Update: it’s with a heavy heart, I tell you West of Kin has permanently closed its doors.
A couple of month’s back, I headed over the bridge for the third time in my short Melbourne life to check out the new Asian-fusion eatery in Braybrook, West of Kin, and was hands-up impressed. So when I was invited back to try West of Kin’s new winter brunch menu, I skipped at the chance to once again cross the West Gate.
Short of jumping on a plane to Asia, West of Kin does a brilliant job at transporting you to the likes of Ku De Ta and Potato Head, serving up graceful, beautifully-presented Asian food, in a fun, cosy atmosphere (minus the beach views). And given on the cold, wet, winter’s morning that I visited the temperature was hovering in the single digits, I needed all the transportation I could get! Not-surprisingly, the soggy beer garden was deserted.
As Asian twist on brunch
Last time, I blogged that the dinner menu was as delicate as a Bolshoi ballerina. This delicateness continues throughout the pre-5pm menu too, along with an Asian twist on breakfast-slash-lunch. So don’t expect to find your usual bacon and eggs here – something my carnivore of a husband had a little huff about.
Although I quite like the fact that traditional Japanese savoury pancakes, rice porridge with XO sauce and egg noodle ramen replaces your customary scrambled eggs on West of Kin’s brunch menu – it made me feel like I’d truly woken up in Seminyak.
Embracing this adventurous spirit of trying something new and trying to convince myself I was on holiday, I went with the Japanese croquette with red capsicum, pea and mint relish as an appetiser (and to quickly cure my it’s-now-11am-and-I-haven’t-eaten-anything food grumps). This was followed by the soft shell crab bun mei, with lemon cured spring onion and gochujang mayonnaise. Once Jude got over his bacon blues, he happily settled on a beetroot arancini taster, and a Korean-style BBQ pulled pork brioche bun, with Asian slaw and wonton fries. As much as mine was delicious, I have to admit, Jude’s burger did bring on a bout of food envy because it was doubly delicious. Even though I don’t traditionally like pork.
West of Kin is…
The second time round dining at West of Kin I was genuinely as impressed as the first, and had to wonder why I don’t get over the bridge more often for some fusion of Asian. West of Kin is a destination in its own right, with the quality of foodie experience up there with your Kongs and Mamasitas.
Without the heaving well-heeled and caped Windsor crowds to deal with, it was nice to eat brunch in some relative peace. Clearly onto something, there were lots of families making the most of the big tables and uncrowded doorways, bringing along their kidlets who were evidently happy falling in love with the wonton fries.
On a positive note, I didn’t get lost in the fridge this time… You can read all about that in my original dinner review.
West of Kin | 17 Lacy Street, Braybrook, Victoria
Phone: 03 9317 7553
