Five Minutes with Fish Zafar, Good Neighbour

Who are you?

Fish Zafar, owner of Good Neighbour Cafe and previous owner of Gus’ Cafe (which will be back!)

Tell me about Good Neighbour

We’re an all-day, fun, casual cafe serving great food and coffee. We’re very customer-centric. We want to create a good atmosphere for the local community and a space for everyone.

How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?

My wife Hazel and I are originally from Sydney, but we moved down here about 14 years ago to help a friend set up a new venue. I was more in the nightclub space in Sydney, but that move kind of coincided with Canberra’s cafe and dining scene really taking off.

My other business is a hospitality supply shop, so I’d been involved in doing fit-outs for other people, and eventually, we realised we wanted to try and do our own thing. My wife and I used to travel to Sydney to eat at restaurants, and there wasn’t anything like it in Canberra, so we decided to open our own take on the style of food so we could enjoy it. That was where the journey began for us.

It was never our goal to be in the industry long term, but then we realised we had a passion for it!

If you weren’t in hospitality, what would you be doing instead?

I’d actually love to be an F1 driver. I’m a real Formula 1 racing nut!

What is your food philosophy?

I love eating good food with good company, a good venue, and good service, but exceptional food doesn’t need any of the bells and whistles. I’ve actually driven for hours to eat good food at some really dingy places! You don’t always remember how the venue looked but you’ll always remember the food.

Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?

I get to meet a lot of people in my line of work, but I really admire Chef Hao from Raku. He keeps things very simple and he’s still very hands-on in his venues, even after all these years. I think his consistency and success come back to his dedication to his craft.

No matter how busy and successful he is, he is still very approachable, humble and lovely to talk to.

Where’s the best place for a coffee in Canberra?

I stand by the coffee at Good Neighbour! We have great beans, and I really like the coffee we make. I’m not just saying that!

But in terms of other places, after we closed Gus’ and while we were still planning Good Neighbour, I used to go to Al’s Diner. They do Redbrick coffee up there, and I’d get a mad sandwich at the same time.

Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?

You may not expect this answer but it’s actually my wife. When we go out to eat, we order everything on the menu. We have very similar taste in food and I can be myself with her and be comfortable.

I like eating food, but I’m not very good at cooking food: I just know what tastes good! But when we get a chance to relax at home on a Sunday night, I make a lamb roast with a salt rub coating and a mean mint sauce. She makes the potato gratin with cream and cheese, and then we have all that with dinner rolls from the supermarket.

What is your current food obsession?

Lately, it’s Middle Eastern food. It’s a cuisine that has huge range, bold flavours and it just hits the spot. It’s a cuisine that’s a bit underrated. I like that there are so many options for vegans and vegetarians that don’t compromise on the flavour. The shakshuka on our menu is one of our biggest sellers and I think that’s why!

What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?

My fondest childhood memory is Coco Pops! I was a serial Coco Pops eater, and to this day I will still get a craving for them in the middle of the night. The kicker is that I like to have it with warm milk! I don’t like the texture when they’re too crunchy, I like it when they get soft.

What’s a normal breakfast for you?

I usually have three poached eggs with a side of mushrooms. But a couple of times a week when I work at the cafe, I’ll order a shakshuka or something off the menu to check the consistency.

What would you like people to know about the hospitality industry?

It’s not the easiest of times for hospo, especially this year. We’ve seen a lot of places opening and closing, but during tough times, that’s where the opportunities are. In bad times you learn to be smarter operators, better operators, and that’s when you grow. You learn how to get more from less.

The Canberra community needs to come out and support the venues! Back them up and show your appreciation while they’re still around.

When you can’t be bothered to cook for yourself, where do you go and what do you eat?

I don’t get to go out to eat a lot because I work so much! I run the supply shop during the day and then my wife and I do the baking for Good Neighbour at night. But in between, we often go to the Kingston Hotel because it’s close by. I love their steak and chips. They’re quick and consistent.

Where are you travelling next?

I already said I’m a big F1 fan, so the only getaway I have planned is to the Melbourne F1, but I’d love to go to the Singapore circuit. I have some great memories of the food over there, so it would be cool to go back.

Tell me something you love about living in Canberra

Canberra’s personality suits who I am a bit better than Sydney. Canberra gets a bad rap as being like a big country town, but that actually translates to me as people really caring about each other. As I get older, I think it’s more important to me to care about the people to your left and your right.

What TV show are you watching right now?

We’ve been watching New Amsterdam on Netflix, which is a hospital medical drama. Although medicine is a bit more life and death than hospitality, it’s still about helping, serving and giving, and that’s a very core part of who I try to be. If I can give more than I take, I’ve done something right. It resonates because they work long hours, and there are people coming in and out. There are a lot of things that are similar to the hospitality industry, so I can relate to that a bit.

An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?

When I’m working, it’s a piccolo, but if I’m going out and relaxing, it’s a small flat white, one sugar, three-quarters full.

Good Neighbour is located at 1/55 Wentworth Ave, Kingston. Follow Good Neighbour on Instagram or Facebook.