New Somali Kitchen

1988 was a big year for Abdo Sean. He migrated from Somalia to Australia, shortly after the initial fighting that led to the country’s civil war began. And it’s when he started learning to cook Somali food – in a refugee camp in Melbourne, watching women make traditional dishes. After he left the camp, he started cooking for family and friends and eventually opened New Somali Kitchen, where he now shares his culture with the wider community.

Sean’s dishes are rich with cardamom, ginger, cumin, onion and garlic. Roasted meats like chicken, lamb and goat are always accompanied by fragrant rice. NSK crowd-pleasers include the bajeya, a Somali falafel made from black-eyed beans. And succulent slow-cooked lamb, served with rice, seasonal vegetables and leafy greens. The non-alcoholic drinks list includes the staple Somali tea – a sweet black tea with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves – infused at a high temperature for hours.

The venue’s textured, industrial walls are decorated with colourful artwork symbolising life in Somalia. The resilience of community and culture is infused into every part of this humble, heartwarming venue.