Mariam Rehman opened Habibi Chicken with her brother Farhan Rehman in their home town Wagga Wagga in September 2022. They’ve now opened their second shop – this time in Preston. It’s a big move, but they’re determined to bring the same tight-knit, community energy from Wagga Wagga to Melbourne.

They’re joined by Lebanese chef Mohamad El Halwani, a fellow Wagga Wagga local who helped perfect the shop’s charcoal chicken. “Lebanese charcoal chicken has a rich, smoky flavour with a delicious balance of spices and a slight tanginess,” says Mariam. A “little sour kick, usually from fresh lemon juice, brightens the smoky depth of the chicken … and slight charring on the skin adds a hint of bitterness that perfectly contrasts with the juicy, well-seasoned meat.”

Each bird is marinated for 24 hours in a secret blend that includes garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander and paprika. It’s then slow-cooked over a charcoal rotisserie. You can order the chicken whole, half or quartered with accompaniments like Lebanese flatbread, pickles, salad, chips and sauces like toum or chilli garlic, or rolled into wraps.

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Mariam’s favourite, the Habibi wrap, pairs chicken, pickles and the shop’s signature garlic and herb sauce. She’s also partial to Blame the Flame, a slaw- and chip-stuffed, chilli-brushed, toasted-to-order wrap that nods to old-school Aussie chicken shops. “You get those Lebanese flavours but it’s also a nice take on traditional Australian wraps,” she says.

Fried chicken comes in snack boxes, wraps and burgers, and as part of the Wagga Roll, with cheddar, lettuce and tomato. All house sauces and seasonings, several of which you can buy to take home, are made in the brand’s home town.

“Our big aim is to grow the region from a local economy perspective,” Mariam explains. “We opened up a warehouse [in Wagga Wagga] where we could employ more people … all of our sauces and marinades are from Wagga.”

Community-building and social enterprise run deep at Habibi Chicken. The restaurant offers pay-it-forward programs throughout the year and is awaiting results on a regional innovation grant that would allow it to produce its own charcoal from olive tree branches.

“It’s not enough to just have a good product,” Mariam says. “It’s our obligation to provide value to the communities that we run in. You need to serve your people in ways further than food.”

Habibi Chicken
1/9 High Street, Preston
1300 421 574

Hours:
Mon to Sun 9am–10pm

habibichicken.bitebusiness.com