Vale Sharon Kwan

Sharon presides over Lola Giuffré’s 18th birthday dinner at Hobbit’s in March 2013

Vale Sharon Kwan

Of course we are all one of a kind but Sharon Kwan of erstwhile Hobbits Café was more one of a kind than most.

Hobbits used to be on the corner of Campbell Parade and Ramsgate Avenue, opposite Porch and Parlour – where Café Aubras is now. During the day you would go to Hobbits for the best egg and bacon roll in Bondi and maybe some sunscreen. At night Sharon and partner Kelvin would draw sheer curtains across the drink fridges and serve the best Malaysian chicken curry and roti in the city. And we weren’t the only ones who thought so.

It wasn’t just the curry (and the rest of the menu) that got us there but Sharon herself who was the warmest, friendliest and most devoted to her home cooking person you could find. Hobbits became a hub for locals and that was largely due to her energy and enthusiasm.

That was a magic time in Bondi in terms of food offerings.

Sharon died of an illness in Malaysia on 12 February this year. There are many of us who will feel saddened by this.