From a little kitchen
Our Story
MLK stands for Myra’s Little Kitchen. It began in lockdown, when cooking at home turned from comfort into calling — and a little Instagram account became one of Sydney’s most loved sandwich shops. Because, as founder Myra Karakelle puts it:
“You can discover my country’s food between two slices of bread.”
The Journey
Lockdown, 2020s
Myra's Little Kitchen
Working from home as a paralegal, Myra Karakelle starts cooking as a daily ritual and shares it on a little Instagram account — exploring her Uzbek, Afghan and Turkish heritage, one home-cooked plate at a time.
Early 2024
Surry Hills
The corporate job goes; the deli opens. A bright blue shopfront on Campbell St starts serving fully halal, New York-style sandwiches — and the lines follow.
2025
The Rocks
MLK lands in the heart of The Rocks, steps from Circular Quay. Same obsession: heritage flavours between two slices of bread.
Halal, Always
Proper deli-style cold cuts are hard to find halal in Sydney. That gap is exactly why MLK exists: everything on the menu — from the seven-day house-cured pastrami to the Wagyu salami — is 100% halal, with no compromise on craft.
- 7-day house-cured pastrami
- Wagyu salami
- No compromise on craft
MLK On Air
Press features, podcasts and vlogs — watch right here, no detours to YouTube.
Your Local Deli
know your regulars, bake fresh every morning
MLK was meant to be a neighbourhood sandwich shop. Sydney had other plans — people now cross the city for a Risky Brisket. But the energy hasn’t changed: treat every sandwich like it’s going to someone you love. From Surry Hills to The Rocks, that’s the whole recipe.