The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Parliament on King, social-enterprise cafe

Jill Dupleix
Jill Dupleix

Sharing skills: Hani Abdile and Ravi Prasad at Parliament on King.
Sharing skills: Hani Abdile and Ravi Prasad at Parliament on King. Supplied

Somebody keeps kissing the windows of a little Newtown cafe and running away, leaving real-life emojis of crimson lipstick on the glass.

"We're happy that the cafe is kiss-worthy", says Ravi Prasad of Parliament on King. "But who kisses a cafe? And why?"

It could be any number of people. An asylum-seeker or refugee who has been through the cafe's six-week hospitality training course, perhaps. Or a local who had booked into one of the monthly Local Family Dinners ($20 for two courses) cooked by said asylum seekers and refugees. Or perhaps it's just someone who likes to sit in the cosy bohemian clutter of books, vinyl records, teapots, coffee beans, music, art and flowers, have a great coffee, and leave a visible thank you.

Troubled by Australia's treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, Ravi and Della Prasad turned the front living room of their Newtown terrace into a cafe in 2013, promising each other "let's use this space to do something to make us happy". Parliament on King is now a cafe, bookshop, events space, hospitality training centre, catering business, and home away from home for many of Sydney's asylum seekers and refugees.

Advertisement

"When you first come to Australia, you are disempowered", says Prasad, an advertising strategist in his spare time. "You have left behind your family and friends, your credentials are not recognised. You line up here, you line up there. Here, we help you do things your way. You're not a client."

So far, the cafe has trained over 250 people in barista skills, food preparation, food hygiene and service, with many going on to their first Australian jobs. "The idea is to get people work-ready," he says. "In the last two months we have paid for seven people to do their food-safety-supervisor tests."

The Local Family Dinners are another way of taking away "the otherness" of being a new arrival. "Everyone gets together to cook and serve food from their own cultures," says Prasad. "The dinners create bridges of friendship and understanding with the locals. Friendships are made."

Now Prasad sees the most potential for change in social-enterprise catering. On the day we met, he had just delivered morning tea and lunch for 200 people – all cooked in the tiny cafe kitchen – to a women's conference at Sydney's University of Technology (UTS). "The people that do the work are paid above-award wages, and share in the benefits," he says.

For catering clients, it's win/win. "You'll have something lovely to eat, while helping some lovely people feel valued and wanted, by providing real work, training and community." The food is home-style, and made from scratch, ranging from Burmese red pepper noodles to Persian rice and Sri Lankan curries.

Advertisement

Student Hani Abdile, from Kismaayo in southern Somalia, has had a busy morning making Somalian pancakes (injera) with vegetable soup, a breakfast favourite at the cafe. "It feels like you are at home, sharing what you love," she says. She turns to the espresso machine, working it like a pro. "When I tell people my story of how I came to Australia by boat, I get a lot of negative questions," she says, dusting cocoa over a cappuccino in a vintage cup. "But when I cook and share my food, it makes everything work in a good way. Food is the only thing that makes us feel united."

Parliament on King, 632 King Street, Newtown, 0414 235 325, parliamentonking.com

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Jill DupleixJill Dupleix is a Good Food contributor and reviewer who writes the Know-How column.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement