We’re calling it: The chicken Kyiv is back – and this bowlo gets it right

The Kyiv’s appearance at Leichhardt bowlo’s Blue Ribbon Bistro is a calculated move by chef Nic Wong, who wanted to serve pub classics from the age of MeadowLea and French onion soup mix in everything. Wong knows how to hit the right nostalgia notes from his time leading Marrickville’s Lucky Prawn, but he also cares about produce and doing things the right way after cutting his teeth at Rockpool.

For the bowlo kitchen, which relaunched in July, Wong teamed up with other former Rockpool chefs: Joel Humphreys (they’re co-owners of Newcastle’s hatted Bistro Penny) and Graeme Hunt (who runs the kitchen day to day). This means your $10 side salad features top-condition radicchio and a spot-on mustard dressing, and the $35 rump (served with chips, naturally) comes from nearby boutique butcher Great Meats Co.

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The tartare on a whopping big fish sandwich hits the right balance of dill, Dijon and gherkin, and a quality rendition of pub calamari is crumbed in-house, a rarity for anywhere with pokies. The club still has a dozen slots in a dank little side room, which is a fair reduction from the number it used to have, but come on Leichhardt Bowlo board: vote “yes” to turfing the lot. On any given weekend, there’s a line at the bar and the kids’ playground and beer garden are packed. No doubt winter trade isn’t as healthy, but I still can’t see the club going under if it replaces Cleopatra and Cashman with pinballs and Buck Hunter.

Anyway, that’s my obligatory “pokies destroy families and culture and they should all be incinerated” rant. Back to the Kyiv, which is very good. A thick crumb wraps the bone-in cutlet, and absorbs the waves of garlic, butter and mash as you approach the centre. The fish-and-chips batter is appropriately lacy, and onion rings are purpose-built for beer and cheap wine in the sun.