Babaji's Kerala Kitchen Belgrave

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Belgrave, VIC
Babaji's Kerala Kitchen Belgrave

🌴 Authentic Kerala cuisine near Puffing Billy in the Dandenong Ranges.
⏰ Open lunch & dinner. Available for wedding & event catering.

Thursday - Monday.
🥥 Vegan friendly.
🐕 Pup friendly.
👯‍♂️ Sister to Babajis Yarra Valley, Warburton.
🎉 Event & Wedding caterers. We take you on a journey to a land of palms & spice, tropical Kerala South India.

'Home-style' cooks, our restaurant, based in the lush forest of Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges, serves hearty Kerala favourites including Sadya (banana leaf plates), dosa, Malabar biryani,

parotta, South Indian filter coffee & craft beer every day. Find us a 5 minute walk from Puffing Billy & the Dandenong Ranges National Park and a 5 minute drive from the 1000 steps. See our website for more information.

23/06/2026

What do YOU think? Do we overshare?
🤔 Are we toooooo transparent?
🤔 Is that ‘bad’ for business?
🤔 Is it gold for our competition?

Our new catering menus just dropped and we’re doing things a but differently with our pricing.

Why? So that EVERYONE can enjoy Babajis catering. Prices start from $2p.p (Food $ first. Service & delivery $ - if needed - second).

Check it out here - https://www.babajiskitchen.com.au/event-catering-kerala-south-indian-cuisine/south-indian-kerala-wedding-catering.html

Planning an event? Fill out the form online with the deets or DM us here.

x Babajis

19/06/2026

👋 Belgrave Lantern Festival pre- ordering is open NOW! Don’t be standing around in queues!

👉🏽 Pre-order - https://www.meandu.app/babajis/pickup
👉🏽 Set a time to pick up
👉🏽 Pick up at Koala wall next to Babajis.

We’ll be ready for you. 😘

x Babajis

P.S You’ll find us in 2 SPOTS! Our Belgrave restaurant AND Hayes carpark. Preordering is ONLY for the restaurant.

‼️ We are NOT taking bookings at Babajis Belgrave tonight. Come inside the dining hall - enjoy the warmth & your dinner and then ‘GET BACK OUT TO THE FUN!’.

04/06/2026

When you’ve got a tricky problem to be solved - ask the people who know you best - and for us - that’s YOU - our community! 🫶

Working at the local Indian restaurant instead of the local cafe … is unusual in a town like Belgrave.

For some reason, we’ve been told by many that they assume ‘you have to be Indian’ to work at an Indian restaurant. 🤔

Been to Babajis and you’ll know that definitely ISN’Tthe case!

We’re a multicultural team, diverse in cultures, ages, experience, music tastes & dreams.

KNOW US and KNOW SOMEONE who you think would be a PERFECT FIT at Babajis as our new restaurant supervisor?

(Full time hours - part time considered. $65-$75k. Experience in hospo necessary, some weekend night work. Australian residency a non negotiable. Head to our website - join our team for for all the details).

PLEASE TAG ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD BE THE PERFECT FIT…

IF they :

👉🏽Apply

👉🏽Get the job

👉🏽 Stay with us 3 months

👉🏽 We’ll give YOU a $500 💰job referral bonus!!
(the same amount of $ that it costs us to post on - which is proving to be useless).

APPLY ON OUR WEBSITE OR SEEK - https://www.babajiskitchen.com.au/join-our-team.html
https://au.seek.com/job/92438512?tracking=SHR-WEB-SharedJob-anz-1

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: Fri 12 June 5pm.

TAG & SHARE AWAY

X Babajis

02/06/2026

A personal reflection on slavery … and why even a little South Indian restaurant like us - Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen, here in Melbourne SHOULD reflect if WE are a part of the problem.

‘Babaji’s recently catered for the Australian Catholic University (ACU) to help them celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi.

They were looking for someone colourful!

We know! We’re a perfect match!

But what was interesting is – being ‘asked’ to share more about our ‘modern slavery statement’.

It seems that ACU is committed to working for the eradication of modern slavery and human trafficking.

My first reaction was …ummm…. ‘What do you mean?’

I reflected on being in Zanzibar, East Africa last year at what was once a transit point for African slaves in the 19th century. It was one of those moments where you were thinking.

‘How could humans do that to another human?’

But then I’m like WTF!
It’s 2026.
We’re just a small South Indian restaurant trying to cook a few samosas.
But hey, there’s lots of hoops to jump through when you’re catering for universities!

So – I started jumping through those hoops. Putting my mind to the university’s questions.

Do we comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018?

Does the supplier have any modern slavery risks in their supply chain?
… you’re starting to make me think ACU!

How does the supplier monitor / assess to ensure they aren’t involved in modern slavery?

Does the supplier have policies prohibiting the modern slavery within their operations & supply chain?

It sure got me thinking!

Then I reflected on those TODAY in our South Indian communities, including some of OUR own family still working in the Middle East, working on construction sites and down tunnels.

Doing the jobs that no-one wants to do.

Their passports seized upon arrival to their job.

With very little workplace safety.

Very little pay.

And living conditions that are pretty grim.

And I thought to myself …

Good on you ACU for actually helping us all to reflect on the truth!

Slavery is very much alive.

In the Middle East and even here in Australia.

ACU – it’s been a pleasure working for someone who, like us, cares about these things.

Thank you

Babajis

30/05/2026

Abhi’s coming for lunch today, he tells us he’s born and bought up in Kerala and NEEDS authentic Kerala food.… in his booking notes,

‘My wife is a white washed Malayalee’
(🤔 oookkkeeey. How you coping Abhi? 😂)’

👋 Hey Chechi, leave it to us! … we’re banning you from butter chicken!

For the rest of you - we’re open from 12pm.
Walk ins welcome. We’re not expecting busy.

x Babajis

📸 Kappa & Kerala fish curry

MENU -https://www.babajiskitchen.com.au/images/babajis-kerala-kitchen/June-25-Warburton-menu.pdf

29/05/2026

You’re happy? We’re happy!

😊 See you today for lunch / dinner.

Kitchen’s open at 12-9pm … (and my phone will be 🔒 so I don’t find cheeky surprises like this from the ‘misbehaving kids’)

👉🏽 Biryani’s cooking.
👉🏽 Sadya available.
👉🏽 Pomfret fry marinating.
👉🏽 Toddy. We got toddy!

Walk ins should be ok today.
We’re not looking crazy busy.

Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen Belgrave
South Indian restaurant
📍 1/1644 Burwood Highway, Belgrave, Dandenong Ranges

⏰ Lunch & dinner, Mon, Thurs-Sun.
🌴 Us - https://tinyurl.com/28nut5cb
🚆 Catch the train to Belgrave Train Station (FREE!). 5 min walk to Babajis.
🚗 20 mins from Ringwood
🚗 25 mins from Glen Waverley
🚗 25 mins from Cranbourne
🚗 50 mins from Melbourne CBD
🅿️ Try Hayes Carpark | Behind Woolies | Train station (free & safe).

28/05/2026

… ‘that time’, when an older couple of female friends (Anglo Aussie) lent over to the South Indians on the table next to them - and scorned ‘check this fish... It’s burnt!’. 😤

A pause.

Awkardness in the air.

Before they were told ‘just as it should be’, then ordering a serve of our fish fry for themselves.

Those ‘burnt’ bits? - that’s the best bit.
The blackened shallot marinade, infused with flavour.

Kerala fish fry available all weekend.
Best enjoyed with sadya.

Walk ins welcome this weekend - we’re not expecting a busy one.

Babajis x

Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen Belgrave
South Indian restaurant
📍 1/1644 Burwood Highway, Belgrave, Dandenong Ranges

⏰ Lunch & dinner, Mon, Thurs-Sun.
🌴 About us - https://tinyurl.com/28nut5cb

🚆 Catch the train to Belgrave Train Station (FREE!). 5 min walk to Babajis.
🚗 20 mins from Ringwood
🚗 25 mins from Glen Waverley
🚗 25 mins from Cranbourne
🚗 50 mins from Melbourne CBD
🅿️ Try Hayes Carpark | Behind Woolies | Train station (free & safe).

📸 With thanks to

26/05/2026

An opportunity that doesn’t come up very often!
Looking for a role with heart, lots of cultural diversity and genuine connection to ‘community’?

⬇️
RESTAURANT SUPERVISOR
Belgrave - Full time / Part time considered
$60-75k + super (negotiable depending on experience & qualifications)

We’re looking for someone ho knows how to make everyone feel welcome, our guests & team

Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen Belgrave is an award-winning South Indian restaurant in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges. We’re proud of the food we serve, but even more proud of the community, bringing cultures together and the positive work culture we’ve built around it.

With a sister restaurant in the Yarra Valley, we’re an unusual South Indian restaurant, where local teenagers work alongside chefs from India, regulars know our staff by name and underpinning everything is always – community.

We’re looking for a warm, organised and community minded restaurant supervisor.

What you’ll be doing:

As restaurant supervisor, with assistance from our manager, you will be responsible for:

- Managing a daily team of 3-6 people.

- Run and oversee service from open to close

- Manage rosters and cover shift changes when staff are unwell

- Mentor junior team members, many of whom are in their first job

- Maintain a warm, welcoming environment our community knows us for

- Work across two cultures, our predominantly Indian kitchen team and local front of house staff with care and confidence.

Whilst experience in a busy restaurant, or café is an advantage, values & leadership style is highly valued.

You might be the right fit if you are:

- Warm and naturally good with people

- Calm under pressure

- Organised and proactive

- Comfortable leading a team

- Able to mentor younger staff

- Love a culturally diverse workplace.

- Experienced (or willing to learn) rostering and service systems (Deputy, Square, Now Book It)

- Community-minded

- Happy to work independently on occasional quiet times

Typical hours include weekdays and evenings, with an expectation of some weekend work (minimum one day).
We are closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

Head to: https://www.babajiskitchen.com.au/join-our-team.html for more info, what we offer and to apply.

Address

1/1644 Burwood Highway
Belgrave, VIC
3160

Website

https://www.babajiskitchen.com.au/

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