A Lebanese Breakfast Feast with Gourmet Food Safaris
If I had to choose only one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be Lebanese. Needless to say, I take it pretty seriously. Thankfully, given that the Lebanese community has been a vibrant and integral part of the city’s multicultural fabric for generations, Sydney has some stellar options – I count Jbeil in Kareela, Yalla Sawa in Cronulla and upmarket NOUR in Surry Hills amongst my (long) list of favourites.
But if you want to take a deep dive into the flavours and history of Lebanese cooking, Gourmet Food Safaris’ Lebanese Breakfast at Al Aseel, in the multicultural hub of Greenacre, is a must.
Guided by the bubbly and energetic Judy Saba, the experience felt like being welcomed into her own home. A diversity trainer, speaker, cross-cultural psychologist and self-professed foodie, Judy’s passion for her heritage is inspiring, and as we make our way through the seven-course menu, she treats us to personal anecdotes surrounding each dish, with the help of chef and close friend Yola.
Just a few dishes in, we can already feel ourselves getting full. Judy tells us that this is to be expected. Lebanese meals were traditionally hearty (“like cement in the stomach,” she laughs) and extremely nutrient-dense, since they were often the only meal of the day. We learn that Lebanon produces some of the world’s best olive oil, with the correct amount to drizzle on any meal being “shitloads”. Lebanese red wine is so revered too, that even amid the Lebanese Civil War, fighters on both sides of the conflict would lay down their weapons when it was time to harvest the grapes – such was the honour and respect everyone held for these ancient vines.
To end the meal, Lebanese coffee is essential, and again Judy is ready with a story. She shares the remarkable tale of her grandmother’s journey from Beirut to Sydney in the 1950s, her 60 kilogram mortar and pestle and favourite coffee grinder in tow (precious heirlooms that Judy keeps as vivid reminders of her family’s legacy). During this three-month voyage, her grandmother would make coffee for herself every day over a tiny Bunsen burner – by the time they arrived in Australia, she was brewing giant vats of it for everyone on board, her generosity already uniting strangers.
After Yola’s dishes had filled our stomachs, and Judy’s tales had filled our heads and hearts, we drifted over to Abu Salim Supermarket to pick up ingredients. Essentials on my list? A full kilo of Lebanese tahini and a selection of traditional spices.
This Safari felt like joining a family table - intimate, rich and unforgettable - and I’m always so thrilled to visit spaces like this where food traditions continue to thrive and evolve, bringing a deep sense of hospitality to the city.