Cubby's Kitchen

It’s high time that we see more Middle-Eastern restaurants round here, so can you imagine our surprise when Cubby’s Kitchen popped up in the middle of Surry Hills? We were beyond excited, and decided to make the trip to take a look at Cubby’s Kitchen. Going back to his roots, Matt Yazbek who owns Toko, decided to share his love for the cuisine that he grew up with.

Nice and cosy, the place was dressed up with a more down-to-earth minimalism earth tones, coupled with dim lights that made the place seem even more intimate than it is. Sharing a place with its neighbour Crown Street Fish Shop, Cubby’s Kitchen already holds its own by attracting its fair share of people too.

Walking in, we were presented with a menu with choices that might seem too bizarre to you if you aren’t familiar with Lebanese cuisine. Have no fear, because the chef will happily explain the various dishes. Do ask for the specials of the day, because it will be a nice surprise. Last night, we had a spatchcock chicken cooked to perfection and perfectly seasoned with a slight hint of spice.

Start off your meal with some pita bread, baked or fried. Get some dip along with it, and we loved the hummus and the baba gannoush. Creamy enough, yet able to retain some of its chunky texture, the hummus had a slight Japanese twist with the addition of chilli oil and edamame. If you prefer salad, try one of their specialty tabouli (for parsley lovers) or fatoush (for bread lovers).

Basturma rock n’ rolls featuring three month aged beef and goat’s cheese would be one of the highlights debuting on the menu. Lamb lovers should go for the Ladies Fingers, which is seasoned with pine nuts and onions to a degree where the gamey taste has been reduced to near nothing. The salmon-nayyeh, likened to a pate like dip which goes really well with pita bread, is another one that might appeal to those who love fish.

Round off your meal with a selection of Lebanese sweets, or some knafeh. To save you from having to Google what that means, it’s a sweet cheese pastry. Because of the small venue and limited seating, each table is only allowed a dining time of 2 hours, so make sure not to spend too much time choosing what to eat!

Staying true to the Middle Eastern Culture, Cubby’s Kitchen allows you to Bring Your Own wine. The restaurant also offers a few Mediterranean-inspired cocktails like a pomegranate mojito featuring Turkish delight and an aperol spritz. Lebanese beer in the form of Almaza is also available alongside a couple of Australian wines and rose.