Melissa Palinkas

Shown the ropes by her mum, a keen home cook, as a youngster, Melissa Palinkas discovered the joys of cooking at an early age. 

Intrigued by rich flavours and a nose to tail approach to food, her passion for life in the kitchen continued to develop while working and travelling through Europe in the early 2000s before she returned home to Perth with refreshed enthusiasm for WA’s produce and the culinary arts.  

Despite having no formal training, years of hard work and determination have seen Melissa rise up to become one of WA’s most notable chefs. 

 From her role as head chef at Mt Hawthorn’s The Cabin, where she received praise for her quirky spin on bar classics and ‘dude food’, to launching Alphabet Soup - a pop-up restaurant with no fixed address, Melissa’s eclectic style has seen her featured in esteemed publications including Gourmet Traveller and Delicious and be named a national Pork Star in 2017. 

Melissa recently held the role of executive chef and co-owner of Young George in East Fremantle. Melissa continues to delight diners with her hand made charcuterie and woodfired wonders that speak to her lifetime of loving food.