Former asylum seeker brings Flavours of Syria to St Kilda

St Kilda has a new laneway cafe, tucked behind Space2B, an art and design social enterprise that supports migrants and refugees.

It's the first Melbourne venue from asylum seeker and chef Nayran Tabiei, who fled Damascus in 2011, and was detained at Christmas Island before settling in Melbourne.

Until now, Tabiei has run a catering business under her Flavours of Syria banner, cooked meals for the needy, and hosted popular cooking classes with social enterprise Free to Feed, which offers food-related business opportunities to refugees.

"Now it's time to take my food to the wider community," she says. "Australia has opened the door to bring my culture to the people. I feel blessed to be here and so happy to cook and serve."

Flavours of Syria is a small indoor-outdoor space, with seating for 35 indoors and another 20 outside. Dog- and child-friendly laneway tables are dotted along tarmac rainbow-painted with games including hopscotch and snakes-and-ladders.

The menu reflects the food Tabiei learnt beside her grandmother. "It's starting to smell like Syria around here," she says. "My grandma always told me to put my soul into my food. When you cook with good energy, it makes the food beautiful and tasty."

Breakfast might mean hummus with lamb mince and fried almonds, served with flatbread, or a simple bowl of cream and honey.

Lunch dishes include stuffed eggplant and a light chicken and sumac wrap called mesakhan (ask for tahini to dip it into), all made in the tiny open kitchen.

There's Arabic mint tea and Melbourne coffee, too.

"I feel like my grandma is proud of me," says Tabiei.

Open Tue-Sat 8am-2pm.

Laneway, 144 Chapel Street, St Kilda, 0468 918 148, flavoursofsyria.com.au