Meet Wahib

For Wahib, Lebanese food has always been about more than what's on the plate. It's a long table crowded with family and friends, dishes passed from hand to hand, and someone insisting you have just one more piece of bread. That feeling is what he set out to share when he started Jasmin 1.

It all started with his grandmother's cooking. The recipes she handed down, through the generations of his family, are the heart of the Jasmin 1 menu today.

As a kid visiting his grandmother's village in Lebanon, Wahib's favourite moment was watching her fire up the grill for tawook. She'd marinate the chicken in her secret blend of citrus, garlic and wild spices, and the smell meant everyone was about to gather at the table. Today that same family recipe is char-grilled fresh on every Jasmin 1 tawook skewer.

Today Wahib is the chef and owner of Jasmin 1, a much-loved group of authentic Lebanese restaurants in Leichhardt and Five Dock. He still cooks the way he believes Lebanese food should be cooked: from family recipes, with quality ingredients, and never rushed.

His menu is built on the classics. Silky hommous and smoky baba ghannouj, fresh tabouleh heavy on the parsley, crisp falafel, and grills packed with flavour. Alongside them sit a few new ideas, because tradition is something you keep cooking, not something you freeze in time.

But for Wahib, the cooking is only half of it. Real Lebanese hospitality means nobody leaves hungry and every guest is treated like family, whether you've popped in for a quick shawarma at lunch or you're celebrating with thirty people on a Saturday night.

So next time you're in, say hello. Wahib loves hearing what you ordered, and he'll happily tell you what to try next time.

Sahtein! Enjoy your meal.