Newmarket's newest kid on the block, Sip Kitchen has arrived, letting all those in on the south side of the bridge share in the organic, dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free delights that those on the North Shore have been enjoying for the past two years at the original Mairangi Bay outlet. Taking up residence on Melrose St inside Martha's Fabrics, the interior is small but cute and still manages to fit rice paper rolls, tarts, various falafel flavours and the most amazing selection of raw cakes and slices that I've ever seen. Sip Kitchen pride themselves on offering whole fresh food that caters to a variety of dietary requirements. The word 'free' is used a lot in reference to what's been excluded but not when it comes to flavour or the variety of options on offer. After taking a good 10 minutes to peruse the cabinet and menu, my colleague and I opted for a small green goddess salad to help fuel the goddess within: vegetarian rice paper rolls with an insanely good ginger and peanut butter dipping sauce (which I have not stopped thinking about since), a nut tart topped with smoked salmon and the avo smash on Midnight Baker Freedom Loaf. It seems like a lot but everything was so light and full of flavour that we still had room for post-lunch dessert. Lucky for us, Sip Kitchen offer an array of all their slices in 'bitesize'. For two dollars each we were able to enjoy a selection of mini beet and cacao, caramel, lemon, and white chocolate and raspberry slices. We washed all of that down with a bottle of kombucha and left feeling virtuous for being kind to our tummies but also excited about what we wanted to try on our next visit. Sip also offer a range of breakfast options on their menu including an acai and proconut bowl that combines a green smoothie and granola all in one. Their drinks menu is extensive, offering all the usual suspects you'd expect to see at a café in addition to superfood smoothies, cold pressed juices and new comers to the hot drink scene: turmeric, matcha and beetroot lattes. Word on the street is the beetroot latte with hazelnut milk is one not to be missed. We'll take the time to 'Sip' that next time on our next visit to the kitchen, as it has definitely become a favourite. The front of house staff were super friendly and welcoming, the service was efficient with one person taking orders and one person fulfilling them. They do charge more for dining in so my recommendation would be to get in early, beat the rush, grab a takeaway and some delicious treats to enjoy later.
