UPDATED: Bianca – Kansas City Shuffle has been one of our favourite cafes since they opened in early 2015, they also happened to be one of our first ‘invitations’ when we started our food blogging ‘careers’. 3 and a bit years on we were excited to see the new additions to the KCS menu and the latest reno’s taking place.
The Phat Phil Burger -w/fried chicken, maple bacon, cheese, slaw, aioli & hot sauce $21 has all your bases covered. Super crunchy chicken but juicy on the inside. The brioche not as soft and fluffy as others we’ve come across but tasty across the board.
If you love your greenery and mushies then this is for you. John McLane -w/ Garlic Butter, pesto, feta, baby spinach, crispy kale & poached egg on toast $21.
The KSC Cuban Sandwich -w/Berkshire Pork Belly, pickles, double smoked ham, mustard & cheese $18 is the ultimate toastie indulgence. Crispy bread, moreish pork belly & ham and melted gooey cheese!
And one of the main reasons we return (besides that amaze pumpkin bread they used to make). Is the Pancake -w/ lemon curd, cream cheese parfait, seasonal berries & smoked almonds $19.As you can see the pancake is still very similar to it’s very first incarnation, just more refined. I LOVE lemon curd so really enjoy this combination. The pancake was light and fluffy, the parfait adding some sharpness. No complaints here, I’d say these are probably the best you’ll find anywhere in the city.
I instantly zeroed in on this dish when I read the menu. P&BJ French Toastie -w/ cranberry jelly, peanut butter, candied peanuts & banana chips $21. I was expecting more of a traditional french toast, kinda bypassing the ‘toastie’ angle. Peanut butter anything I’m hooked, so I enjoyed the flavour profile but I think I struggled with the texture.
Still a strong reliable option when traipsing around the Rocks, not to mention some new exciting things in the pipeline!
Alex (2015): I don’t need to tell you guys…but in-case you missed the memo, there’s a new kid on the block. Kansas City Shuffle. Think industrialised warehouse meets minimalist decor. All of us natural light lovers would love it, as it is literally a haven for photo taking goodness… If you snag a table like below.
The cafe offers a takeaway window with baked goodies and take-away coffees. Which is particularly NYC reminiscent. Here you can get a cup o joe and some sweets like Simon Says Donuts, muffins and other savoury pastries.
The lunch began with a Lamb salad with black barley, smoked eggplant, yoghurt and dukkah. The lamb was quite soft, and the flavours of that crunchy dukkah infused beautifully with the yoghurt that also had a light drizzle of olive oil. This dish is texturally on point guys.
To keep us hungry morsels going, we were brought out a party of beef brisket on a waffle with a poached egg $20. Yes ladies and gentlemen you read that correctly. waffles, brisket, egg. It was unanimous that the brisket was the star of the dish. Perfectly cooked with some wonderful flavours pulling through but the downfall was the waffle. With a few tweaks this has the potential to be a real killer dish….Literally, it’s like a heart attack waiting to happen.
The KCS Cuban Sandich with berkshire pork belly, ham off the bone, cheese, pickles and mustard $17 was one of the stand out dishes of the day. Perfect combination of sweet and savory from an array of flavours including the delicious pork belly to the buttery flakey bread. This is a winner and as mentioned from a few at the table…a great hangover cure!
These days when Bianca sees anything remotely healthy, she averts her eyes and runs in the opposite direction, so when the Chia pudding with seasonal berries, puffed grains, & hazelnuts $15.50 came to the table I was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed it more than I did. I’m normally not a fan of chia seeds but fused with the sweetness of the strawberries it actually became quite a nice dish. There was a prominent coconut flavouring coming through which we both enjoyed.
Probably the most photographed dish of the day was the Pancake with lemon curd, blueberries, cream cheese parfait & smoked almonds $17.50. Another unanimous comment, was that it was like a fusion of a chiffon cake and pancakes. Bianca made mention that she got a slight lingering after-taste of flour, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I love love loved the combination of the really strong lemon curd with the cream cheese parfait. It brought another element to the dish that the lemon curd alone wouldn’t have been able to accomplish, so kudos for that one!
Now enjoy a bunch of pancake photos!
Simon Says Donuts. An array of flavours including strawberries topped with smarties, chocolate and peanut butter, cherry ripe, and injected hazelnut balls.
So how does Kansas City Shuffle compete as a new kid on the scene? Like all new establishments there will always be a few kinks that need to be ironed out but I was definitely impressed with the quality of food, décor and service so I’ll be back again! Even if it’s just to try that donut burger, with Bianc in tow no doubt.
Until next time!
Alex
*For Food’s Sake were invited to dine at Kansas City Shuffle by Wasamedia and KCS, all opinions however are our own and independent.
Am hearing amazing things abt this place – must get myself there – pronto. Lovely photos.
The photos are great! Good to hear what the food is like too 😀
Looks delicious 🙂