Two of the greats – hip hop and hummus – unite at trendy Middle Eastern eatery Thievery, in Sydney’s inner west suburb of Glebe, where the beats are loud and the flavours are louder. Bold, inventive twists on classic Levantine fare come from co-owner and executive chef Julian Cincotta, also from cult fried chicken institution Butter. Even hummus has a makeover here, the creamy chickpea-based dip dripping in a vibrant paprika-tinged brown butter, served with warm flatbreads, or a baba ganoush dotted with wedges of Meredith dairy sheep’s yoghurt and toasted pine nuts. 

With all its quirks, there’s a solid knowledge of the history of Middle Eastern food here, which shows in dishes like sheesh barak, delicate vegetarian dumplings filled with silverbeet, shanklish cheese and braised chickpeas. Mini kebabs are the perfect mouthful to try more than one; beef shawarma is made using wagyu and doused in harissa, with smoked garlic and pickled green peppers for smoke and acid, while a vego version is served with a house-made chickpea felafel, tangy tahini yoghurt and a smattering of Turkish isot pepper. An intriguing salad of iceberg lettuce comes smeared in a tabouleh topping, which we’re curiously encouraged to eat with our hands. With a recent menu overhaul, the venue is now offering a morning menu which even touts a breakfast kebab. Sign up for a recovery brunch, where a kebab is acceptable before 11am!