Michael Rantissi was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, where his earliest culinary education was in his mother’s kitchen. These early experiences ignited a passion for food and when he finished school he decided on a cooking career. He studied at Israel’s Tadmor Hotel Catering School before furthering his studies in Paris and then at The Culinary Institute of America in New York.

He came to Sydney in 2005 and joined Balmoral’s The Bathers’ Pavilion as Sous Chef. In 2008, he moved to Pink Salt in Double Bay before opening Kepos Street Kitchen in Redfern in 2012 with partner Kristy Frawley. This was followed by Kepos & Co in Waterloo in mid-2015.  

Michael’s food is Mediterranean-influenced with a Middle Eastern twist and draws on his favourite childhood food memories mixed with his classical training. 

Kepos Street Kitchen was awarded ‘Best Café Food’ in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Café Guide 2013, as well as maintaining a one-hat rating in The SMH Good Food Guide since 2013.  

Michael’s first cookbook, Falafel for Breakfast (co-written with Kristy Frawley), a collection of modern Middle Eastern recipes for any time of day, was released in 2015.

Visit Kepos Street Kitchen for more information.