I
t canbehardtokeeptrackofthewarmAmad
clan,withitscountlesschildrenandgrandchildren,
auntsanduncles,niecesandnephews,butonething
is clear:AblaAmadis thesunaroundwhichthe
familyrevolves.The85-year-oldis thepictureof
theelegantmatriarchassheholdscourtfromherfavourite
table,butfewoctogenarianscanclaimtoworkeverynight
intherestauranttheyopened 41 yearsago.
“Myhouseusedtobelikea restaurant,allthecousins
comingoverona Saturday,”saysAmad,who arrivedin
AustraliafromLebanonaged19.“My
husband,John,saidtome,if youwant
toopena restaurant,I willhelpyou.”
A uniquestrandofMelbourne
restauranthistorybeganin 1979
withtheopeningofAbla’sonElgin
Street.A truefamilyaffair,it hasseenher
fivechildren, 13 grandchildrenand“the
extendedAmads”workinginthekitchenandonthefloor.
It’sa shiftingpopulation.Currently,therestaurant’s
corefamilygroupcomprisesdaughterMargaret-Anne,
daughter-in-lawRaeandnieceJeannetteDouaihyheading
theteamaffectionatelydescribedbyAmadasher“ladies”
inthekitchen,makingkibbeh,stuffedsilverbeetleaves,
andtheclassicchickenandrice.Theesteeminwhich
thebossladyis universallyheldis palpable.“She’snot
myboss;she’smymother,”saysDouaihy.AndRaesays,
“Youhavewords,thenit’salloverintwoseconds.Amad
neverletsanythinggettoher.Attheendof the night,
you sit down and have coffee together.”Anotherpositivewithsucha bigclan?Findingstaffis
nevera problem.“It’swordofmouth,”saysAmad.“It’s
sucha bigfamily...youknowsomeonewhowantsa job.”
ThelegacyofAblas’sstretchesbeyondthesepale-greywalls
decoratedwithgilt-framedoilpaintingsoftheoldcountry.
Amad’sniece,LindaMalcolm,founderoftheAlimentari
café-delisinFitzroyandCollingwood,startedasa dishwasher
at 13,beforewaitingtablesthroughherteenageyears.She
creditsherauntwithlightingthehospitalityfirethrough
her own time in theAmadfamily-jobtime-share.“Itwasn’t
solongagoalltheniecesandnephews
weresittingaroundandwerealised
we’dallbeenthroughtherestaurant
insomeway,”saysMalcolm.“She
wasthefirstpersonintheindustry
I reallylookedupto.Everynight
withoutfailshe’dtakeherapron
off,brushherhair,putlipstickon
andgoouttogreeteachtable.It wasneveraboutmaking
moneyforher;it wasa sourceofpride.”
Amadis thoroughlydeservingofheraccolades.She
wasa guestonMasterChefin2011,alertinga newgeneration
ofdinerstothejoysofclassicLebanesecooking.Shereceived
a MedaloftheOrderofAustraliain 2015 forherservice
totheindustry.Butit’sherfamilyandherrestaurant,two
indivisibleentities,ofwhichshe’sproudest.
“Wehavea lovelylifeanda goodfamily,”shesays.
“I gotosleepat nightneveronceregrettingthatI didthis.”
Abla’s, 109 Elgin St, Carlton, Vic, (03) 9347 0006,
ablas.com.auAblaAmad&family
ABLA’S, VIC
by Larissa Dubecki
Clockwisefromfarleft:a
photographofAblaAmad
withhergranddaughter,Abbey;
Amad’sdaughter-in-law,Nafflie,
intherestaurant;Abla(third
from the right) and her family.“Everynightwithout
fail she’dtakeher apron
off, brushher hair,put
lipstickonandgoout
to greet each table.”66 GOURMET TRAVELLER