Latest news with #RahafAlKhatib

The Age
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
The hot new Melbourne restaurant where pasta starts at $6
The biggest 'why not?' is this. If you think dining out should be accessible to those without a hundred bucks or more to drop on dinner, why not create a restaurant that finds a happy meeting place between money and mouth? And the cool thing about cheap places is that cashed-up patrons will often get a bottle of wine rather than two glasses, order a round of peach cheesecake for the table and keep the wheels humming, while those on a tight budget can be here too. Three more excellent-value places to try Jay Bhavani This is the first Melbourne branch of a vegetarian Indian street-food chain with nearly 200 branches around the world. Start with panipuri, fragile dough balls stuffed with spiced potato; it's $10 for 15 tasty bite-sized spheres. 401 Clayton Road, Clayton, Beit Siti Falastini Food Truck now has a permanent cafe home, sharing Palestinian food and culture, inspired by owner Rahaf Al Khatib's teta (grandmother) Jamal. On Mondays and Tuesdays, laptops are encouraged (there's Wi-Fi) to accompany bottomless batch brew coffee and a slice of focaccia for $10. 150 Bell Street, Coburg, Blackwood Hotel An hour north-west of Melbourne, this 1868 weatherboard pub has been given a sensitive refurb by new owners. Prices are keen, and the pub classics are all there, plus a lamb shoulder that reflects the chef's Greek heritage and roasted cauliflower with cashew cream. Kids schnitzels or lasagne are $14.

Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The hot new Melbourne restaurant where pasta starts at $6
The biggest 'why not?' is this. If you think dining out should be accessible to those without a hundred bucks or more to drop on dinner, why not create a restaurant that finds a happy meeting place between money and mouth? And the cool thing about cheap places is that cashed-up patrons will often get a bottle of wine rather than two glasses, order a round of peach cheesecake for the table and keep the wheels humming, while those on a tight budget can be here too. Three more excellent-value places to try Jay Bhavani This is the first Melbourne branch of a vegetarian Indian street-food chain with nearly 200 branches around the world. Start with panipuri, fragile dough balls stuffed with spiced potato; it's $10 for 15 tasty bite-sized spheres. 401 Clayton Road, Clayton, Beit Siti Falastini Food Truck now has a permanent cafe home, sharing Palestinian food and culture, inspired by owner Rahaf Al Khatib's teta (grandmother) Jamal. On Mondays and Tuesdays, laptops are encouraged (there's Wi-Fi) to accompany bottomless batch brew coffee and a slice of focaccia for $10. 150 Bell Street, Coburg, Blackwood Hotel An hour north-west of Melbourne, this 1868 weatherboard pub has been given a sensitive refurb by new owners. Prices are keen, and the pub classics are all there, plus a lamb shoulder that reflects the chef's Greek heritage and roasted cauliflower with cashew cream. Kids schnitzels or lasagne are $14.

Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Three family-run Middle Eastern restaurants with soul in spades
Whether it's because of trouble elsewhere in the world or a desire for homely hangouts when times are tough, Melbourne's seeing a fresh wave of family-run establishments opening their doors. There's the homely cafe honouring a grandmother's legacy with cafe riffs on Palestinian dishes, a trio of co-joined Syrian eateries now bigger and better after a fire, and the friends who have teamed up to share little-seen dishes from their homeland, Egypt. Beit Siti Rahaf Al Khatib channels Palestinian recipes from her mother and grandmother at Beit Siti ('grandmother's home'), her new venue in Coburg. Following on from her Falastini food truck, this cafe and cultural centre exudes home-style warmth with family photos and Al Khatib's own house plants. Fresh baked goods with Palestinian twists include musakhan focaccia with confit onion, almonds, sumac and cauliflower; a Danish filled with strawberry, pomegranate and dill jam, and house-made labneh; and a zaatar croissant with pickled chilli and baladiyeh, a firm 'village cheese'. There are also grab-and-go sandwiches such as chicken mortadella with smoked pepper spread, spinach and labneh.

The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Three family-run Middle Eastern restaurants with soul in spades
Whether it's because of trouble elsewhere in the world or a desire for homely hangouts when times are tough, Melbourne's seeing a fresh wave of family-run establishments opening their doors. There's the homely cafe honouring a grandmother's legacy with cafe riffs on Palestinian dishes, a trio of co-joined Syrian eateries now bigger and better after a fire, and the friends who have teamed up to share little-seen dishes from their homeland, Egypt. Beit Siti Rahaf Al Khatib channels Palestinian recipes from her mother and grandmother at Beit Siti ('grandmother's home'), her new venue in Coburg. Following on from her Falastini food truck, this cafe and cultural centre exudes home-style warmth with family photos and Al Khatib's own house plants. Fresh baked goods with Palestinian twists include musakhan focaccia with confit onion, almonds, sumac and cauliflower; a Danish filled with strawberry, pomegranate and dill jam, and house-made labneh; and a zaatar croissant with pickled chilli and baladiyeh, a firm 'village cheese'. There are also grab-and-go sandwiches such as chicken mortadella with smoked pepper spread, spinach and labneh.