Michael Rantissi

Born Tel Aviv Israel, Michael fondly recalls his earliest culinary education alongside his mother’s dishes. Ignited with a passion for food, Michael set his sights on a culinary career. With only some experience helping in the kitchen at home, Michael first entered the restaurant industry as a Pastry Chef. Michael had a successful catering business, de Pomegranate Catering, but now owns and runs the award winning Kepos Street Kitchen in Redfern, Sydney as well as Kepos & Co in Waterloo which opened in June 2015. Kepos Street Kitchen burst onto the Sydney dining scene in 2012 and since then has won numerous accolades including “Best Café Food” in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Café Guide as well as one hat in the Good Food Guide in 2013 and 2014. The food that Michael serves at Kepos Street Kitchen draws on the best of his childhood meals mixed with his classical training. Dishes have a strong Mediterranean influence with a Middle Eastern twist. Michael’s first cookbook in collaboration with his partner Kristy Frawley was released in September 2015 and is published by Murdoch Books. “Falafel for Breakfast” is a collection of modern Middle Eastern recipes for any time of the day.