)

Slow cooked pork belly – Free range pork belly, Chimichurri sauce, green soya beans, fresh pineapple & Salsa Fresca ($26)

A diverse spread of mains can be found, with seafood, poultry and meat all having a say. The slow-cooked pork belly is sweet and moist, topped by a vibrant chimichurri sauce and refreshed by diced pineapple and salsa fresca. There’s also the crisp and juicy confit duck leg, teamed with a tasty little brown butter fry-up of carrot, potato and peas, complemented by the sweeter elements of chopped fig and a pinot reduction.

Parmesan Cauliflower – Fried & baked cauliflower, shaved Parmesan, fresh thyme & Shichimi spice ($7.50)

You might enjoy your mains with some sides like potatoes seasoned with parmesan flakes and truffle oil, green beans with chilli and a chorizo crumb, or maybe the baked cauliflower seasoned with thyme and shichimi, showered with a good scattering of shaved parmesan. Soft and flavoursome.

Peanut Butter Spring Roll – Salted caramel peanut butter spring roll, vanilla bean ice cream & caramel sauce ($12)

A range of desserts are available, from fruity to rich. We try the peanut butter spring rolls. The thin, crispy pastry, which normally houses a savoury mix of ingredients, here contains a warm and rich concoction of salted caramel and peanut butter, accompanied by vanilla ice cream to balance things out. Salty and sweet, hot and cold, it’s a nice end to the meal.

United Kitchen is on the quieter end of Fitzroy Street, but venture down and you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful all-round dining experience that’s well worth a visit.

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of United Kitchen Dining & Tapas. Opinions expressed here are purely my own and are based on my experience at the time of the visit.

United Kitchen Dining & Tapas
2/52 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(03) 9534 4470
www.unitedkitchen.com.au