THE SOCIAL FEED
Cooking for change is the main driver behind Kabul Social, a new casual eatery and social enterprise in Sydney’s CBD. Located within a busy corridor off Wynyard Station, the Afghan restaurant’s concept and menu is devised by a group of female refugees.
That menu sees the women sharing recipes from their homeland, adapted for an easy Sydney lunch break stop: Afghan flatbreads are cooked to order, ready to hug charcoal chicken and pickled onions or slow-cooked lamb with a green chilli chutney. Or order up aushak and mantu – South Asian dumplings, which see neat braid-like folds encase a herbaceous chive filling, or a soft lamb parcel. Both iterations come dressed liberally with a spiced lentil sauce and garlicky yoghurt. There’s also a build-your-own lunch box option, with masala-spiced fries, charred veggies and charcoal cooked meats.
Whatever meal you purchase, two meals will be donated to Afghan communities in need, the first donated through charity partner Mahboba’s Promise, which helps widows and orphans in Afghanistan. The second meal is donated through Plate It Forward, the local charity responsible for bringing the restaurant to life.
Plate It Forward was set up by Shaun Christie-David and Peter
Jones-Best, and Kabul Social is its second community-minded restaurant, joining Colombo Social in Enmore. Through its outreach work the team found a vibrant community of Afghan women. Kabul Social is the result of giving them a platform to cook, share their culture and create employment and roots in a new city.
The women all fled Afghanistan due to ongoing political unrest and the restrictions of human rights, particularly for women. Led by restaurant manager Swita, the team of strong women share their cooking, while settling into life in Australia. Yakut, dubbed the chief of bread, gets in early every morning to prove dough for flatbreads.
Sticking with the theme of giving, Kabul Social’s entire fit-out was donated by the Building Guild. Interiors are a bright Afghan blue, with tiling and dinnerware sourced with a nod to the architecture of Afghanistan. Though the quarters of Kabul Social are small, the kitchen is able to cater for offices and meetings, meaning larger groups can enjoy the feel-good feast.
Co-founder Christie-David is passionate about helping people not only through employment, but also through connection, which is sure (along with the food) to be a highlight of Kabul Social. “The thing that motivates everyone to share their authentic recipes is to showcase our similarities,” he says.
“We are more alike than we are different.”
MetCentre, 60 Margaret St, Sydney, NSW, kabulsocial.com