After becoming the darling of the Kingston bar scene, Little Brooklyn isn’t ready to rest on its laurels. Chef Ben Sanderson and his team have put together another menu filled with delicious treats, as well as a few favourites from their previous selection of American-style snacks and feasts.
Little Brooklyn has always excelled with its offerings of snacks. Perfect for the pub environment, it’s not uncommon to see groups gathered around the table and picking at wings, nachos or a plate of tacos.
Take for example, the Brooklyn Chicken Wings served with ranch mayo. A gentle spice pervades through the succulent meat, leaving with fingers that need to be licked and a greasy smile on your face.
The new menu features a well-rounded list of tacos. Choose from pork, beef rib, prawn or tofu varieties, and enjoy the fun-sized flavours within the soft taco shells. The smoked pork shoulder version (served with nashi pear, pickled jalapeño and mayo) shows great balance that most tacos seem lacking. The beef rib taco, although with a heavier flavour in the protein, is well balanced through the presence corn and chilli salsa. Hey, what do you care? Just grab a few and scoff them down – you won’t regret it!
One thing you don’t often see on a menu is a ‘roller’. Little Brooklyn’s version features fried chicken with a sriracha slaw. This is a little more substantial than a taco, so can easily be halved with a friend. The crunchy chicken is a delight, and everyone’s favourite sauce, sriracha, makes a welcome addition as well. This is the tastiest little chicken ‘burger’ you’re likely to find.
Speaking of such things, Little Brooklyn’s burgers are next level. The brioche buns they use will instantly amaze you… but that’s just the beginning. The Cheeseburger removes all the ‘plastickyness’ of commercial outlets, but presents all the same ingredients with an emphasis on quality. Take for example the high-grade beef patty that was designed with the help of a local Canberra butcher. It shows just how much the Little Brooklyn team care about a good burger (Oh, and the crinkle-cut chips are a delicious touch as well!).
Time to get serious with some mains. The Pork Ribs, served on the same board is a generous rack of spicy goodness thanks to the presence of a great whack of chipotle. Chew on a couple of these and you’ll be running for the alcoholic slushy machine behind the bar in search of a little relief. It’s worth persevering though… once you adjust to the heat you’ll realise the flavour of the ribs and the sweetness of honey. It’s a great trip!
To finish, Little Brooklyn takes all the trouble of decision-making out of the process by providing a single (amazing) crowd-pleaser. How does a Peanut Butter Cheesecake served with Hershey’s sound? Yup, we thought so as well, and enjoyed demolishing it. Served with a creamy vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookie, it’s an all-American dream come true for anyone’s sweet tooth.
All-in-all, Little Brooklyn provides a menu that perfectly fits its environment. The food is fun and playful, while still maintaining a strong focus on the quality of the ingredients. Similarly, it’s a menu that borrows heavily from American-style flavours without seeming derivative. It’s the perfect recipe for a fun night out.
