don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be even more than what you are.
that is the main lesson i learnt while visiting the beautiful naïm.
it’s so easy as you get older to find the best in who you’ve become and to get a little complacent about it. but what if being ‘exactly who you are and want to be’ also meant trying to still fighting to be the best you could be? why not continuing to challenge yourself to try new things and to thrive even more?
last weekend i met vince estacio that had moved to brisbane from san francisco, as formerly a chef of michelin starred restaurant, mourad. and let me tell you that i felt very honoured to be having dinner here and trying some of the vegan items from their middle eastern inspired menu.
naïm is pronounced nye-eem and it means in arabic, 'happiness', and in hebrew, 'pleasant'. and it represents what every single soul feels when they walk through their doors.
and they say naïm rhymes with ‘big dream’ and i can attest that their dinning experience certainly makes you want to dream and become a better self. even if you are happy and comfortable where you are in life, why not even fight for something a little bit higher? there is always something more, that little bit extra that you can give to the world 👌 #kindness
but if you’re not that into those vibes, well naïm also rhymes with ice cream, and don’t you dare leaving this feast without having some of their vegan icecream 😂 i am very happy with life indeed 😍❤️ what an experience!
naïm place has evolved over the years and the first owner b.j. wall began as a guest back in 2014, when we were called shouk cafe. as they told me, it soon became a favourite place and decided to buy the place until last year, where some of his friends took over the place along with head chef and co-owner, vince estacio. they have been ore and more adventures with foods than ever and it has been massively popular with the locals and people all over brisbane and beyond. seriously, when i visited the place when from 0 to fully packed in seconds, as the doors opened!
the place is located at paddington and it’s a very cute little house, with colourful designs that are quite abstract but not to the point where you don’t really understand what kind of art is going on - it’s a beauty to actually stare at the different colours and shapes on the walls and try to figure out what they represent! the doors are inviting and i was told that the line to enter the places goes all the way to the other side of the road and even more towards another pathway - it’s insane! it’s an insanity that people know it’s worth it!
when you walk in you get into a room where it reminds me some more eastern counties and it has very simple wood tables but with candle lights in each one and a tissue napkin. there are also walls decorated with multiple paintings with again the same abstract feeling and there is a shelf with some items from plants to little lanterns. the bar station is right at the end of that room and if you’re all in even further you find yourself in a dining a room with lanterns lights (like those ones in the wedding videos) that once the sunset starts, the magic happens. it is outstanding to watch and a teu privilege to be in that room. the have a wall with wines hanging on a wall telling their story too and again there are some more paintings and even an area with some pillows that is the perfect spot for an event more private occasion.
themenuis quite varied and to be honest i’m not an expert when in comes to middle eastern cuisine. so i left my friends choose what we were having! all the presentation was outstanding and the meals were carefully catered and executed to perfection!
- artichoke pilaf - on a bed of spiced basmati rice and brown lentils this was surprisingly not as spicy as you would expect! which obviously i am very grateful because my tolerance is minimal! the rice is very delicious and loose and pairs very nicely with the grilled marinated artichokes on top cutting in parts. in the mix there is also a caramelised onion curry that i found quite interesting and personally by itself you feel like something more crunchy is missing and that clearly why they add the toasted cashews and crispy shallots on the outer part of the bowl where everything comes! there are some golden raisins in the mix too that are very much appreciated to bring a sweet contrast to it and you could be with your eyes closed and you would certainly guess this is a typical middle eastern food! spicy (mild and average) lovers, this is for you!
- hummus board - we tried the hummus bird that basically came with a huuuuuge portion of hummus in a wooden rounded board and then decorated on top with multiple things! it seemed like a grazing table to me actually 😂 it had spoon salad with cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and others, slices of watermelon radish that were absolutely the highlight for me and i definitely recommend using not only the toasted flatbread that it comes with but also this to eat with the hummus! (huge fan 👏), some marinated olives, and a few more spices on top. the toasted flatbread is terrific and it is like a light garlic bread to me but obviously not crunchy, and instead, flat and soft! this was my favourite meal! it also came with some carrot falafels on the side and a spread made of dates and another secret ingredient that i’m not sure i can share 😂 the falafels are quite cute and smallish in size but packed with flavour and it was my first time having carrot falafels! definitely approved in crunchiness and taste and i wished there were more 😂 the sauce was fantastic and as someone mostly sweet based i could definitely eat a loooooot of these indeed 😂 loved it and certainly my favourite in every aspect - size, taste and ingredients!
- muhammara spread - we also tried a little (not little at all because it was actually the biggest meal 😂) spread that is called muhammara spread that is from one of their other main meals, and it is basically a spicy pepper dip that originated from aleppo, syria, made with roasted red peppers, aleppo chili flakes and walnuts! surprisingly i didn’t find it spicy at all again (and it’s agilizes to be quite hot sometimes and i saw it as a mix of savory, sweet, and smoky with a little intense touch to it! you can tell it’s something very flavourful and that takes a lot of time to reach perfection, as anything else here! absolutely loved it too and just felt that there was something missing to use as a way to eat it (like the flat bread) but we were just tasting the sauce not the exact meal, so it makes sense that it didn’t have much with it 😂 still very good and we used the hummus flatbread to eat it and even ate it with a sooon of how good it was 😂
- elderflower & fresh blueberries vegan icecream - finally i wanted to try something sweet and had a go at their vegan icecream. it’s not creamy but more more like soft in consistency and the taste is something i’ve never had before. quite interesting indeed! we added some improved scoops with a crumble and a little vegan chocolate sauce and the all paired very well but next time i sure want to have a read dessert because i’m sure they are fantastic!
loved the area, the place and the food. the environment. i found the greatest pleasure and happiness here and can attest they make justice to there name indeed. will definitely recommend (as the other dozens of people lining and waiting 😂) and will come back again.