S
ometimes the best collaborations begin with a conversation.
When Melbourne chef Amarjeet Singh and Sydney-based food writer and broadcaster Fuzz Ali first spoke about creating a special dinner at Bibi Ji, they quickly realised they had more in common than a love of food. Both carried stories of migration. Both had family histories shaped by India. And both believed food has a unique way of bringing people together.
Those shared roots became the inspiration behind a one-night collaboration held on July 11 at Bibi Ji on Lygon Street, as the restaurant celebrated its second anniversary.
For Amarjeet, who has spent nearly two decades in hospitality and more than 10 years in Australia, the evening was an opportunity to take familiar Indian flavours in a fresh direction. “We created the menu together,” he says. “It was about introducing people to something different.”
While Bibi Ji has earned a loyal following for classics such as butter chicken and rogan josh and home-made style Punjabi food, Amarjeet says diners are increasingly looking for lighter, healthier food without losing authentic flavour. “People still love the traditional dishes, but we don’t make them too oily or too spicy. This collaboration gave us the chance to experiment.”
For Fuzz Ali, the evening was about much more than food. Born into a Fijian Indian family and now based in Sydney, Ali says many descendants of Indian indentured labourers no longer know exactly where in India their ancestors came from. “What I do know is that my grandmother was of Punjabi heritage,” he says. “That’s one of the few connections I have.”
His family’s journey from India to Fiji several generations ago has shaped the way he thinks about food and identity. Fijian Indian cuisine, he explains, grew from Indian traditions but developed its own character over time.
“It uses similar spices, but it’s earthier,” he says. “We also use a lot more citrus.”
Those flavours found their way onto the special anniversary menu, offering diners a taste of both India and Fiji in ways they may not have experienced before.
Food has always been part of Ali’s life. As a child, he spent time in his parents’ hotel kitchen in Fiji, where he discovered a love for cooking long before he became a food writer.
“My first job was in a kitchen,” he recalls. “Later I owned restaurants and cafés. Food has always been how I connect with people.”
Although he now spends most of his time writing and broadcasting about food, collaborating with a professional chef was a new experience.
“It’s really an honour,” he says. “We worked on most of the menu over WhatsApp and phone calls because I live in Sydney. Amar has been wonderful to work with.”
The two may come from different backgrounds, but they found common ground in their shared South Asian heritage and a willingness to explore new ideas.
That spirit reflects what Bibi Ji has become over the past two years. Since opening on Lygon Street, the restaurant has built a reputation for looking beyond the familiar, introducing diners to regional Indian flavours while embracing local Australian produce and multicultural influences.
The anniversary dinner continued that philosophy, bringing together Indian, Fijian Indian and Australian influences in a menu designed not just to surprise diners, but to start conversations. The response suggested it struck a chord, with around 70 guests expected for the sold-out evening.
For both Amarjeet and Ali, that’s what food does best. “It brings people together,” they say in unison. Some dishes travel thousands of kilometres before finding a new home. Along the way they pick up new ingredients, new stories and new meanings.
For one evening in Melbourne, those stories came together around a shared table.
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