United Kitchen Dining & Tapas
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United Kitchen Dining & Tapas is the latest and greatest Latin American hot spot to hit St. Kilda’s buzzing Fitzroy Street strip.
With the aim of uniting people and cultures via shared experiences, the bar and eatery is designed to allow for all occasions whether it’s an intimate dinner for two or more people, large groups & functions but also even just single people passing by. The United Kitchen team aptly hails from all over the globe. Head Chef and Owner, Tong Li, originally from Qingdao, China, whilst his partner in life and business, Lee Li, is from the UK. Venue Manager, Bernard Bungaleea is from Mauritius. Within the kitchen and amongst the wait staff, there are individuals originating from Ireland, Canada, Ukraine, Korea and Australia. The United Kitchen crew is truly a collective from all over the world.
The venue interior utilises natural, organic elements and materials. Think concrete flooring, rust-coloured walls, wooden trimmings and marble surfaces, mixed with added notes of greenery.
The drinks menu boasts a line-up of culinary-inspired cocktails that are sure to please. These signature blends are created via an application of kitchen techniques and are topped with fresh garnishing or cooked embellishments. Of course, there is also an honest beer, wine and spirits list if you prefer your more traditional beverage.
The offerings are inspired by Tong’s training throughout Mexico. The result is an outstanding menu which is Latin-American inspired, Spanish infused, with Asian influence and it is ultimately driven by local, seasonal Australian produce.
Everything on offer is made in-house – from the syrups in the cocktails to the sauces in the salads. We loved the food. Each dish was prepared meticulously with plenty of heart and soul.
To start, the beef tostadas were nothing short of delicious - Tender slow cooked beef with crumbled ricotta and gooey sticky chilli sauce.
The meat lovers section of the menu was exquisite. You can't go wrong with any of the items here. Of particular note was the Pork Belly which had been succulently prepared to retain a porky juiciness, achieving a healthy layer of melt-in-the-mouth fat in the process. Each moreish morsel was tender and sat beneath a layer of crackling.
If you love seafood, the dish of slow cooked octopus, spring potato, spicy chorizo and chimichurri is a must have. One of our favourite dishes of the night, the octopus was incredibly tender while retaining a robust structure courtesy of being expertly cooked. The accompanying potatoes were creamy and well-seasoned by the spicy chorizo which delivered a luxurious salinity and also enhanced the flavours of the octopus.
The desserts on offer continued the trend of the evening - delicious. Think peanut butter spring rolls filled with salted caramel peanut butter and scrumptious salted caramel doughnuts drizzled with extra lashings of salted caramel.
Embodying the Mi casa es su casa (my house is your house) mantra, United Kitchen Dining & Tapas is a welcome addition to St Kilda's bustling food precinct.
Location: Shop 2, 52 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9534 4470
Link: www.unitedkitchen.com.au/
Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican, Seafood, Tapas
