Kitchen by Mike Is Opening Anew, But You'll Need to Book an International Flight to Visit
Yep, he's opening at the exotic destination that is T1 Sydney Airport.
Even if you don't have the cash to join Australia's new private jet club, your flying experience is about to be taken up a notch. Sydney Airport has finally worked out that, when you're wandering around, bleary-eyed, jet-lagged and, quite possibly, effusively emotional, having your food options limited to Maccas, dodgy kebabs and even dodgier pizzas doesn't help.
So some new, actually decent eateries are opening up at T1 International Departures. And the one we're most excited about is Kitchen by Mike. We were devastated when his Rosebery eatery closed down last August, and we've been hanging about the CBD like lost puppies, waiting for his new project, No. 1 Bent Street, to open.
But now we're thinking about booking a flight, just so we can get beyond customs and find out what he's up to at the airport. Set to open later this year, Mike's restaurant will be one of five venues forming a dining precinct named City View.
The other Aussie making an appearance will be Shannon Bennett. He's the operator behind Vue de Monde, and, for T1, has come up with a new concept called Benny Burger. It'll be whipping up show-stopping, possibly flight-delaying, deluxe burgers, packed with organic and wild-sourced ingredients. Headlining will be signature creation The Chang, featuring a combo of Blackmore wagyu beef, a free-range fried egg and pickled beetroot.
Joining Kitchen by Mike and Benny Burger will be international heavyweight Wolfgang Puck, who has taken care of food at the Oscars for 21 years now. He'll be launching The Bistro, a casual Italian eatery specialising in gourmet pasta and wood-fired pizza. And, for thirst-quenching purposes, there'll be Joe and The Juice and a Heineken House, designed specifically for the airport.
City View will be accompanied by a new luxury shopping area and is part of a general overhaul of T1, which will be bringing wider walkways, better sight lines and easier wayfinding to the 40 million travellers who use Sydney Airport every year.