Mike McEnearney, Kitchen by Mike. Photo: Trippas White Group.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has a new pop-up in their just-renovated restaurant space overlooking the sculpture gardens.
Kitchen by Mike is an award-winning restaurant and catering company focussing on a whole food diet with fresh, local produce. The pop-up was announced by Trippas White Group, the exclusive food and beverage partner at the NGA.
Mike McEnearney is the owner and executive chef behind Kitchen by Mike, which he started in 2012.
“Good food and art are two of life’s simple pleasures, and we’re so thrilled to be able to serve up wholesome and delicious meals within one of Australia’s great cultural hubs,” Mike McEnearney said.
“Our ethos is all about food for the people. It’s egalitarian-style dining at its best – simple, healthy and delicious. We can’t wait to welcome people into our new home within the NGA to experience what we’re all about”.
Salads and roast vegetables are a big part of the canteen-style lunch menu. Photo: Trippas White Group.
The canteen-style lunch service allows customers to choose a main dish and then pair it with two or three seasonal salads. There will be an accompanying drinks menu of Australian-made, minimum-intervention wines, local beers, cold-pressed juices, Strangelove sodas and Five Senses coffee. They are planning to bring in local suppliers for the pop-up, like Canberra’s Three Mills Bakery.
Trippas White Group’s executive manager of retail and events Paul Romanella explained that the group wanted a particular kind of dining style for the space.
“When we were looking for a concept, we said [British chef and author Yotam] Ottolenghi, which was obviously never going to happen, but Mike is really the Australian version of that [style],” he told Region.
Highlights include pot-roasted lamb shoulder, avocado and heirloom tomato tartine and beetroot and fennel salad. Kitchen by Mike has a strong focus on seasonal, ethically farmed produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood. House-baked cakes will also be available for dessert or simply coffee and cake.
The pop-up launch coincides with the Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao World exhibition, which explores the post-impressionist’s works created around the Pacific region. It has been described as one of the gallery’s most controversial shows. Alongside Gauguin’s work will be a selection of creations by contemporary artists from the Pacific.
The roast lamb shoulder is a typical example of a main at Kitchen by Mike. Photo: Trippas White Group.
Mr Romanella said they wanted to take advantage of the expected popularity of the Gauguin exhibition to “test the waters” with the Kitchen by Mike pop-up. He told Region that there are plans to install a permanent Kitchen by Mike restaurant in the NGA by June 2025, involving the addition of a wood-fired oven and grill that forms a big part of Kitchen by Mike’s signature style.
Mike McEnearney has published two cookbooks and is also the creative director of the farmer’s market at Carriageworks in Sydney.
Trippas White Group manages a range of hospitality offerings at over 150 Australian venues, including culturally significant venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Australian War Memorial.
Kitchen by Mike is open for lunch from 11 am to 4 pm daily. The National Gallery of Australia is located at Parkes Place East. Visit Kitchen by Mike’s website or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
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