Salma’s Canteen

Sydney’s dessert devotees were shocked when Andy Bowdy and Maddison Howes announced the closure of their beloved Enmore Road bakery, Saga. Thankfully, Bowdy immediately followed up with the news he’d be opening a takeaway spot with Michael Rantissi and Kristy Fawley, the pair behind Redfern Mediterranean eatery, Kepos Street Kitchen.

The focus here is on easy eating. Think bountiful salads, Rantissi’s salmon pastrami and Bowdy’s pies ready to eat (or empty shells to take home and fill). The salad plate – a lunchtime saviour – gets you a trio of rotating seasonal salads, with options ranging from scorched cauliflower to creamy potato salad. Add hunks of salmon, kofta or schnitzel for a protein boost.

A line-up of Saga favourites line the pastry cabinet. Pete’s Pav is a star, a meringue filled with key-lime curd and a mix of roasted wild rice and Chantilly, with a crown of halved blackberries and sugared lime zest. Gluten-free options include a pear and hazelnut upside-down cake, and savoury treats too.

Airy, plant-filled and welcoming, the red-brick space gets plenty of sun from large street-facing windows. There’s terrazzo underfoot and shelves stacked with jars filled with house-made pickled carrot, beetroot and cauliflower. In the fridge you’ll find sodas, dips, sauces and meals ready for the oven. There’s no coffee machine here – instead coffee drinkers can choose between a batch brew or cold-drip.