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Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches

Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Where Chefs Eat: Warisan’s Alfan Musthafa Says These Are Brisbane’s Best Sandwiches
Sunnyside Sandwiches·Photo: Courtesy of Sunnyside Sandwiches
Plus, the one Brisbane street where you could spend a whole vacation, an island restaurant he can't wait to go to, and why he still uses his mum’s beef rendang recipe.

· Updated on 17 Aug 2026 · Published on 16 Aug 2026

Since arriving in Brisbane a decade ago, Indonesian chef Alfan “Alfie” Musthafa has had a big impact on the city’s Southeast Asian food scene. He helmed the kitchen at Luckies and Pawpaw, and helped found South Brisbane’s Ma Pa Me – a homage to his grandparents’ farm in West Java, where he learnt to cook – before opening Warisan in 2024, an exploration of regional Indonesian cuisine.

Now, he’s dipping into homestyle Burmese cooking at Sorai, his new restaurant in Carina. The venture was inspired by a visit to the Global Food Markets in Woodridge with his Myanmar-born sous-chef Laga “Bosco” Htoi. “He took me to the markets and introduced me to Burmese food at his auntie’s stall,” Musthafa told us in July. “I thought, ‘This is so good, why are there no Burmese restaurants in Brisbane?’” The pair teamed up with Htoi’s friends Min Hein Kyaw and Su Sabai Zaw to address the deficit, landing on a modern Southeast Asian menu that’s about 50 per cent Burmese.

We asked the prolific chef and restaurateur for his latest Brisbane dining picks, plus tips for cooking at home.

Your favourite dish at Warisan

“My all-time favourite dish on the menu is the Rendang Mamah Uun. It is my mum’s beef rendang recipe. It’s not just a delicious dish, but it has an emotional story behind it too: the memories of her, the love she puts into it when she cooks, and the effort she made to create such amazing food for her family. All of these reasons add value to the dish. It’s not just a dish, it’s a story I want to share with our customers.”

The best thing you’ve eaten in Brisbane this year (so far)

“The newly opened Sunny Side Sandwiches in East Brisbane. I went there a couple of months ago, and their Spicy Schnitty sandwich is so good. Now I know why they are always busy – their sandwiches are the best in Brisbane.”

Special-occasion restaurant

“Hellenika at The Calile is the place for a special occasion. Not only is the food amazing, but the vibe, the service and everything is topnotch.”

Bucket-list restaurant

“The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania. They have their own garden where they produce ingredients for their menu. Their sustainability system is beyond everything.”

Best banh mi

“Anna’s Banh Mi Co in West End. The chicken banh mi is out of the world.”

A hidden gem you think deserves more hype

“Pho An Skylark in Inala. The best pho I’ve eaten in Brisbane.”

Best pizza

“I would say Superfly Pizza in Woolloongabba.”

A chef friend is visiting from out of town –  where do you send them?

“James Street, 100 per cent. Steak restaurants (Fatcow), Thai food (Same Same), coffee and breakfast spots (Emme), Italian restaurants (Gemelli) – they’re all on the one strip. But this is not only about the food. The hotels, boutiques, retail shops and lifestyle are what Brisbane is proud of.”

Your favourite kitchen utensil

“Tongs. They make me feel like I’m a superman – I can do anything with them. I can pick something stuck in the deep-fryer, flip steak on a flaming grill, or even stir a boiling stockpot without burning my hand. We use different tongs for each purpose; I have more than seven pairs hanging around in my kitchen.”

Your favourite kitchen appliance

“Air-fryer, definitely. Very convenient. You can fry, bake, braise, confit and more with only one appliance.”

About the author

Annie Toller is an editor and arts writer, and former branded content editor and chief subeditor at Broadsheet.

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