Lox, Stock & Barrel Deli Diner - North Bondi NSW

Timing is all it takes to get a table - most popular inner Sydney cafes face this scenario.

This deli diner is located not far from a junction between Glenayr Avenue and Curlewis Street - in a North Bondi village hub a few blocks away from the touristy strip that is Campbell Parade at Sydney's Bondi Beach.   It had been a glorious day near the waters, with the usual crowds, decent surf and pretty colours of the ocean that way.  We were looking for a feed, a late lunch.  Saturdays can be full of activity in the Bondi Beach area, especially the Farmers Markets at the Bondi Public School grounds - and now all we wanted was to sit down for a meal.

Lox, Stock & Barrel has built its reputation on being a delicatessen and based on this philosophy, they are careful and focused on the organic ingredients they utilise and harness for their culinary creations.    Capers, cream cheese, kale, pickled onions, dill creme and smoked salmon are pervasive in each menu offering.  There are several options for vegetarians like Fattoush,  a mix of spices, nuts, raw veg and herbs, all with a dressing of Tahini, olive oil and lemon.  A lovely breakfast item is the Lock & Load, with smoked Lox, hash plus a lime and creme Fraiche dressing.

It definitely adds tot he lifestyle that is real and perceived in a suburb called Bondi.

The deli diner is  also seen as reflecting a lifestyle from upper side New York with Jewish inspired briskets...

Salmon salad, just right for a summery afternoon.

Even it was a Saturday arvo, we were quickly shown a table and a baby chair seat for Bubba Alyssa.
It was a communal table but  I loved this opportunity to interact with other customers.   The wooden tables led to a rustic feel.  I savoured the atmosphere, as if I was in a family home, as the kitchen was abuzz with working staff and their counter a stone's throw from where we sat.

The lovely young lady attending to us and with a stand out dress knew how to deal effectively with young kids like Alyssa, putting her face down to the infant's level when speaking to Alyssa with a smile.   The coffee was satisfying, a good pick me up for us as we had walked up from the beach.  The kitchen supervisor was nice to make an exception to make a special fluffy and yummy omelette for Alyssa.  Oh yes, there is also a dedicated kids menu.

The action and care inside the transparent kitchen  - all hands on deck!

Sandwiches play a big part in the day time menu.  Pastrami, yes.  I would also try the creme cheese bagels on a next visit.  What about brioche scrolls?  Thoughts are so tempting just to have them for breakfast or late afternoon tea here.  Loaves to buy home include the ginger, honey and pear  versions or those with orange, fig and walnuts.  

You have several choices when eating in -  poppy seeds and spices, plain, sesame , onion or wholemeal.    After making a decision on this, you can combine them with Wagyu corned beef or avocado with rocket, tomato, onion, lemon and cucumber.    Many first timers just succumb to the smoked Lox bagel, laden with capers, onion, rocket and cream cheese

The drinks menu provide a variety of Rabbit Hole organic teas and Rebel coffee blends.  Its beach suburb location also makes it compulsory for LSB to serve cocktails and beers....

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The grilled spiced Albacore Tuna on Panini, with cucumber, jalapenos, Miso dressed slaw, bean sprouts and onions.

  The signature dish for breakfast here is the Bowlarama - a sensational combination of avocado, kale,         seaweed, poached egg, Hommus, home made fermented veggies, all placed on sprouted quinoa toast and drizzled with a Miso dressing.   A definite must try for me!

   

A lighter choice is the Zucchini omelette, garnished by jalapenos, Parmesan cheese, spinach and a sprinkling of almonds.

    If you have a more sweet tooth, the Brioche French toast is a good start for lazy mornings - with a raspberry compote, rhubarb and generously accompanied by a vanilla and cinnamon flavoured ice cream, wicked but delightful.

Apart from the above, an ancient grain Gronala and Bircher Muesli is of course available.....

For those preferring to check out LSB at night, two mains stand out - the corn fed brick chicken and the Cowra lamb ribs.   There are also two main platters to ponder over - one  with Aussie grown olives, three daily dips, pickled and fermented vegetables on sourdough with sides of bagel crisps - and another providing smoked trout, beetroot cured trout, egg salad, three dips, chopped liver and olives on your bread of choice with sides of bagel crisps as well.

Dinner dessert has two highlights -  the coconut flavoured Panna Cotta and the twice baked chocolate and salted caramel Souffle, garnished by roasted hazelnuts and a Halva Semi Freddo.

For a quick drop by, do try the free range Holmbrae chicken, swirling with egg noodles and root vegetables.

The Moked Turkey Breast on toasted Challah - garnished with rocket, cucumber, Swiss, cranberry mustard and onions.

Tables are placed tightly against one another in a relatively small outlet.  Does it seem often having no place to sit down, especially on weekends and public holidays?   I suggest take some time to explore the neighbouring shops, unless you are a local resident, in which case , a a takeaway is a good back up plan.  Yes, there are only forty seats for meals.

LSB occupies a good location, feels like a village gathering and the ocean is tucked away down the road.   I can say goodbye to the kitchen staff as we leave and they enjoy that.  There is pavement seating but to me, nothing beats being inside on a really warm day.

So it can be American east coast, Aussie eastern suburbs and with a good culinary reputation based on traditional recipes and a modern outlook.  Overall, the ambiance is care free, family friendly, hipster attractive and with an interesting larder variety.

Lox, Stock & Barrel is located at 140 Glenayr Avenue, a few roads inland from Bondi Beach's Campbell Parade.
Opening hours are from 7am to 330pm every day and from Wednesdays to Saturdays for dinner from 6pm to 1030pm.
Contact +61 2 9300 0368



 

Shenkin Kitchen - Enmore NSW

The Shenkin, it just exudes with an attractiveness, a uniqueness and a buzz.  It has an espresso bar in Newtown along King Street and a cafe in nearby Erskinville, but I had longed to pop in its Enmore outlet, opened in April this year, with unusual food, Israeli, influences of Mediterranean and yet with a tinge of Eastern Europe. This Enmore kitchen is open seven days a week for early breakfast until a late tea - and from Wednesday to Saturday evenings, offers dinner menu till 10pm.  It echoes tradition and still feels modern and young.  I compare its refreshing food menu with its daringness to place ladders to hold ceiling lights.  The cafe may be smallish, but invites in mothers with prams, couples in love and is blessed with smiles of the staff and the comfort of its guests.

There are lots of bread options - with rye choices, banana bread and sourdough filling up the mainstream Aussie spectrum, but yet with surprises like bureka and mixed berry baked stuff.   Israeli salads are served with chorizo, bacon and non kosher temptations. The Shenkin big breakfast  may be a safe corner, but then I see shakshuka sauce, hummus, pita bread and couscous.  You can have the varied ingredients in wraps, omelettes, pancakes, burgers or on toast. In one sitting, you allow your palate to be stimulated  by the food styles of more than the Middle East, encroaching a bit around the Mediterranean and with the familiarity of Aussie produce.

The Shenkin honours a street in Tel Aviv. The family who founded this business has a rich past across various countries like Poland, Russia, Egypt and Israel - and the Shenkin significantly illustrates and celebrates the dynamism, energy and cultural vibes of immigration.   The founder, Arie Haikin, opened this delightful business only six years ago, and the cafe outlet has a one Coffee Cup awarded by the Sydney Morning Herald.  Arie has two sons, Din and Bar, to run this eye opener of a modest and yet outstanding restaurant.  It is not just the coffee, milkshakes or juices available  that add to the fun of the Shenkin, but I reckon more so its business concept, its communal spirit and its homely feel.  Tables may be small for couples, but there are also the bigger canteen styled wooden ones that encourage strangers and mates to mingle.

On a late Saturday afternoon, I could see fellow lunchers drop by as if to a friend's place. I am served with a embracing engaged style, the staff seemed relaxed that day even if they had to cope with a ever growing crowd. The setting inside the kitchen outlet is reminiscent of European ghettos and yet so synchronised with the  lifestyle expected around this Newtown- Erskineville-Enmore hub.  I realised that one does not have to always splash excess dollars to create a right mood for diners, only to show the sincere heartfelt energy of well trained welcomeness and tasty food.  Practical and hard working, the Shenkin offers both breakfast and lunch items all day long.  It is akin to open house on a festive day and once the Shenkin opens its doors, it will not turn away people.  I loved the timber flooring at the Enmore outlet, in gratifying contrast to the raw brick of one of its main walls.  Oh yes, a thought about the shakshuka - originating from North Africa, it is based on fresh poached eggs, dazzled by a fiery tomato based sauce and contains no meat or dairy (so it is kosher). Selected olive oil, paprika, cloves, red chill, cumin and capsicums go into the making of the recipe.

The Portuguese inspired omelette, with chorizo, tomatoes and greens - with a rather large serving.