Joseph Abboud has been cooking his take on modern Middle Eastern food at Rumi, his restaurant in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs, since 2006. The vibe is chill, the rules are broken, the food is generous, the cauliflower is burnt, and the locals are lucky. Joe earnt his stripes in modern European kitchens but made the jump to the cuisine of his Lebanese heritage after identifying an opportunity to explore new ways to frame Middle Eastern food; combining both the flavours he knew innately through his childhood and expressions of his own experiences. He took a punt that Melbourne was ready for shared plates, real charcoal barbecues, tahini sauces, Arabic coffee, and the honest Abboud hospitality his beloved restaurant is now known for. Turns out he was right.