I first met Greg Malouf when he moved to Dubai (where I also lived at the time) in 2013, and, being part of the local food community, our paths crossed enough times over the years for us to be able to call each other friends.
He was the sort of friend who guided me to the best places to eat in and beyond on my first ever trip there, helping me discover community dining gems like The sort of friend who would gladly bring his star power and knowledge to awards events I was holding [as the editor of a food magazine] with just a quick phone call. And we were the sort of friends who catch up for lunch when they find themselves in Melbourne at the same time (it was that time in 2017 when the World’s 50 Best awards event was held in Australia).
He took me to the – his finger ever on the pulse of the best in food – and we shared a steamed John Dory with ginger and shallots that I can still taste if I cast my mind back to that sunny afternoon. It opened my eyes to what Melbourne’s food scene is really like.
Above all though, Malouf helped open my eyes – and those of many others – on the possibilities of
Who was Greg Malouf?
Commonly referred to as 'the Godfather of Middle Eastern cuisine', Malouf helped educate diners around the world on Arabic, predominantly Levantine, food. He did this through his restaurants, including MoMo in his hometown Melbourne, the Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries in London, and Cle and Zahira in Dubai; his many cookbooks which he co-wrote with his ex-wife Lucy Malouf; and his various TV appearances, including being a Masterchef regular.
And he did it all with a gentleness and humour that was all him. I remember when he was serving up some of his signature dishes at the opening of one of his Dubai restaurants, it felt like I was eating at a long-lost friend’s home, never mind the glittering chandeliers and marble we were surrounded by.
We were feasting on inventive, artful concoctions like his signature , pan-fried quail, and that – the hand of Fatima (a pastry dish he has reimagined for different environments, on this occasion made with cheese and rose syrup to evoke kunefeh feels). But, the food felt real, accessible, and most importantly, bloody delicious. Each course was served with a story, with a smile.
Greg Malouf helped spread awareness about Middle Eastern food through events and activations around the world. Credit: Getty images
The indefatigable chef set the bar for modern Middle Eastern cuisine as we know it today.
His passion was palpable and contagious, as I have seen first-hand. And he communicated it with a generosity, through his food and knowledge sharing, that was unsurpassed.
It is this generosity that made him friends and allies wherever he went. There aren’t many chefs who have had such an impact, in so many corners of the globe.
Tributes pour in for Greg Malouf's passing
First I saw the elegies from the Dubai/UAE food community filling up my social media feeds. Then the tributes from Australian chefs started pouring in.
Each one heartfelt, many heartbroken. He passed away last week, at 64, reportedly due to a heart attack (he had suffered from heart conditions and had had multiple surgeries). His passing feels tragic, sudden, premature. And his loss will be felt deeply by the many, many people whose lives he has touched; the many friends he has made around the world.
I’m but one of several, but I feel proud to have been in his orbit for however long I had the privilege.
And these personal connections are perhaps what will keep him alive in our memories for a long time to come, as much the avant-garde food he has built his legacy on.
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Lebanese
