First Look: Cypriot Newcomer Myra’s Kitchen Wins With Family-Recipe Falafels and House-Made Pita

“I didn’t mean to open a shop that does all my family’s recipes,” Chris Rummey, the one-man show behind Myra’s Kitchen, tells Broadsheet. “It all kind of happened by accident.”

Rummey is operating at 100 kilometres an hour: he’s greeting customers by name, taking orders, cleaning tables, frying falafels and assembling his house-made pita pockets.

This solo act may be new, but it’s already a hit with locals. Regulars seem to drop by just to hear the specials – or shoot the breeze with the magnetic owner. Often they’re rewarded with taste tests of his gluten-free brownie or lemon cake.

Looking at the shopfront, you’d think that this humble Cypriot eatery pushing hand-me-down recipes was the vision all along. But what began as the self-professed “sourdough nut” searching for a bakery quickly evolved.

“It wasn’t like a passion project. I got this site, it had the oven and the prover, it used to be a banh mi joint. I thought I could make pita bread [and] Greek-style kebabs. I rang my dad to tell him about it and he said, ‘You could do falafels. Myra did falafels’.”

His great-grandmother’s falafels are a family favourite. The recipe was passed down to Rummey by his grandparents, who learnt to make them in Cyprus. “[Grandma] learnt the Egyptian way, so that’s what I do now. I do 50 per cent broad bean and 50 per cent chickpea. I don’t skimp on the parsley and coriander.”

Cooked to order, Rummey’s gorgeously green (and hefty) nuggets are what King Street locals keep returning for. Crispy on the outside; fluffy, piping hot and slightly nutty on the inside – it’s no wonder why.

If falafels aren’t your jam, there are alternative proteins: juicy keftedes (Greek meatballs), smoky sheftalia (pork and cinnamon sausages), a 12-hour slow-cooked lamb, and a charred haloumi.

But what vehicle will you choose? A salad bowl with brown rice and veg or the house-made pita pocket, made using a combo of wholemeal flour and sourdough. Both come with Rummey’s array of signature sauces. Opt for the pita and you’ll get a spread of mayonnaise-like skoldalia (a thick sauce made from mashed potato, garlic, lemon and dill), then tahini or tzatziki, depending on your protein. For those who like a bit of extra oomph, he lathers on the chilli and tomato relish.

Servings are generous, everything’s made to order and there’s nothing over $20. The concept of Myra’s might not have been intentional, but its popularity is no accident.

Myra’s Kitchen
155 King Street, Newtown

Hours
Daily 9.30am–3.30pm

@myrasnewtown