BAINA Bathe
Volume 24.
Ellie Bouhadana

Melbourne chef Ellie Bouhadana, has swiftly earned her position in the food industry. Her culinary skills serve as a testament to her dedication, inspiration, and family ties. Ellie's story underscores her profound connection to food—a passion that has earned her head position at Melbourne favourite, Hope St Radio Kitchen.

As Ellie releases her inaugural cookbook, Ellie's Table, we connect for Volume 25 of BAINA Bathe, where she shares her personal bathing rituals, weekly ocean visits, and her post kitchen shift routine to unwind.

"Bathing in my tub at home is something I do for an intimate moment when I have time on my hands and to aid in calming myself. I have hot showers both in the morning, to bring me to life, and in the evening after a long day of cooking—it is a ritual I look forward to.

When I bathe, I love an intimate indoor space. To enhance the mood I light my hand-cast oil burner that my friend and artist, Joel Adler, created for Tsu Lange Yor. The fragrance is so gentle, warm and slightly spicy. I usually like the room to be quite dark and often I bring a book in with me. Sometimes I will watch a cute old film- usually about food, to inspire me."

"I live close to the beach so in the summer I like to go down to the water once or twice a week, in the winter a little less. I am lucky to have the local sea baths and steam room so close to my place. I always bring my BAINA towel to sit on in the steam room, followed by a cold plunge in the ocean. I repeat this a few times before I have coffee with a friend."

"Working in the kitchen can be really full on. Although I finish dinner service feeling exhausted, I am also left with a lot of energy from the busy night I have just had on the pass or pans. My bathing routine starts as soon as I get home from the kitchen. I pull off my clogs and oil stained clothes, pull my hair into a loose bun and jump straight into a hot shower. The water feels almost like a massage, goosebumps appear all over my body, and the steam instantly calms me. I exfoliate and wash my face with a rice wash cleanser and finish with F. Miller oils."

"My days out of the restaurant kitchen are Mondays and Tuesdays. I use those days to write new menus, newsletters on my substack, and recipes. Before I start doing any of this I often look forward to a morning swim and steam. My routine consists of meeting a close friend at the sea baths, it is a way for us to catch up. We throw our bodies into the water for a while. We then sit, feet in the sand and finish with a coffee. When I go by myself I like to take deep breaths and dunk my whole body in the water, to wash away the busy week that has passed, and any hard or stressful thoughts. Then I sit by the water with my notebook and try and get started on a bit of work—Menu writing, to do lists etc.

Every now and then I get to visit my family's place in the countryside of Wheatsheaf. They have an outdoor bath and sauna. The tub faces the woods—big trees, fresh air. Being alone outside in the bath is always a moment I look forward to. I remember seeing kangaroos bouncing by while I was bathing recently—that was special."