Before MLK Deli opened and became one of Surry Hills’ – and now also Kogarah’s – favourite neighbourhood sandwich spots, it was Myra’s Little Kitchen. And it all started when Myra Karakelle started to cook out of her little kitchen.
“During Covid, we were at home working from our laptops, and everything was stripped away,” she says. “So I found that I was spending more and more time cooking, and it became my ritual.”
Lockdown, Instagram and a Culinary Awakening
Each week Karakelle, who was working as a paralegal back then, would find an ambitious new recipe to try, and set about cooking the (often very large) dishes. This led to an overflow of delicious food, which her friends and family were more than happy to eat. But Karakelle also started broadcasting her cooking journey online.
“The more I did it, the more I wanted to capture it and take photos and videos of the process,” says Karakelle. “It got to the stage where I thought ‘I need to open a different Instagram account for this’ – so I started Myra’s Little Kitchen.”
The account quickly took off. And over time – and extended lockdowns – Karakelle gradually started to take her cooking deeper into her Uzbek and Afghan heritage, as well as her husband’s Turkish background.
“There were a lot of influences, flavours and cuisines that I finally had time to explore,” she says.
Blending Heritage Between Two Slices of Bread
But then, Covid receded. It was time to head back to the office. Back to a desk, and to corporate life.
“We went back to work, the hobby started to decline, and I realised that I wasn’t as happy doing what I actually did then when I was cooking and feeding people.
So Karakelle decided to take the plunge into hospitality and started saving money for a shop. A sandwich shop.
“Obviously not being a professional chef, I had to be very considerate of what I was capable of doing,” she says. “I also believed that what I envisioned wasn’t actually available: especially for the Muslim demographic, cold cuts in Sydney aren’t really provided to us.”
“As wonderful as a kebab is, there’s only so many kebabs you can have,” says Karakelle.
You can discover my country’s food between two slices of bread – everyone can enjoy it”
Myra Karakelle → Owner
The idea was to open a place that could cater fully halal sandwiches, served in a traditional deli style, using all of the flavour profiles of her heritage that she’d rediscovered during the pandemic.
Surry Hills Embraces Its New Local Deli
The only question left was where to open it. And there was only ever one answer for Karakelle. The neighbourhood she calls home: Surry Hills.
“I’m fortunate to live here, there’s such a beautiful vibe in this little suburb,” she says. “There are backpackers, young professionals, retirees, artists, tourists – it’s just so eclectic.”
It’s a diverse bunch, but they’ve all embraced MLK Deli with open arms. And now, the lockdown Instagram account that became a neighbourhood deli is drawing crowds from all over Sydney.
“The intent was to always be here for the people that are here,” she says. “We were so surprised to have so many people travel into Surry Hills.”
From One Kitchen to Many
She wanted to focus on her heritage, her local area and giving her community something they couldn’t get. But in doing so, Karakelle actually created something for everyone. Now, she’s keeping up with demand: earlier this year she opened a second shop, in Kogarah, in Sydney’s south. More shops could well be on the way.
Want to know more about how MLK Deli found the right neighbourhood to call home? Watch the Inner City episode of our video series Good Neighbours. ->
