Disclaimer: We strive to be objective in every article. However, the food was provided to us free of charge.
When we think of eating seafood at a restaurant, what comes to mind might be gleaming white plates ordained with the ocean’s finest crustaceans. You’ll reach for a sparkling glass of white wine while surveying an ambience of sophisticated conversation and elegantly dressed diners. Tantalising. Kickin’ Inn is none of that, but all of something else: a hands-on seafood fiesta. We ventured to one of their restaurants to put on some gloves.
Drag & drop from the ocean to your table
A stand-out impression from the moment we walked into Kickin’ Inn (the Kirrawee branch) was their friendliness of service. Liz, with an American accent that coincidentally matched the origin of the Kajun cuisine served (Kajun, or Cajun, originated from Louisiana, America), greeted us and explained the concept of the restaurant. Simran, another restaurant staff member, walked us through the extensive menu. The most interesting page was ‘Drag & Drop’, where an extensive range of seafood was available.
Don't worry, it's going to be messy (and you'll like it)
Before we launch into what went into our stomach, here’s a bit about what goes into Kickin Inn’s franchise. We were lucky enough to meet Ravi, a co-founder of the restaurant chain. He explained that their mission is to make eating seafood a fun experience, while introducing the heartiness and spiciness of Cajun flavours. They make their sauces from 55 herbs, with flavours such as ‘Kajun’, ‘Garlic Butter’ and ‘Lemon Pepper’ available. There’s also the ‘Sha-Bang’ sauce, which we’ll leave to your imagination.
Back to the food. After we ordered, it didn’t take long for a bag of lobster, mussels, octopus, snow crabs, Bay Bugs and crayfish to arrive at our table. There’s no exaggeration as to what the next step was (you’ll see it in our video anyway). Simran (our waitress) simply poured a steaming pile of seafood and Sha-Bang sauce onto our table.
The most delightful aspect of dining at Kickin’ Inn is pulling on their gloves. Remember when we were toddlers and cutlery was literally our hands? There was a controlled chaos (as all diners are given a bib) about cracking open shells and extracting juicy meat. It was actually quite liberating. Kickin’ Inn supplies a small hammer too, for those thicker crustacean shells. You can taste the freshness of the seafood with every bite. The trick is to savour without the sauce first, to appreciate the oceanic flavour.
South Village, Kirrawee's lifestyle precinct
If you’re thinking that 25km South of Sydney’s CBD might be too far from your abode, there are 6 other Sydney locations where Kickin’ Inn resides. If you’re in Melbourne, a new venue recently opened up.
Our visit to Kirrawee was all the more pleasant because of the stylish urban precinct that Kickin’ Inn is located in. After the undoubtedly filling meal that you’ll have, you’ll want to walk around South Village. The new urban development has an expanse of shops to browse, as well as a park and playground to stroll around on. Architecturally, you can appreciate the elegant design. Socially, you can feel the community spirit. Quite apt considering the warmth of customer service and quality of food that we experienced at Kickin’ Inn Kirrawee.
Locate Kickin' Inn (Kirrawee branch)
Connect with Kickin' Inn
It was delightful to meet Laxmi and Simran, two members of Kickin’ Inn Kirrawee’s wonderful team.