Delicious three-mushroom “shawarma” wraps, herby falafels, fluffy cardamom-and-cinnamon pastries and rosewater coffee – all made in-house.
When Sarah Shaweesh was a child growing up in Jordan, family gatherings over a meal were a daily occurrence.
“I come from a big Palestinian family and most of us lived in one apartment block. Every day, family members that didn’t live in the building would visit. Around 40 people came in and out over the day and there was always a meal to be had,” she tells Broadsheet.
Her aunty Hajjar was in charge of the cooking. “She’s like a machine. She always makes food in big batches and she’s very creative; she never makes the same thing in one week. She and one of my other aunties, they live together, two sisters. Aunty Wijdan helps in the kitchen and Aunty Hajjar is like the head chef.
Shaweesh brings this Palestinian tradition of feasting to her vegan Newtown cafe, Khamsa, which opened in 2019. And whether you come in a group, a pair, or alone, the spread is incredible.
The all-day menu includes plates of crunchy, compact falafels packed with green herbs; tangy fried potatoes piled with minced garlic; pots of hummus and baba ganoush; slow-cooked eggplant on maftoul (pearl couscous); and a three-mushroom “shawarma” with sumac onions and tahini. There’s a cabinet with vegan knafeh (a sweet, shredded-filo pastry usually made with cheese) and fluffy cardamom-and-cinnamon pastries. Classic brunch dishes, such as smashed avo, get a Middle Eastern spin with za’atar and pomegranate. Shaweesh says the cuisine lends itself well to veganism.
Read the article on Broadsheet.