Kaikey’s Lane
The Block Arcade, 30 Block Place, Melbourne
03 8658 3447
Cafe, Mediterranean
$$
Food
- Bruschetta
- Eggplant Chips With Aioli Mayo
- Pepperoni Pizza
- Chicken And Mushroom Pizza
- Vegeterian Pizza
- Chicken Schnitzel And Chips
- Beef Eye Fillet Skewer
- Salmon With Quinoa Salad Topped With Fish Roe
- Sesame Fried Prawns
The Good
Starting off the evening with the Bruschetta, it was a light yet delicious entree. A small slice of exceptionally crunchy bread was topped with a generous amount of tomato salsa, some olive oil and herbs, and finished off with light yet flavourful ricotta cheese. The crunch of the toasted bruschetta was well contrasted by the juicy, fresh and flavourful toppings.
Eggplant Chips having always been a favourite of mine, and these were no exception. With an exceptionally crunchy and slight heavy batter, it was nicely contrasted by the soft and flavourful eggplant within. Smothering each stick with that delicious aioli mayonnaise resulted in a rather unstoppable snack.
The pizzas looked absolutely sensational and I have to admit I throughly enjoyed every bite. The toppings were flavourful and bold. Most notably were the forward and slightly spicy pepperoni that had slight charring on top providing some crunch. The mushrooms on the vegetarian pizza were also exceptionally flavourful and juicy. Coupled with the thin, fluffy base, it's no surprise that these pizzas were devoured by the crowd in a heartbeat.
Another highlight of the evening was the Sesame Fried Prawns with mayo. Huge, lightly crumbed prawns were fried to a perfect golden brown. The outer crunchy layer enclosed within exceedingly juicy and fresh protein. Coupled with the creamy mayonnaise, the flavour profile was sensational and ranks among some of the best fried prawns I've ever had.
Rounding off the mains was the Salmon with Quinoa Salad topped with Fish Roe. Juicy and flavourful, the succulent fish was lightly seasoned which allowed you to truly appreciate the fresh aroma of the salmon. The fish roe provided sudden bursts, pockets of flavour, and the quinoa salad, along with the pomegranate seeds, provided a refreshing taste.
The Mediocre
The Beef Eye Fillet grilled on a skewer unfortunately missed the mark tonight. While the beef aroma was forward and pleasant, the protein itself erred on the side of being overlooked, resulting in a slightly dry and tough skewer.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
The launch event was well organised and went rather smoothly for such a large crowd. Most importantly, food came out at a fairly steadfast place and remained well presented and delicious throughout the evening - which is a feat in and of itself.
For such an experienced restaurateur like Joe, tonight's successful launch represents a promising beginning to this eatery that's name after his daughter, and I am sure that with Joe at the helm, he's unlikely to disappoint.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Definitely. I would love to be back for a proper sit down meal to fully appreciate the cooking and food that's on offer here.
I'd like to thank Joe and the Zomato team for inviting us for the launch of Kaikey's Lane.