It wasn’t a great morning. It started as all ungreat mornings do with a 6am wake up call and a loud groan coming from me. The internet went down as it seems wont to do lately and I cursed irritatedly. I was running late so I contemplated driving into the city for a breakfast event but parking would be a bother. My stomach, awoken unexpectedly started to protest and growl in hunger as if to say “What have you done to me?”.
And then I stopped myself. I was definitely having first world problems and the irony was that I was on my way to the media launch of a pop up restaurant that was designed to address a community issue and help a sector of society: refugees. The idea of setting up a restaurant that helped train former refugees interested in entering the hospitality industry was that of 22 year old Elle Formica she was mentored by actress Mirando Otto and her entry was chosen by the public to be brought to fruition. The original idea called Room For Thought was from American Express and is part of their Realise Your Potential campaign.
The restaurant is open for a mere three days and is located in the centre of the Sydney CBD. The idea behind the location and idea was to humanise and make the refugee situation more real for the public and doing it through food which is a common interest. Apart from a community project there is a fashion project with fashion category winner Kate Applegarth and mentor Peter Alexander and music category winner Dee Dimmick paired with musician Paul Mac and each of the three winners will get the venue for a three day period. Each category mentor selected the three finalists and it was up to the public to choose the ultimate winner in each category via facebook votes.
Community mentor Miranda Otto
Fashion mentor: Peter Alexander
Music mentor: Paul Mac
The restaurant on the ground floor is a Sudanese restaurant that seats 30 people and on the top floor is a Burmese themed restaurant which seats about 20 people with the centre level being the kitchen. The two cuisines were chosen as the two countries are in the top 10 of refugees coming into Australia. Elle tells us that she researched the cuisines and visited restaurants in Sydney that specialised in these cuisines as well as soliciting input from the refugees themselves. She tells us that she liked the idea of doing this in the CBD as it would expose people to these cuisines which may be unknown to them or not available in the CBD area. They also have professional waitstaff so that diners can stop and talk to the former refugees if they want.
The Burmese themed restaurant upstairs
All of the food has a suggested donation amount so that you can pay what you feel is appropriate but even the suggested donations are a very reasonable price with a three course dinner having a suggested donation of $20 or a lunch dish for $10. The suggested donations go back to training for the refugees on location and extra RSA certifications and all gratuities are donated to the UNHCR Famine Relief. A surprising challenge according to Miranda Otto was sourcing camel meat-they wanted local but unfortunately camels are a little scarce in NSW and they had to scratch that idea. The menu is a feature too-it is printed on seeded paper, you can soak it in water until soft and then plant it in a pot or in the ground and it should germinate in 7-12 days and should grow to become a Swan River daisy. Also the placemats have a background story and photo of the staff.
Roasted peanut biscuit (Sudan); Spiced orange syrup and pistachio cakes (Sudan) and Fenugreek and currant cookies (Burma)
I had to be honest, I thought that the food would be more a secondary consideration and the experience and idea behind it was the real attraction but I was very pleasantly surprised by the food. We get to try a good range of food from the menu. We start off with some items from the breakfast and afternoon tea menu which is available from 7:30am-11:30am and 4pm-6pm. There are biscuits and sweet morsels just begging for a cup of tea and I think they’re more of morning tea items than breakfast items. The roasted peanut biscotti has a lovely flavour which I prefer to almond biscotti and would be great dipped in a cup of tea or coffee. The spiced orange syrup and pistachio cakes are moist and sweet and very moreish and the fenugreek and currant cookies from Burma look just like those currant cookies you would get in a box of assorted biscuits yet the fenugreek lends a lovely, unexpected flavour to them.
Lunch & dinner main course: Spicy goat stew with black eye beans, spinach and white rice (Sudan)
The lunch meals are served between 12pm-3pm and we start with the goat stew was slow cooked until the goat was soft and it was served with black eye beans, cashews, tomato, spinach and had a rich, robust flavour to it. It is paired with some brown rice which is sticky and wetter than I’ve had but I don’t actually mind it with the stew.
Lunch & dinner main course: Steamed fish fillets with coconut, tamarind and peanuts (Burma)
We all loved the steamed sustainably farmed barramundi fillets from the Northern Territory, partly wrapped in a banana leaf and filled with a fine filling with coconut, tamarind and peanuts to give it a robustness and flavour. The fish is nicely cooked and still retains a moistness inside.
Dinner menu starters: Ful (Sudan)
For the dinner courses we start with the Ful dip which is made up of mashed fava beans, garlic, tomato and green onions and light cubes of feta and is a very nicely balanced dip that I could easily finish all by myself. It is served with the flatbread along with some of the pretty stamens from the banana flower.
Dinner menu starters: Selection of three dips with flat bread (Sudan)
I realise how little I know about Sudanese cuisine and how accessible and close to what we eat nowadays it is. There are three dips, a sweet pumpkin and peanut dip which is sweet and smooth, an eggplant and yogurt dip which is also delicious and a cucumber and yogurt dip served in the banana leaf. They’re all served with a buttery, pan fried, layered flat bread similar to a thicker version of a roti.
Dinner menu starters: Sudanese beef koftas with spiced yogurt
I must admit I wasn’t quite as taken with these as I was the other dishes as they were a touch dry.
Dinner menu starters: Spicy shredded Burmese vegetable salad with ocean prawns
We try the peanutty salad of green papaya and mango flavoured with kaffir lime leaves and chilli with large plump and succulent prawns and served on a banana leaf with a banana flower petal. The serve is a good size especially for a starter and we are told that these are slightly smaller sizes than what would normally be served.
Dinner main course: Grilled spiced chicken served with okra, tomato and brown lentils (Sudan)
We were warned that this was spicy but I didn’t find it spicy really (and neither did Peter Alexander who was sitting at our table and can’t eat spicy food). The chicken was tender and juicy and served with chickpeas, tomato, brown lentils and okra and was also a crowd pleasing dish.
Lunch & Dinner main course: Sour tamarind vegetable curry with tofu and candlenuts (Burma)
The last main is a vegetarian dish highlighted with tangy sour tamarind but still balanced enough with other flavours and it is filled with vegetables like carrot, beans, potato and small cubes of fried tofu which soak up the curry sauce.
Dessert: Black sticky rice with mango salad and toasted coconut ice cream (Burma) in foreground, Crema Caramela (Sudan) in background
The black sticky rice is always a favourite of mine and here it is served with a sliced mango cheek salad and a toasted coconut ice cream. The crema caramela is inspired by a similar Sudanese dessert and has a nice creamy and jellied texture with a caramel layer of syrup.
We make our way up to the kitchen but they’re at the end of the service. Interestingly many of the refugees are in waitress roles and Elle tells me that is because they chose those roles as they prefer to be on the floor and it improves their communication skills.
I sit down and talk to our waitress Marlin who hails from Sudan and is 19 years old. She tells me that her journey as a refugee started when she was 10 years old and as a result she has very few memories of Sudan. She arrived here 5 years ago in 2006 after living and waiting in Egypt for four years. They had originally gone to Egypt in the hopes for a better and safer life but found that the conditions there were similar to that of Sudan. A family friend in Australia sponsored them and it took about four years of waiting for them to become approved to live in Australia which is where she says that she found better life, education and health. She has seven sisters and brothers and she and three siblings live here with her parents while the other live in areas as scattered as the United States, Uganda, Holland and Egypt; as they were 18 at the time they didn’t come over on the same refugee status.
Another Sudanese waitress
She along with the ten refugee workers were selected from the Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre. Here she learns training like how to talk to customers, clean really well, hold a plate and about personal hygiene but she is currently studying Business Admin Certificate 3 and her ultimate dream job is to be a bank manager “or something bigger than that.” And what does she think of the food? Well she says that it is authentic and exactly what they would have at home.
Elle Formica (left) and Miranda Otto (right)
Elle’s idea for the restaurant was conceived and formulated for the competition and tells me that she was inspired by the Melbourne based firm Social Studio who provide training for refugees. She was also influenced by the SBS series Go Back To Where you Came From which she felt humanised the refugee situation and she used food as it is a universal language. “Refugees because of their background find it hard to get jobs and face discrimination…when talk becomes a generalisation that becomes a problem”and she wants to celebrate rather than criticise what refugees bring to the country. Her aim with the additional $10,000 grant given to her as a surprise by American Express is to continue her social enterprise work by pairing with celebrity chefs and established restaurants and setting up special dinners on nights when the restaurant is closed. The only shame of course being that this restaurant is only open for three days!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have any friends, family or colleagues who are refugees? And what do you think of the idea of this restaurant?
The Drummer Restaurant
72 Erksine Street, Sydney CBD, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 8333 0010 (booking recommended although spaces are held for walk-ins)
Open Wednesday 14th September to Friday the 16th of September from 8am-10pm
Check in on facebook to get a complimentary dessert
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54 Comments | Add your own
Interesting initiative. Some of the cuisines are relatively unknown and through food they will perhaps get more recognition and acceptance. At the very least it has provided training and employment. I have never heard of this before. I would go if one was near
I read about this restaurant yesterday in SMH, I’m so glad that you did a story about it. My grandfather first came to Australia in the 1950s as a refugee, so I am certainly sympathetic to their plight. I think this restaurant is a great idea. It would be a great thing if there was something like this that had a more permanent focus too. I guess similar to the “15″ project for troubled youths, something to give refugees a leg up with some practical work experience in the food industry. Great idea!
what a unique concept indeed!
I thin this restaurant is a fab idea – just a shame that it is open for such a short period. The food looks devine!
What a fantastic concept – one that sounds as though it would be good to keep going if the funding was available! Introducing people to new cuisine while training people who may not otherwise get the opportunity can only be a great thing…can’t it?
Your feast looks amazing, I’d love to try some of those dishes!
We should have more competitions like this to inspire such great ideas. I agree that 3 days for the restaurant is too short a time. 3 weeks would surely be more beneficial and highlight the cause more for all those involved! What a great story for this morning, I woke up as Mrs Crabby pants today and that has really cheered me up. Thanks NQN!
Great idea. I love how food can be a joy from a culture that has experienced so little joy for years.
What a brilliant idea! Pity it’s only open for three days, but perhaps this will lead to a more permanent venture? The food looks gorgeous and the people even more so. Thank you for telling us about this Lorraine:-)
The salad and the dips platter look fantastic, but there’s one thing I cannot get over! The third photo of the three women sitting on those bulbous stools?
I CANNOT stop thinking they look like those big desert (red) ants with three parts to their body! I know that doesn’t really make sense, but I see it…
What a great concept – food really is one sure way to bring people together, isn’t it?
Wow. The food looks delicious! I can’t wait to check it out!
I love the concept for this restaurant. I realized that I don’t know much about Sudanese food either, in spite of having spent a lot of time in East Africa (Kenya). Those dips look wonderful and remind me of the wonderful mezze of the Middle East and neighboring countries. And the banana flower…wow.
A very interesting story. Food looks varied. Not sure I would have ordered ‘NSW Camel’ if it was on the menu!
Great initiative and the name really gives a good vibe. The food looks good too.
Oh a friend and I are going here for lunch on Friday after hearing about it a few days ago. I think its such a great idea and hopefully will raise more awareness about the issue.
This restaurant is a brilliant idea and well implemented. It also shows the warmth of the Australian people by supporting such fare. Good food and friendly service is always paramount – good luck for this endeavour to all concerned
x
i don’t know any refugees. maybe i did. i am not sure and felt that it would be insulting to ask.
the idea is good and i think it will receive a lot of support, considering the recent issue about it with msia….
I read about this last week and a few of us from the office are booked in for lunch on Friday!
The food looks really wonderful, and I love the concept
I could not have opened my email box to a more worthwhile blog
! Absolutely wonderful. I know little about Sudanese cuisine, but cook a lot of Burmese myself and find it very sophisticatedand interesting. NOW: camel is freely available in Australia: go to http://www.ozcamel.com.au or contact Hugh Foster thru’ his Moroccan restaurant in Sydney [he's on fb]: he was going to order if prices were right. Refugees: well, I am one well and truly myself and so are about 7 out of 10 of my friends. Hence my thrill at seeing what is being done.
What a great idea. The food looks good too.
Good for American Express! More businesses who are making the big dollars should be putting money back into socially conscious initiatives! I have friends who are refugees and friends who work with refugees here and overseas. The situation for refugees is often so desperate most people can’t bear to even think about it for too long. But we can all help. It is a small thing to welcome refugees in our own community and if food can bridge that gap – I say feast!
Lorraine, as I go off for a short break, this blog has been up on my Wall for 17 mins – the ‘ticks’ are coming in already! Am thrilled!!
!
i booked in 8 friends for lunch today so very timely post to read! looking forward to it.
When I first read about the concept I thought it was quite interesting. I’m not going, but was curious as to what it would be like, thanks for sharing.
What s great idea. Will definitely have to check it out.
I was just reading this is SMH, it’s such a beautiful idea. Would love to go soon.
Great concept, heard about it last night and I was very impressed. I wish it was coming to Brisbane!
Such a shame this restaurant isn’t open for good – I would love to see this sort of thing helping our refugees and homeless get back on their feet.
It’s such a wonderful idea – and the food looks fabulous!
To any Melbournians interested in supporting a similar initiative I highly recommend checking out Scarf:
http://scarfcommunity.org/
What a unique restaurant indeed, a fabulous idea. I volunteer in Thailand near the burma border – loads of refugees there. So yes, I do have loved ones who are refugees. This is fabulous. A great way to introduce cuisine to the CBD too.
Heidi xo
Brilliant concept, hope it opens up more opportunities for similar causes!
I’ve read about about this initiative and it sounds great. Wish I was in the city as I LOVE African food (never had Burmese tho so could kill two foodie birds with one stone).
What a wonderful concept to teach such useful skills to those who have already been through so much and are trying to forge a brighter future. I applaud what Miranda Otto and her colleagues are doing.
This is a great initiative for these young people to learn new skills and contribute to the dining scene of Sydney. Pity the beef koftas were dry but the Burmese salad with prawns looks good.
What a great idea, but a shame it’s open for such a short time. We have a lot of Sudanese refugees in our area, and have become friends with some through my daughter. I think as cooking and eating is so fundamental to all cultures, it’s a great way to bring us all together.
A fascinating concept! I really enjoyed reading this post, and I’m thrilled you actually sat down with the waitresses and got some of their history off them!
In terms of the food, the dips looked great! I think we will be seeing more Sudanese and Burmese food in Australia in the near future, which I am sure our culture will welcome with open arms! How exciting
Fantastic food and atmosphere, really enjoyed lunch there today
What a wonderful post to highlight the refugee situation. I would love to try some Sudanese food, it all looks amazing!
What a fantastic story and a brilliant idea to raise awareness of the issue that has been dominating our press for sometime. As a side note, we have some excellent African/Sudanese restaurants here in Melbourne. If you’re in town, I’d be more than happy to take you to a few.
I have a Vietnamese foster sister who is part of our family, ever since coming here as a twenty year old refugee in the early 80′s. Like so many refugees her family members were separated and she alone was sent to Australia. What a harrowing time it must have been for her to be in another country with a culture so different from her own and not having any family support. She crossed paths with my mum who was working at an Adult Education Centre which held English classes for refugees and as it was close to Christmas, my mum invited her to our home to celebrate. We welcomed her and the rest is history.
This is such a great cause and I truly admire Elle Formica as young as she is to come up with such an inspiring concept. I agree that it should run for longer than 3 days , perhaps if enough people support The Drummer, it will. Also very impressive to see celebrities showing support!
A very culturally sensitive approach to issues facing refugees and the need to be embraced by communities.
Introducing the cuisine of their countries in a formal setting opens up opportunities for the broader community to engage with their culture and assists with intergration.
Does that woman with the microphone ever change the expression on her face?
I love peanuts, Lorraine, but I don’t like them in my food. Do you really prefer the peanut to the almond biscotti? Peanuts are yum in cookies, so I might want to try that.
This is just inspired – kudos to all involved, especially Elle. I love all elements, and the pick of location is excellent.
How is it that Miranda Otto can look as gorgeous as ever in a plain old restaurant? Sigh.
I read about this restaurant in the paper as well, lovely review, thank you! Sounds like a very worthwhile event!
What a shame it is only open for three days, but this idea is a winner and I love it. How nice that you got to experience it
What a wonderful concept. I love the fit-out of the restaurant and all the bamboo plates.
That looks like just the sort of food I like too, it looks fantastic.
How happy do they look? It’s wonderful to see and I love this idea. My only wish is that it is done on a more permanent basis and across the whole of Australia. We need to be more compassionate and educate people that their’s is a struggle that is so heartbreaking and to see them finally reach a country that offers them freedom, education, employment, rights and happiness is truly heart warming. Goodluck to all who are trying to settle in a good country – I feel for them whether I know someone who is or isn’t a refugee. I applaud Elle and the organisers for such a brilliant idea.
I love this idea! Hope I can check it out before tomorrow. Hopefully it can start a trend of similar projects. Love that Sydney is really getting behind it.
My background is Egyptian and Sudanese food is so similar. It was really interesting reading this post and seeing the Sudanese dishes they have available.
A wonderful way to highlight the plight of refugees and the positive ways their skills and culture can enhance all our lives. Well done to the chefs who worked so hard behind the scenes for long hours to make this event happen!
Hey everyone! Thankyou for all the beautiful, positive feedback! Please come introduce yourself if you see me in the restaraunt! We’ve had such a brilliant reaction & the atmosphere is so happy! I will def be pursuing this as a social enterprise so please add me on facebook (search for ‘Elle Formica’) or joinhttp://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150289658552063&id=704212062&ref=notif¬if_t=place_checkin_comment#!/event.php?eid=102458216519322 this page to keep informed!
What a brilliant initiative! Well done Elle on your inspiring win. My Aunt did a lot of work with refugees when I was growing up & my sister & I often played with the kids and gave them books etc. I think it was great being exposed to their situations at a young age and having the opportunity to assist in a minor way to help them settle into society.
this is absolutely amazing! love the menu idea!
How fantastic. A food blog that is not only fun, and very informative, but also gives back. I hope the publicity they get from SMH and NQN allows this initiative a long term future.
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