{"id":952,"date":"2024-04-10T16:59:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T06:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/?page_id=952"},"modified":"2026-10-09T20:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:54:14","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Years of Malabar"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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20 years
in darlinghurst<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow did it unfold ><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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September 2003<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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I opened Malabar in September 2003.<\/strong> Four customers came on the first night. One waiter and I did everything: prep, cooking, washing up and serving.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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From a tiny 70 seater with a staff of two in 2003 (including myself) to 140 seats and 30 staff in 2023<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Twenty years on Victoria Street, across two locations.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t2003<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe First Year<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t2013<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tOne decade<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t2023<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tTwo decades<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Malabar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
This is the 'old' location circa 2005. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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This is the 'old' location circa 2012. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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In 2014, Malabar moved location and expanded to 100 seats<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The move let me design a kitchen around our menu<\/strong> for the first time. It is also when we bought the wine glasses guests still ask about.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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This is the 'new' corner location in 2014<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Then in 2023, we knocked a wall down and made it 140 seats<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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In 2023 we knocked through a wall<\/strong> and went from 100 to 140 seats.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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To keep trading during the renovation, we put up a temporary wall. It became a 20-metre community drawing board.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The New Malabar in 2023<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Not every night has gone to plan.<\/strong> The tandoor once broke down mid-service on a Saturday night. The grease trap gave out on another Saturday. Nothing ever breaks at 10 am on a quiet Monday.<\/p>

The worst was a flood of 500 litres of water a minute. We will always be grateful to the fire station across the road.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Most of what has changed here started with a guest:<\/strong> a wine to add, a dish to adjust, something about the room. Thank you to everyone who has told us.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Tell me what you think<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Listening to guests is how I have always run this restaurant. If something is missing, or could be done better, please tell me. My email: mohammed@malabarcuisine.com.au<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Thank you for coming back.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Tastefully Yours,
Chef and Owner Mohammed Sali<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Chef\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

20 years in darlinghurst How did it unfold > September 2003 I opened Malabar in September 2003. Four customers came on the first night. One waiter and I did everything: prep, cooking, washing up and serving. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=we9c-FKQhds From a tiny 70 seater with a staff of two in 2003 (including myself) to 140 seats and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-952","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3062,"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/952\/revisions\/3062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malabarcuisine.com.au\/darlinghurst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}