A. In the lead up to opening Bar Saracen in 2018, I traveled to Lebanon and became obsessed with hummus. Hummus was something I grew up eating lots of, especially when my grandfather, Zareh, would make it fresh. But the hummus I was eating in Lebanon was something else. It was texturally phenomenal and the flavours were so beautifully balanced. It was also the first time seeing plates of hummus topped with lamb cooked with spices and nuts fried in butter. This was next level hummus and I was inspired. Then I ate hummus bi awarma. Awarma is lamb slowly cooked in lamb fat until it melts in your mouth. Now I was on a mission. I decided I’d work on making my hummus as smooth, creamy and delicious as possible using the best quality ingredients and a brand new, strong blender. It took me years to perfect, and I would change the toppings seasonally from lamb to pumpkin to calamari, all with the same flavours and characteristics of the authentic hummus bi awarma. But one summer I created the sauce with the most amazing king prawns and spanner crab, a combination inspired by my apprenticeship at the Stokehouse in St. Kilda, and it was the one. It became my most popular dish. I really love everything about it, and I still love cooking it all these years later, not just in restaurants but for special occasions celebrating with family too, it’s often my Christmas lunch go-to dish.

A. My favourite food memories are at my grandparents home in Mulgrave. In an old school classic style they would dress and set the dining table so beautifully, just like at an old fashioned French restaurant. It always felt very special eating there. Birthdays and Easter and Christmas time were always really special meals. The whole family gathered around this beautiful table covered with so many incredible mezze dishes, grandpa bring out more warm dishes until we couldn’t possibly eat anything more, then the main course would come out and we’d all freak out!