Images: Provided.
A graphic designer who taught himself to cook through daily WhatsApp calls with his mum has turned a passion born in a student dorm room into his first permanent Adelaide restaurant.
Shams Rilwan and his wife Rafia Sarwar officially opened Sandwich Philosophy at Welland Plaza on July 10, bringing their menu of globally inspired burgers, loaded fries, and birria tacos to Adelaide’s west.
The entirely halal venue is the culmination of years of experimenting with flavours shaped by Shams’ Sri Lankan heritage and the years he spent growing up and living throughout the Middle East and Malaysia.
“Ironically, before I moved to Malaysia, the only thing I really knew how to cook was eggs,” Shams laughed.
“After about a year of living on takeaway food, I’d had enough.”
Living away from family while studying graphic design in Malaysia, he turned to the person he trusted most.
“I started calling my mum on WhatsApp almost every day, and she patiently guided me through recipes step by step,” he said.
“The techniques she uses are things that were passed down from her parents, and now she’s passing them down to us.
“Cooking eventually became more than just making meals; it became my escape, especially during difficult times,” he said.
“Looking back, my mum didn’t just teach me recipes; she helped me discover a passion that has shaped my life.”
That passion soon extended beyond his own kitchen. While still studying, Shams began selling homemade food to his professors from a small campus stall, planting the seed for what would eventually become Sandwich Philosophy.
After moving to Australia in 2022, he worked night shifts at Krispy Kreme while continuing to dream of opening his own venue. When his wife joined him in Australia in 2025, the vision started coming to life, and they began building their business through festivals and events catering, where Shams said their food would “sell out within hours”.
The menu reflects a lifetime of culinary influences, he added.
“I’m Sri Lankan, but I was born and brought up in the Middle East,” he explained.
“I wasn’t born and brought up in my home country, so I got the chance to learn different cuisines—from Middle Eastern to Western and all kinds of styles.”
Rather than sticking to one cuisine, “I wanted to blend cultures,” he said.
“Obviously sandwiches are a Western thing, but some are inspired by Japanese flavours. Some mix Indian flavours with Western styles to come up with fusion sandwiches.”
Customers can expect smash burgers, Japanese-inspired fried chicken sandwiches, tacos, loaded fries and desserts, with inspiration drawn from Oklahoma-style burgers, Japanese karaage, Mexican birria and Middle Eastern basbousa.
He said that the menu is intentionally compact for now, but that there are plans to expand.
“I have a limited space, so I’m working with a small menu. Eventually, I’m going to be adding specials,” he said.
“Throughout my travels I had the chance to live in so many different countries. That’s where I started learning the cuisines, understanding flavours and spices.”
His family has also had a profound influence on the food he creates. His father worked as a chef in Saudi Arabia, while his mother’s recipes continue to inspire many of the flavours found throughout the menu.
“Coming from Indian culture, we use flavours like cumin. Because I was born in the Middle East, they use a lot of cardamom, cloves and coriander,” he said.
“It’s not just an everyday burger shop. When you come in, you try something different.”
The restaurant is truly a family affair, with Shams and Rafia working side by side in the kitchen, while his mum remains one of his biggest supporters.
“My mum always comes and sits with us in the shop,” he said.
Although his professional background is in graphic design and software engineering, Shams says food was always where his heart was.
“I studied with the intention of working in a corporate role, but deep down I always knew I wanted to build something of my own,” he said.
“Food has always been my passion. It comes from my parents, from my mum and my dad.
“Although they’re from different cultures, I try to find a way to blend those things together. That’s my passion, and that’s my goal with Sandwich Philosophy.”
Sandwich Philosophy
When:
Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday: 11am to 2pm, and 5pm to 10pm
Tuesday: Closed
Friday: 5pm to 12am
Saturday: 11am to 12am
Sunday: 11am to 9pm
Where: Shop 23A Welland Plaza, Port Road, Welland
Find out more here.
