Busselton Central’s Inara restaurant celebrates one year of serving Levantine cuisine to South West diners

A South West restaurant which is the only one in the State dedicated to Levantine cuisine is celebrating a major business milestone. Inara is celebrating its first anniversary this month after after opening at its Busselton Central shopping centre location last November. The business, whose name means ray of light in Arabic, is the brainchild of Daniel and Joanna Johnson. It serves up a variety of dishes originating from the Middle East and the Levant — an area incorporating modern day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Cyprus. The Johnsons are no strangers to the hospitality sector in the South West, previously operating Casina in Dunsborough following their return to WA after career experiences in the Middle East, Asia, South Pacific and on the east coast. Mr Johnson said Inara was the result of a long-held dream to serve up delicious food from the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. “I discovered a love for Levantine flavours about 20 years ago when I came across a stash of cookbooks by the pioneer of modern Middle Eastern cuisine in Australia, Greg Malouf, who sadly passed away recently,” he said. “My obsession began, and I started experimenting with wonderful ingredients and flavours, combining spices, herbs, nuts, yogurts, cheeses, garlic, pulses, fruit, fish, meat and, of course, bread.” Mr Johnson was proud his dream was now a reality. “It’s wonderful being able to source quality local meats and produce to pair with flavours from afar to deliver something special to locals and visitors to the region,” he said. The team continues to grow, with Paulo Punzalan recently being promoted to the venue’s head chef. He has previously worked in high-end kitchens in the United Arab Emirates. Inara is offering specials to customers to celebrate the milestone.