Footy fanatic and celeb chef Shane Delia punting kebabs and dim-sims at Biggie Smalls’ Optus Stadium debut

Kebabs aren’t just for 3am on a big night out, they’re also great during the third quarter at the footy. Melbourne restaurateur Shane Delia has launched the first of his successful Biggie Smalls quick-service restaurants outside of Victoria at Optus Stadium. The outlet at aisle 144 will serve cheeseburger, fried chicken and falafel kebabs, alongside loaded fries, onion rings and spicy chicken dimmies priced between $14-$18 for the first time at the Western Derby on Saturday. For the initiated, dimmies are dim-sims, also known as the deep-fried “mystery bags” beloved at suburban footy grounds across Victoria. Biggie Smalls is the late hip-hop legend also known as Notorious B.I.G, whose lyric “if you don’t know, now you know” from his 1994 hit Juicy has been adopted as the motto for Delia’s restaurant chain. “I’m a child of the 90s,” the Maltese-Australian celebrity chef said at Optus Stadium on Friday. Delia, who was unveiled as Optus Stadium’s new culinary ambassador on Friday, launched the first Biggie Smalls in Smith Street, Collingwood in 2013. He now boasts multiple outlets, including one in the Virgin terminal at Melbourne airport, plus three Middle Eastern restaurants named after his wife Maha and cocktail bar Jayda, in honour of his daughter. His 12-year-old son Jude is still waiting for his eponymous venue. “I have to pay off the other venues first,” Delia joked. Biggie Smalls is an audacious attempt to introduce West Aussies to the humble dim-sim. “If you want something to snack on, dimmies are a cracker,” Delia said of his elevated version made from chicken, onion, cabbage and “a heap of spices”. As a diehard Western Bulldogs supporter, the chef feels “very lucky” to infiltrate WA’s footy fortress. Delia said he feels a connection to the Fremantle Dockers due to the presence at the port city club of former Doggies Simon Garlick, Matthew Boyd and Robert Murphy. “I feel their struggle,” he said. “To be a successful team that’s building and building, but never won a flag — I know what that’s like. “I feel like it’s my Perth club.” Delia, who has a tattoo from the Western Bulldogs’ 2016 Premiership on one bicep and his family motto “strength through hospitality” in Maltese on the other, has experience with large-scale dining, having catered the Melbourne Grand Prix and Australian Open. The partnership with Delia follows a two-year contract with Sydney chef Matt Moran. Optus Stadium CEO Mike McKenna said the culinary ambassadorships were designed to offer something that footy fans couldn’t get anywhere else in Perth. “We have looked locally and there are great chefs here, but what we’re bringing is a little bit different,” he said. “Shane and Matt both have profiles, they’ve been on TV shows, they’ve got great restaurants and we want to bring a new experience.” In addition to the Biggie Smalls outlet, Delia has created a Middle Eastern menu for the corporate functions, serving up to 5000 people at big match days, such as the Western Derby. “This is the biggest restaurant they’ll ever do,” Mr Kenna said. Mr McKenna revealed that Optus Stadium operator VenuesLive were poised to takeover the catering contract at HBF Park, starting with the NRL match between the Dolphins and the Sydney Roosters on August 2.