Smalls balls, big subject: falafel s popularity surge in Sydney and Melbourne
Larissa Dubecki
Photo: Christopher Pearce
It s the Middle Eastern street food that has become a breakout culinary star over the past 12 months. While falafel wasn t exactly labouring in obscurity pre-pandemic, its comfort-food factor – plus new restaurants focused on the deep-fried balls – have helped propel its popularity into a new stratosphere around the country.
When Sydney s Merivale hospitality empire muscles in on the falafel scene you know there s something in the air. Jimmy s Falafel has been a hit since opening in Merivale s Ivy precinct on George Street in May, with staff clad in T-shirts proclaiming, The future is falafel and serving a product