INARA Busselton, Levantine Cuisine, WA
Words: Monica Tindall
Photos: Han Sen Hau
We’d heard good things about INARA in Busselton but weren’t expecting it to be world-class. INARA is delivering a menu that could rival any highly acclaimed restaurant in a major international city. Considering its small-town location, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary.
Located on the outer row of Busselton Central, INARA cannot be accessed from within the mall. Instead, walk around the outside to the small neighbourhood park, where you’ll see INARA next door to a popular brekkie café. Olive tree saplings and flowering rosemary border the covered outdoor patio, and large open windows create a natural flow from outdoors to in. Neutral walls, rattan lampshades, and light wooden tables are given warmth with a peach and baby blue kitchen and bar counter. A giant mural of The Levant region cues us into the inspiration for the menu.
Chef-owner Daniel Johnson has had an impressive international career, spending significant time with luxury hotel brands in the Middle East and Maldives. Joined by Head Chef Paolo Punzalan, whose global résumé is punctuated by a decade in the Middle East, the two deliver a fresh and delicious Levantine menu full of pizazz. With co-owner Joanna Johnson on the floor and a killer wine list featuring over 20 wines by the glass, they have curated a winning combo.
INARA Busselton Menu
Aperitif
While many dishes at INARA are halal and there is no pork on the menu, the bar is solid with craft cocktails, beer and wine ready to satiate thirst. If there’s a Negroni, I will order it, and Inara’s version, Negroni Our Way (AUD 19), sounds delicious! Burnt grapefruit, cardamom, and coriander-infused gin go with the usual suspects of sweet vermouth, Aperol (replacing Campari), and orange bitters. It sounds fab, right? Tastes great, too! I like the char of the citrus and the warmth of the cardamom.
How do you choose from nearly two handfuls of craft cocktails when they all sound so good? Go for a namesake! INARA Espresso Martini (AUD 22) has a base of Havana Club 7-year-aged rum, espresso, Kahlua and, giving some complexity, Pedro Ximenez. However, there’s something else … I guess … cardamon! It’s a reference to Middle Eastern coffee prepared with spice. This is a serious number, as equally good as a pick-me-up pre or post-meal.
Breads & Dips
Fresh-baked Bazlama (AUD 10) is a house special. It’s fermented for 24 hours before being cooked in an oven similar to a pizza oven. It’s a Turkish flatbread, but the quick cooking at a high temperature causes it to puff up in a showy dome. A sprinkling of za’atar seasoning and sesame seeds makes it delicious all on its own, but it’s especially tasty with our hummus and whipped fetta dips.
I know, I know, Hummus (AUD 16) seems so unadventurous when ordering Middle Eastern cuisine, but it’s popular for very good reason, and INARA does theirs with a unique twist. The velvety smooth chickpea dip is centred with green tahini, crispy chickpeas, and za’atar stripes the top.
Another must-order from INARA’s menu is the Whipped Fetta (AUD 16), a signature dish given an attractive orange hue thanks to paprika. It’s topped with sweet and sour grapes, candied figs, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and thyme. There’s a fantastic thread of spice balanced with a subtle sweetness—it’s so good!
Mezze
The Mafghousa (AUD 17), meaning squashed in Arabic, has been on the menu since opening in November 2023. Charred zucchini pieces are paired with chunky smashed zucchini yoghurt, date syrup, pine nuts, mint, and tomato. It’s a textural delight—we understand the appeal.
We are so lucky to try the Roasted Honey Figs (AUD 19). The season for these beauties is short, but our visit coincides, so we get them in their full glory. The halved fruits come with moutabal (eggplant) on a base of shamandar (beetroot puree). They’re finished off with crumbled goat feta, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Lastly, a drizzle of house-made fig silan (fig molasses) adds a sweet layer to the savoury foundation. If your fortune finds you with these on the menu – order them without thinking twice!
Wood-fire Grill
Our meal has been so filling and diverse, you might not have noticed that there has been no meat to this point. That changes with the crowd favourite, Shakshukit (AUD 60). Slow-roasted Valley Spring lamb shoulder is seasoned with hawaij (spice) and surrounded by a pond of tahini yoghurt. The small mountain of meat is sprinkled with pine nuts and trickled with cured lemon and paprika sauce and shatta (fermented green chilli paste, coriander and parsley). The meat is cliché fork-tender, and the mix of lightly spiced condiments breaks up the richness of the lamb, allowing us to fork back in continuously until it’s all gone.
Vegetables
While the vegetable section of a menu might traditionally have been thought of as “sides,” you could easily order solely from the plant-based recipes and be perfectly satisfied. Both the Broccoli Tabouleh (AUD 23) and Chargrilled Cabbage (AUD 23) are highly recommended. The first is with superfood freekeh (unripened wheat grains packed with nutrients), dried mulberries, mixed seeds, mint, feta, pomegranate, honey, and, of course, a mound of thinly sliced broccoli. It’s delicious and nutritious, and I feel like Pop-Eye after a spinach hit. If there is a way to make the humble old cabbage a superstar, the INARA team have found it! Gloriously chargrilled, the veg resides above muhammara (a rich walnut and tomato sauce). Feta, pomegranate and smoked harissa oil enhance the flavours and textures. Wow.
Dessert
The Kunefe Three-cheese (AUD 23) is worth exploring, even if you’re not a dessert eater. A crispy kataifi pastry-noodle pancake is filled with mozzarella, ricotta and cheddar. In the world of kunefe, this is one gourmet version, intriguing in its complexity, not only because of the depth given by three kinds of cheese but also thanks to orange blossom syrup, crushed pistachios and a cool, smooth scoop of house-made burnt honey ice cream.
To conclude, the familiar yet tantalisingly foreign Coconut-tapioca “Malabi” (AUD 20) is a comforting ending. The milk pudding is reminiscent of a childhood favourite yet more mature with saffron syrup, fresh raspberries and a fun tangle of pistachio Persian fairy floss. It’s a big cup – enough for two.
Wine List
INARA Busselton’s wine list is a very pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect a restaurant in a small-town mall to have over 20 wines by the glass with a good few premium drops amongst them, thanks to the use of the Coravin system! Not only is there an exceptional range by the glass, but the majority can also be poured by carafe, too (glass – 150 ml, carafe – 375 ml).
I can’t help but think of how fantastic a glass of rosé would be with the diverse veggie dishes on the menu. Jo appears with a bottle of 2023 Wines of Merritt Margaret River Syrah Rosé (AUD 16 glass, AUD 65 bottle). She also recommends orange wine as an excellent partner with the majority of the menu and returns with the 2024 Hoi Polloi Orange (AUD 16 glass, AUD 65 bottle), also from Margaret River. Because both are chilled and have a little more depth and complexity than white wine but not as much power as a red, they are excellent choices.
INARA Busselton Review
INARA Busselton delivers world-class cuisine in an unexpected small-town setting. This is the result of a chef with an impressive international résumé choosing to return home and embrace a quieter lifestyle. While the pace may be more serene, the food is nothing short of globally exceptional. With outstanding dishes and a stellar wine-by-the-glass selection, INARA easily rivals the best restaurants in any major capital. Simply extraordinary.
Reasons to visit INARA Busselton: exceptional Levantine cuisine; excellent wine-by-the-glass list; stylish yet casual setting; so many fantastic vegan and vegetarian choices; must try the Bazlama, Whipped Fetta, Roasted Honey Figs, Broccoli Tabouleh and Kunefe Three-cheese. If you enjoy a good espresso martini, don’t miss INARA’s cardamom-spiced version.
INARA Busselton
Busselton Central
30 Kent St, Busselton, 6280, Western Australia
Link to INARA Busselton on Google Maps
+618 9755 9999
inarabusselton.com.au
@inara_busselton
*3-hour parking in the Busselton Central lot or hourly street parking around the mall
INARA Busselton Hours
Thursday to Tuesday: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm & 5-10 pm
Wednesday: Closed
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