SHEBEEN BAR — s a n d y h o

I started working at Shebeen Bar in July 2013 where I headed the kitchen for 2 years. I remember I was wide-eyed and eager to challenge myself to run a kitchen and develop a menu I believed in.

There was so much at the time that I thought I already knew and equally so much that I was persistent on learning. Shebeen quickly became testing grounds for me to understand more about the kitchen as a ‘business’ and how I could apply love and history within that space. The first dish that I proudly made for owner Simon Griffiths (Who Gives a Crap) jolted the response ‘That’s killer’.

It was a dish my mum would make at home occasionally on weekends. Vietnamese Pork meatballs with a quick cucumber pickle- I paired this family favourite with handmade chipotle aioli and wedged it in a brioche slider bun. You won’t be able to find it there anymore but it’s a dish I love to make from time to time. I went on to make staff favourites Smoked tofu and Miso eggplant Banh Mi and also the Black Bean Noodle Salad which has been noted as on of 11 of the Best Salads in Melbourne. (http://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/11-best-salads-melbourne) And again in 2015 as Healthy Cheap Eat Melbourne (http://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/melbournes-top-11-healthy-lunch-cheap-eats).

My time at Shebeen definitely developed me as a cook, it drove my passion and curiosity for good food and it was where I found my place in the kitchen.