Kirsty Chiaplias has brought her popular Carlton North eatery Babajan to the city. The Middle Eastern cafe is known for its house-made borek and simit breads, vibrant jewel salads, loaded sandwiches and fragrant cakes.

Far from being just a carbon copy, Chiaplias has tailored the offering to its new audience.

“Sandwiches in the city, it’s just a no-brainer,” she says. “But I didn’t want to do exactly the same sandwiches as at Nicholson St, so we’re using products that we have in-house, like we use a lot of simit, Turkish bread, and we thought let’s create a stuffing, and roast a chook, season it up, use preserved lemons, and zaatar.” While there are many layers to the Babajan chook sandwich, from pine nuts to a stuffing packed with onion, garlic, spices, and oregano, Chiaplias says it’s “simple but it’s just yum”.

Also tipped, the confit ocean trout sandwich, which is marinated in ground mustard seeds, curry powder and saffron, and served with an aromatic zhoug dressing. ”You’ve got the beautiful fish, pickled cucumbers, zhoug dressing, and good bread,” says Chiaplias. Another no-brainer?

Related story: Babajan, Melbourne – putting Carlton on the culinary map 

Swing by in the morning and you’ll be able to grab espresso coffee, as well as to-go breakfast items, from sweet and savoury pastries to the house specialty – poached seasonal fruit with yoghurt and granola.

Plus, city workers can pick up a few grocery items for later. Floor-to-ceiling bakery shelves are filled with spices and delicacies, including Babajan’s much loved eggplant aleppo, harissa, baharat and sumac, as well as freshly made dips.

As to whether we can expect to see a return to a dine-in Babajan anytime soon, Chiaplias says, “I think that will happen. I couldn’t say when because there’s such an unknown to bringing hospitality people back that want to be in the industry who you can build a team around. I think it would take a couple of years for me to do that, but I feel like it would happen. And it would be a bigger version of Nicholson St with everything in it: all the retail, it would have the big counter, and a barbecue. In my mind it would have a sit-down and all the bits that we miss. I just couldn’t see it happening in the next 12 months, not with where the industry is at.”

Related: These four recipes are the next best thing to scoring a table at Melbourne’s Babajan

While Carlton North and the City are different propositions, Chiaplias says she is surprised by how many people live close by, and that while work patterns fluctuate for many office workers, there’s a juggling act to manage each day at the Little Collins St outpost.

Importantly, she says, there’s a community of people who want to connect with her team as they grab breakfast or lunch, and ultimately a warmth that she wanted to create. “After six years in Carlton North, this new store is a big step for us and we couldn’t have done it without our wonderful community.”

And one to watch? While they’ve mastered a rose and chocolate lamington Chiaplias says, “We’re still tweaking, but my goal is to have a really beautiful white chocolate and date lamington.”

Babajan
1 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9388 9814
Mon-Sun 7.30am-3pm
babajan.com.au