Butter, Surry Hills

Julian Cincotta is a Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year award winner creating a world of sneakers, fried chicken, rap/hip hop and champagne at Butter. It’s like he was throwing around ideas with some of the award’s previous winners (ahem, Dan Hong, Mitch Orr) and said “you know what would be awesome…” I’d be happy here with some slushies and the Nas tracks of my youth.

With the window full of kicks, it’s a sneakerhead’s dream. The bulk of the seating is at communal tables because there’s nothing like elbow-bumping your neighbour while eating. A blue neon melted butter sign hangs out the back and if it starts flickering, it’ll look like a seedy motel entrance in a broadway play. In between conversations you can hear the music playing. Think Ghostface Killah and the rest of Wu-Tang Clan.

The best way to get a little bit of everything is with the Size 13’s ($60) – thighs, tenders, double pickles, double slaw, and three sauces. A shoebox full of crunchy chicken comes out doused in hot sauce, of which there are three levels: OG, fire, hot AF. You can also have it naked but it's disappointing if you do. Hot sauce is where the flavor is at. The OG is about a three of a spice scale of ten and my best pick. Fire sauce is a good slow burn if that’s what you’re into. Dip the chicken tenders into honey mustard and get saucy. The slaw however, is a bit of a low point. There’s a soy/tofu flavour going on and it’s missing any sort of clean crispness I associate with slaw.

While there’s a whole lot of beer and champagne available, don’t underestimate the slushie. There’s the butter as f@#k ($12) which is a grapefruit-y butter vodka slushie which I thought was yummy until I had the hatfield ($12). My heart was stolen by this delightful gin and sour cherry slushie and I would go back just for it. If you’re not into boozing, there’s also the sober watermelon ($7) which manages to taste the most alcoholic of all but isn’t.

Butter’s image of casually downing Dom Perignon and fried chicken is a life level I aspire to on the daily. Except in my mind, I’m sitting on a throne made of SB Bruin Hyperfeels and vintage white NMD R1s.

Butter
6 Hunt St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
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