New Hire: Chef Frankie Hadid Is Behind One of Melbourne’s Coolest New Restaurants

Chef Frankie Hadid’s first job was working at their dad’s shawarma shop in Venezuela at 14. “I had a really hard time at school, and I really looked forward to my days at the shop. I loved staying out till late and being amongst the street crowd. I fell in love with serving all kinds of people, connecting with folks in that setting,” they tell Broadsheet.

“My parents worked hard to keep me out of trouble and encouraged me to pursue what they, as Syrian migrants in Venezuela, thought was better than working in a kitchen.” Hadid moved to Australia to get a degree in business and worked casual kitchen jobs while studying.

Earlier this month, in their new role as head chef at Jamsheed Urban Winery – a cellar door in Preston founded by winemakers Elika Rowell and Gary Mills in 2019 – Hadid launched Clara Luna at Jamsheed. The restaurant, named for the venue their chef mum ran in Venezuela, has become one of the hottest places to eat in Melbourne right now thanks to dishes that draw on Hadid’s background, including arepas with salsa verde, and deep-fried fish wings with tahini.

We caught up with Hadid to learn more about their culinary journey and what they have in store for Clara Luna at Jamsheeed.

How did you get into the hospitality industry as an adult?
For years [after my business degree] I focused on working with children and learnt some valuable lessons from that time that inform the way I try to be in the kitchen. It wasn’t until 2020 that I felt inspired to cook again. I wanted to carry on my family tradition and honour our role as recipe-keepers. There is so much love and culture in what we do.

I took time during lockdown to cook and grieve from afar the loss of my sister. I asked my mum a lot of questions on Whatsapp and listened to countless voice messages from her walking me through recipes. In 2022, I put myself out there and asked my friends to sign up to receive weekly meals during the month of Ramadan. It was paid on a sliding scale system and aimed at young Muslims fasting.

I was very lucky my friend Boris Portnoy let me use the kitchen at Gray and Gray Bread and Wine to do my prep. I loved being there and, shortly after, he offered me a job and I had my start with excellent chefs at both [Pornoy’s], All Are Welcome and Gray and Gray Bread and Wine, where I trained for the past three years. I also had a brief stint last summer at Manze.

Talk about the kitchen set up at Jamsheed. How does it affect your creativity?
No gas, one charcoal grill, a fryer and the heart of the kitchen – the woodfired oven. My menu right now is centred around the fire, it’s been so interesting to see how, from the first service to now – four weeks in – every dish has been slowly moving towards the oven.

Is there a dish you’re particularly excited for people to try?
Pippies and chippies with a woodfired pineapple and green chilli sauce. Pineapples and chillies get cooked for a couple of hours in the woodfired oven as it heats up early in the morning. Pippies are cooked-to-order at about 300 degrees in the oven and served with the sauce over chippies. It’s inspired by a popular Venezuelan beach snack called chipi chipi, which is a hot soup for hot beach days.

I also want people to treat themselves to a fruit plate to graze on throughout their meal. It’s something I grew up with and I want everyone to share it. I think most migrant kids share that experience – fruit always reminds us there’s another place we call home. A moment during a busy service where I stop and cut fruit for you is also my mindfulness minute.

What is inspiring you in the kitchen right now?
The woodfired oven, the ritual of lighting it up and feeding it throughout the day. It’s very grounding, you gotta be minding it. I find myself thinking about it on my days off.

Do you have a favourite wine and dish pairing?
The 2023 Apricity Vermentino is so good with the pippies and chippies, the fish wings and the ceviche. There’s a pine kernel or almond nut texture that carries through the fishy oils and the slatey citrus acidity carries the aromas to another level. It’s also super yum by itself, while you’re chilling on the couch or at a party with your friends! I love the meaning of the word “apricity”: it means the warmth of the sun on a winter’s day.

Another excellent one is Flor de Corazón, a table red you can take to a dinner party without breaking the bank, when you’re not sure if people want to get nerdy or just smash a glass of wine! It’s super easy drinking but if you want to look deep there are lots of layers and complexity. It’s delish with the lamb shish and anything with the current woodfired tomatoes on the menu.

Who has influenced your career?
Ngoc Tran from Shop Bao Ngoc. She really encouraged me to do my thing and show folks what I do. We have a never-ending conversation about the power of cooking as a form of social, spiritual and political practice, outside of the transactional nature of the industry. Every time we talk, I am reminded that my family has served people for over 27 years, they cook for weddings, graduations, quinceañeras, funerals, fundraisers. I see a lot of similarities between Ngoc and my mum – what they do is far more interesting and inspiring than what the industry celebrates.

What do you hope to bring to the team at Jamsheed?
An endless supply of fruit. And honestly, I’m hoping to give back the support I’ve received over the past few weeks.