Frankie Hadid has been mentored by some of the best chefs in the business, but the driving force behind Clara Luna, her new dining concept at Jamsheed Wines in Preston, is deeply personal.

“The kitchen is inspired by [and named after] my mum’s restaurant back home; the restaurant I grew up in,” says Hadid, who has worked alongside Nagesh Seethiah at Manze, and Boris Portnoy of All Are Welcome and Gray and Gray.

Raised in Venezuela by Syrian immigrants, Hadid was immersed in Latin-Caribbean and Levantine cultures both at home and in her family’s restaurant, which served Middle Eastern dishes reimagined with Latin American ingredients. The concept carries through to Hadid’s kitchen, where she seamlessly draws on both influences.

It’s reflected in the delicately sliced fruit plates, which Hadid encourages diners to graze on throughout the meal, as her family did. Alongside wood-fired flatbread with labneh and house-made pickles, she serves Venezuelan-style arepas – thick, soft cornmeal pancakes designed to be slathered in annatto butter.

“Arepas are a central part of every meal,” says Hadid. “They’re as important as a flatbread is in Middle Eastern cuisine.”

A few family recipes make an appearance, including koosa – a dish of rice-stuffed zucchini drenched in tomato broth – and chicken wings marinated in pomegranate molasses, sumac and nutmeg then cooked over the fire.

Hadid’s lamb rump skewers, served with sour cherry and baharat sauce, are her twist on a Syrian classic, while ceviche pairs marinated red snapper, a Venezuelan favourite, with chickpeas, a Middle Eastern staple.

“ I wanted to work in two things that were really important in both of my cultures,” Hadid says.

Each dish on the menu has personal significance, though Hadid sees the pippies and chippies as a signature. They’re presented exactly as they sound – clams on a bed of fries, drawing inspiration from chipi chipi (the name for Venezuelan beachside pippies), moules frites, and fish and chips.

While the Brits have malt vinegar, Hadid adds acidity and a hit of spice with a wood-roasted pineapple and green chilli dressing. Instead of being steamed, the shellfish are wood-fired, lending delicate smokiness.

In an effort to minimise waste, Hadid repurposes woodfire from neighbouring businesses in the industrial strip and Jamsheed’s spent wine barrels. Produce is sourced from Dog Creek Growers in the Yarra Valley and Farm Raiser, just across the creek from the winery. As her mother did, Hadid will rotate dishes with the seasons, and eventually plans to incorporate wine byproducts into her menu.

After years of invaluable mentorship, Hadid is spreading the knowledge. She’s joined in the kitchen by a former Jamsheed chef’s 15-year-old daughter, currently the youngest culinary apprentice in Victoria.

Lunch Saturday-Sunday; dinner Thursday-Saturday

4 Albert Street, Preston; jamsheed.com.au