The word Watani is Arabic for “My Homeland”.
The definition of a Manoushi (mna’ish – in its plural form) is a soft flat bread almost like a mini pizza cooked in a wood fire style oven.
Tucked away from the bustling shops of Palmdale Shopping Precinct in Upper Mount Gravatt is the inviting aroma of the bakery and grocery store Watany Manoushi.
It is mostly eaten in Lebanon at breakfast time with different toppings such as the classic Zaatar a simple mix of thyme, sesame seed, sumac and olive oil. The manoushi can also be created to look like a half crescent pie filled with halloumi – a cheese known for its squeaky, salty texture.
Other pastries available at Watani are the flavoursome Lahem Bi Ajin – a spicy lamb mince (all halal).
If you are in the Gold Coast, please visit them here
They are open everyday 7am-7pm
I first ate their food at Aboriginal Palestine Solidarity night organised by Institute for Collaborative Race Research and Justice for Palestine Meanjin. Both the food and the night were fabulous. – Ian Curr, ed., 25 Mar 2023
