Foody Focus: Aidan's Kitchen

This was our second brunch at Aidan’s Kitchen, and we were immediately reminded of why we chose to return. We were greeted by the warm decor, mouth-watering smells and very sweet staff, and we knew it was the right call. Aidan’s offers a range of full plates, add-ons, hot and cold drinks, as well as brunch cocktails!

I, Taylor, ordered the green smoothie, Popeye’s Pal, in reference to the spinach in it, which Dhwani believes I desperately need. Despite the veg, it was delicious and had a nice kick of ginger. I, Dhwani, had the Cherries & Berries smoothie, which was tart, sweet, and refreshing. It served as the perfect drink pairing to our mains, which were rich and decadent.

After a Pancake Day filled with store-bought pancakes, I, Taylor, was ready for some restaurant-quality relief. The Dulce de Leche Pancakes were a fluffy fantasy, drizzled in a caramel sauce and topped with Chantilly cream, chopped banana, and chocolate shavings- it did not disappoint. A few more slices of bananas would have been appreciated, but you’ll survive with the provided amount. The maple crispy bacon side was also a good contrast to the sugary focus.

The AK Grilled Cheese with Kimchi in Northern Rye Sourdough was the ooey-gooey sandwich of your dreams. The grilled cheese was humongous, came with a side of Sam’s Buffalo Sauce, and the cheese pull was an ASMR masterpiece. The bread was crispy and buttery, and the hot sauce made for the perfect accompaniment, as it helped cut through the richness and added a spicy tang. However, I, Dhwani, would have preferred a more pronounced kimchi flavour. 

We also ordered Hash Browns topped with Sriracha Aioli and Parmesan, which was the ultimate shared appetiser. While we wanted to try some new items, we agreed that these were a necessary re-order, as they’re super crispy and paired perfectly with the creamy aioli, creating a textural and flavour combo that is too good to resist!

After finishing our meal, we were both disappointed to realize that we had missed a tiny ‘Specials’ sign on the front counter! To think that there was a fried chicken sandwich so close to our reach! AK, if you’re reading this, please ask the staff to verbally mention the specials because we would have loved to try that sandwich. We were also quite full, so we couldn’t sample one of the sweet treats they have behind the counter, such as miso chocolate cookies, oreo slutty brownies, and cherry bakewell tarts, to name a few. 

This definitely won’t be our last trip to Aidan’s Kitchen, as the huge portion sizes, cutesy and comfortable ambiance, and great value for money make it a go-to spot for great food and drinks. Plus, they even do 10% student discounts from Tuesdays to Thursdays, so you’ll always get a good deal.