Once upon a time, being near Kensington meant I was on my way to class. Admittedly, my attendance during my tertiary education was quite low. I was too busy not going to uni to actually go to uni, you’re not going to believe this but my low-attendance methods resulted in two degrees (man, I hope my nephews never find this blog).

Now? Being near Kensington Street means that I’m about to feast on something delicious.

And few restaurants have a menu more delicious than the one at Kensington Street Social.

Part of Kensington Street’s revival, Kensington Street Social (KSS) has become one of Sydney’s pre-eminent dining hubs. Located within the Old Clare Hotel, KSS’s open space, lively atmosphere and friendly staff make it an absolute blast to be social in.

It’s almost as if that appeal is in the name.

Heh.

Let’s have a gander at the food:

Do you remember the opening scene of the Dark Knight?

Everyone that just muttered no, please leave my blog and watch the Dark Knight before you come back. It’s all good, I’ll wait.

Back? Cool. The opening scene where the Joker robs the bank of all the mob money whilst systematically killing all his hired mercenaries is one of the greatest opening sequences ever.

As are these squid ink crackers. Delightfully crunchy and surprisingly light, they make awesome vessels to scoop up the creamy mayo they come with. They’re as dark as night but they’re as good as any scene from the Dark Knight.

The mad scientists located in the kitchens of KSS somehow gave these thick cuts of Kingfish the texture of red meat which I loved. Fresh, super meaty and lacking the slimy texture one associates with fish, the kingfish was absolutely regal to me.

My parents tried to instil in me early on that smoking was for losers…if that were true, than my affinity for smoked meats make me the biggest loser without ever having to go on the show.

The smoky flavour is consistent throughout the omelette and fillings. The mackerel’s natural saltiness is a lovely asset in each bite along with the crunch provided by the bean sprouts. And the bacon equation comes into play here, let me explain

Anything + bacon = better than without bacon.

Look at me explaining equations. I told you I’d get better at Math, Ms Carberry!

This is not an item which you’ll settle for just a pizza of, you’ll want the whole thing.

Laden with cheese, potato and onion; it’s a flatbread recipe lifted straight from my mind. The bacon equation is in play once again with a tonne of potato and cheese. The flatbread is light, crispy and really lets the flavoursome toppings shine through.

I was bread to eat this, and eat this I did.

Here’s the TL;DR for everyone who was expecting me to make some sort of farfetched analogy that would’ve involved changing Kensington to Kinsington and incorporating that joke into the kingfish paragraph:

• Order the crackers and don’t th-ink twice about asking for more mayo.
• Demolishing the flatbread will cure any sort of flat-ness you’re feeling.
• It’s hard to be social when all you want to do is stuff your face with everything on the menu at Kensington Street Social.

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Kensington Street Social, Chippendale

1 Kensington Street (inside the Old Clare Hotel)

Opening Hours:
Monday: 7:30–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Tuesday: 7:30–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Wednesday: 7:30–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Thursday: 7:30–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Friday: 7:30–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Saturday: 8–10:30am, 12–2:30pm, 6–10pm
Sunday: 8am–2:30pm, 6–8pm