MELBOURNE | Atiyah is a Lebanese street food kiosk which opened in October last year in Fed Square. What makes Atiyah unique, is that it’s Australia’s first carbon neutral, off grid fast food spot.
Purified rain water is used for drinking and cleaning, and produce is locally sourced from carbon-neutral suppliers. A rooftop solar panel powers a Tesla battery, and cooking oil waste powers a biodiesel generator. Packaging is compostable when you’re done with eating you can put it into the on site compost bin.
The food at Atiyah might be fast, but there’s no corners cut. The focus is on manakish (Lebanese flatbreads). They’re grilled to order and covered with fresh za’atar and seasonal produce.
In the kiosk you’ll find Ben Armstrong cooking up orders on a traditional domed saj. The original plan was for Ben to focus on the sustainability side of the business, and his mother in law Therese on the cooking, but circumstances (the pandemic, the Beirut blast) conspired to keep Therese in Lebanon. She taught Ben how to make manakish remotely, using family recipes. One taste, and it’s clear that Ben has learnt well. I tried t goats labneh manakish with olives and dried mint and it was brilliant.
There’s a few dips and desserts on the menu too, as well as kombucha from Two Boys Brew Kombucha, on tap using a KeyKeg system (the same thing sustainable wine bar Glou use).
CBD foot traffic has been massively impacted by Melbourne’s lockdowns, and Atiyah is unintentionally partially hidden because of the metro tunnel construction work. Do pop by and say hi to Ben, and grab yourself some delicious food if you can. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll be supporting a truly innovative, family run business, and doing your bit for the environment.
Atiyah
Federation Square
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9119 4550
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Tue – Sat: 11:00am to 8:00pm
Sun: 11:00am to 5:00pm