Boronia Kitchen

There’s nothing better than a juicy rotisserie-style chicken. And that’s the star of the show at former Aria executive chef Simon Sandall’s first all-day restaurant, Boronia Kitchen.

Each free-range chicken is brined for 24 hours, before it takes a spin on the French-imported rotisserie for 45 minutes. Available all day for dining in or takeaway, until sold out, these chooks can be had whole, in a sandwich or carved on a plate with salad.

Sandall pays the same attention to the eatery’s other dishes, too. Salmon is smoked in a high-brick shiraz barrel in the car park, before it’s served on rye with creme fraiche and pickled cucumbers. The chocolate and strawberry tart, made from 64-per-cent ruby chocolate, is carefully smothered in a chocolate-mirror glaze.

This is Sandall’s first venture, which he created with the help of business partner Susan Sullivan. The warm and inviting decor allows the venue to transform from a takeaway shop, featuring a white-and-grey charcoal-tiled counter, into a casual eatery during the day and an ambient dining room at night. The walls have been stripped back to their raw form, while the original floorboards have been polished to mint condition. A working feature wall finishes the look, with a butcher’s block and a pizza paddle paying homage to the Italian restaurant that occupied the space for 42 years.

Seasonality is also big at Boronia Kitchen. The restaurant has its own garden growing a range of herbs and vegetables including broad beans, broccoli, cos lettuce, rosemary, thyme, coriander, chives and lemongrass.