Samoan primarily, with Tongan, Fijian and broader Pacific Islander dishes available. Tell us which community the event belongs to and we will build the menu to it.

Umu-style roast meats, palusami, sapasui, oka i’a, taro, green banana, lu sipi, panikeke and coconut-based dishes.

We cook umu-style and we are honest about the distinction — a traditional earth oven needs the right site and permissions. Tell us the venue and we will tell you what is genuinely possible there.

Yes. Pacific Islander celebrations often run to several hundred guests with generous portions expected, and we size the catering to that rather than to a standard per-head figure.

We ask about this directly at quoting stage, because expectations differ sharply between communities. Under-catering a Pacific Islander event is a failure we plan hard to avoid.

Yes. Funerals, church gatherings, fa’alavelave and community events are a regular part of what we do, often at short notice. Call us.

Palusami, taro, green banana, coconut-based vegetable dishes, salads and rice. Palusami in particular is a strong vegetarian centrepiece.

Yes. Islander with Indian and Islander with Middle Eastern are both pairings we have catered for mixed-heritage weddings.

Yes. Drop-off in bulk trays suits community events where you want to run service yourselves and keep costs down.

For weddings and large celebrations, two to three months. For funerals and urgent community events, call us — we will do what we can.

Yes — chefs, wait staff, chafing dishes, crockery and cutlery, or bulk drop-off if you would rather handle service yourselves.

Panikeke, fa’ausi, coconut-based sweets, fresh tropical fruit and cakes on request.

Only at private properties with suitable open ground and permission for open fire. An umu needs hours of stone heating and bare earth, and almost no hired hall or council venue in Melbourne permits it. If an umu is not possible we cook palusami, taro and pork using ovens and steamers, which comes very close in texture.

Yes, whole roast suckling pig is a standard part of our Pacific menus. We roast it to order, transport it whole and carve it on site in front of guests, which matters at a family event. Tell us your guest count early so we can size and order the pig with enough lead time.

More than a standard per-head figure suggests, because food going home with guests is expected. We quote Pacific events at higher quantities and include the takeaway trays in the plan rather than treating them as leftovers. For a church or fa’alavelave event we also allow a separate plated service for elders and the faifeau.

Yes, we regularly cater Lotu Tamaiti and church fundraising events across the western suburbs. These usually need early service after the morning programme, large quantities, and food that holds well while the programme runs long. Sapasui, chop suey, barbecue meats, potato salad and root crops are the reliable core.

Yes, we use fresh taro leaf and thick coconut cream, and we assemble the parcels on the day of the event. Taro leaf that has been wrapped too far ahead breaks down and turns bitter. For guests avoiding corned beef we also make a vegetarian palusami with onion and coconut cream only.

Yes, and it is common at 21sts and weddings where guests come from several backgrounds. A typical split keeps the full Pacific line — taro, palusami, pork, sapasui — and adds a second cuisine from our kitchen alongside it. Both run as separate service lines so neither gets diluted.

Sometimes, and it depends entirely on the site. An umu needs open ground, permission for a fire pit, clearance from structures, and a cooking window starting many hours before service. Private properties in Melbourne’s west and outer suburbs can often accommodate it. Council parks and most function venues cannot. We check before promising it and offer oven-cooked alternatives where it is not possible.

Yes. These gatherings are often large, run across more than one day, and carry an expectation of generous food for everyone who attends. We work with the family on quantities, plan for numbers to rise, and choose dishes that hold through an extended service. Timing is usually fluid around church and family obligations, so we build flexibility into the schedule.

Lu sipi with lamb or mutton, chicken sapasui, oka i’a, palusami, taro, breadfruit and koko alaisa all work without pork. Pork sits at the centre of a lot of traditional Islander catering, so we rebuild the centrepiece rather than just removing it. Where halal is required we source accordingly and keep preparation and serving equipment separate.

Yes. The cooking traditions across the Pacific share a base of root vegetables, coconut cream and pit cooking, with distinct dishes in each. Fijian lovo, Tongan lu pulu and Cook Islands ika mata all have their own treatment. We confirm which community the event belongs to and cook to that tradition rather than serving a generic Pacific menu.

Taro leaf must be cooked thoroughly or it causes throat irritation from calcium oxalate. That means long, genuine cooking time, not a quick bake. We source fresh or frozen leaf through Melbourne Pacific grocers, cook palusami and lu to full doneness, and never shortcut the time to fit a tighter schedule. It is the single non-negotiable in this cuisine.

Yes, with planning. Most Melbourne community and church halls have the serving space but limited kitchen equipment, so we bring our own holding gear and plan dishes that do not need finishing on site. Pit cooking is out in these venues. Lu, sapasui, palusami, taro and roast meats all transport well and serve cleanly from a buffet line.