Elie Bahbah | The Weekend Edition

Elie Bahbah, Labneh Lord, Bahbah Foods

Try to see the bright side in every situation no matter how bad it may seem ...

Made from traditional family recipes passed down through the generations, lavish labneh, falafel and dips are created in the Bahbah Foods kitchen in Coorparoo by founder Elie Bahbah. Leaving a career as a television producer, Elie went back to his family roots of making traditional foods three years ago. With the idea of starting small and building firm foundations first, Elie has slowly grown and carved a niche for Bahbah Foods. Now turning his concentration to his beloved cup of coffee, Elie has opened Uncle Joe’s Coffee House in Coorparoo. Importing fairtrade and single-origin beans from overseas and roasting the blends on site, Uncle Joe’s is a discreet spot to test your coffee knowledge and enjoy a well-crafted coffee. The Weekend Edition caught up with Elie in the flurry of preparing for Bahbah Foods’ first appearance at Regional Flavours at South Bank next weekend.

By Linsey Rendell

How do you like to start your weekend?
If it is not a market weekend, I like to start it with a bit of a sleep in, having a nice, cooked breakfast at home, followed by a massage at the Fortitude Valley markets.

What’s your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?
Go for a long walk around the river.

How do you like to unwind?
Listening to good music.

What are your essentials for a well-spent weekend?
Catching up with friends and having a feast.

What’s something you’ve been meaning to do on the weekend but haven’t got around to yet?
Re-potting the plants on the balcony.

What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday evening?
Watching a good movie.

What are you looking forward to next weekend?
A busy market. Regional Flavours next week at South Bank.

What are you reading at the moment?

Rooftop by Paul Volponi.

What inspires you?
Old family recipes, and good food and drinks in general.

What was your childhood dream?
To travel and explore the world and different cultures.

What has been your greatest achievement?
I had my own TV show for seven years in Perth.

What is success to you?
Happiness.

What are your words of wisdom?
Try to see the bright side in every situation no matter how bad it may seem.

Only a local would know … Brisbane has more to offer than meets the eye.

FAVOURITE WEEKEND SPOT TO:
Perk up … Sea World
Relax … Springbrook Mountain
Dine … E’cco Bistro, Brisbane City
Indulge … Shlix, Fortitude Valley
Shop … Sourced Grocer, Teneriffe
Catch-up … Uncle Joe’s Coffee House, Coorparoo
Be inspired … Markets