With a name inspired by the meta-con of being tricked while being tricked, Kansas City Shuffle surely ought to have some funny business going on. Instead, the refurbished industrial space ”“ a collaboration between owner Ben Sweeten and owner/executive chef Kayne Mordini ”“ has razzle-dazzle of all the right kinds.

The space ”“ with past lives as a convict gallows, Cadbury Chocolate Factory and an auction house ”“ is still young in restaurant terms, and Sweeten (who designed the location with brother Jimmy) has plans to extend the current breakfast-lunch space to include a bar and evening restaurant. (It’ll be a separate area, called Dead Man Walking, paying homage to the convict ghosts who, Sweeten says, have stuck around.) For now, it’s a cavernous, stunningly bright location that epitomises minimalism. Exposed bricks and cord lighting are juxtaposed with foliage and greenery and a flood of natural light. The front of the space functions as a takeaway coffee counter, where visitors can get flat whites, long blacks, or “Magic” ”“ a take on ristretto.

Then there’s the food. Mordini hails from the kitchens of Melbourne, and has brought the best bits of the hipster-filled, coffee-driven culture with him. Along with head chef Beau White, Mordini is creating an unintentionally (yet entirely well-delivered) Americana menu. The fried chicken sandwich is smoky and spicy, laden with a kicking cabbage slaw. The pancakes are light and fluffy, and the lemon curd and cream cheese parfait ”“ both made in house ”“ are dangerously addictive. The unassuming pumpkin bread with heirloom tomatoes and whipped feta is, however, the winner; the thick slab of goodness feels like the perfect place to relocate microherbs and avocado for the impending Sydney summer.

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Kansas City Shuffle Sydney
195 Gloucester St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
+61 415 362 038

Riley Wilson is Melting Butter’s Assistant Editor. She’s a native Sydney-sider who grew up between Australia and the USA, with extensive travels throughout Europe along the way. She also writes for Pepper Passport, Broadsheet Sydney and Loyalty & Orgasms. She’s deeply passionate about olives, oysters, postage stamps, and punctuation.

(Photos courtesy of Kansas City Shuffle Sydney)

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