A hunk of bone-in rib eye or a tomahawk steak sounds mouthwatering... until you actually have to cook it yourself. Specialty food store Ryan’s Grocery knows the struggle of a homecook all too well – since the organic butchery opened in 2015, the most common question it receives is this: how do I prepare this quality cut of meat?
Fast-forward five years, the meat specialist has decided to open its first in-house café. The idea: a dine-in space that’s attached to its retail section, so customers can pick their favourite meats – or sausages, or burger patties – and have the professional kitchen whip (or grill, rather) it up for immediate enjoyment.
Highlights of this service include the massive 1kg Five Founders Carbon-neutral Certified Beef OP Rib ($148), which comes with sides of potatoes, tomatoes, and salad. Or try the Borrowdale Free-range Pork Collar (from $28) that’s served with salad and fries. Most of the meats are prepared over the grill, seasoned simply with salt and pepper so that the natural flavours shine.
Ryan's sausages deserve a space on your plate, too. They are made using a natural casing, stuffed with fresh meats taken from the counter. Get the classic Pork Cumberland ($2.80 per 100g), which yields a softer, more succulent bite – and doesn’t come with the hard snap you’d otherwise get from synthetic casing. Burger-lovers can also look forward to ones made with inch-thick Australian grain-fed beef patties (from $22) tucked between your choice of brioche, ciabatta, gluten-free, or keto buns. Of course, a small selection of wine sourced from Australia and Italy, craft beers and ciders are also available to wash down all that protein.
And when you’re done with your meal, browse the adjoining retail section of Ryan’s Grocery, which features a space dedicated to organic vegetables, rows of produce dedicated to various diets, and even a dry-ageing chamber to further feed your meat-fuelled cravings.