Sunday in Canberra Head Chef Anj Sulit's heart belongs to two. Music sang to her core but then, food fed her soul.
"Singing was my first love. I thought I was going to be a singer, but then I discovered cooking and I fell in love with it," she admits.
"Singing was my first love. I thought I was going to be a singer." Source: Anj Sulit
Our tribe's vibe
Anj's love for both artistic mediums comes as no surprise - after all, she was birthed by a great cook who is "very particular about presentation" and is influenced by her father, architect Rolando Sulit, also famously known by his radio persona, Joe D' Mango.
Although her father's career in the Philippines allowed for the family to live comfortably, her parents wanted to give Anj and her three sisters another option in life.
Her parents' child: Anj discovered her love for cooking through her mum's food, and her passion for music because of her dad's more-than-20-years of being a DJ. Source: Anj Sulit
"We had no specific reason to move to Australia, but we liked the county. We would always visit. My dad thought about applying just so we had another option because we were just starting our careers then."
After three years of applying to migrate to Australia, the family was state-sponsored by Canberra which meant they had to stay in the state for two years. Six years later, the family is still happily living in Canberra and, almost two years ago, they started making a name for themselves there.
The Sulit family Source: Anj Sulit
On Sunday, we brunch
The Sulit family own and operate the popular Gungahlin café, Sunday in Canberra. The café serves breakfast and brunch from 7:30 am till 2:30 pm.
"Breakfast and brunch are obviously common [fare]. I didn't want to deviate so much from what people are used to; but I said to myself, I'm going to do it right. So even if it's just poached eggs on toast, it's going to be beautiful," she shares.
And for Anj, what adds on to the beauty of the café is the name itself.
Sunday in Canberra's bestselling rainbow bagel. Source: Sunday in Canberra
"I didn’t want to deviate so much from what people are used to, but I said to myself - I'm going to do it right." Source: Anj Sulit
"We wanted to sound local - that we're only in Canberra," she shares, adding, "[And] 80% of the population here are public servants. For them, Sunday is the most chill day, so we wanted to give that Sunday vibe everyday."
One of the public servants that they were able to give that Sunday vibe to was Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
"80% of the population here are public servants and Sunday is the most relaxing day, the most chill day for most of the people here." Source: Anj Sulit
"Tony Abbott visited a few months ago, like late last year. He ate at the café and he said - I've heard about this place and I wanted to try the best café downtown. We were so flattered - that was nice [of him]!" 
Public servants aren't the only ones frequenting the café. Sunday in Canberra has become a gathering place of sorts for locals, young families and students attending nearby universities.
"Tony Abbott visited a few months ago. He said - I've heard about this place and I wanted to try the best café downtown." Source: Anj Sulit / Sunday in Canberra
"Gungahlin is the second-fastest-growing suburb in the whole of Australia so there's a lot of potential here," Anj says.
Someday it would lead me back to you
As far as potentials go, Anj and her family found that not only did the café have the makings of a favourite local hangout, it could possibly be a go-to venue for local artists to play their music.
"Our family’s very into music, so we want to incorporate more of that into the café. We have more time now to actually hold events and conceptualise new ideas," she says, adding, "We really want to put music into the café because it’s a big part of our DNA."
Anj has yet to take time off from the kitchen to join the roster of musicians playing in the café; however, she is planning to find more time for her first love in the future.
"We really want to put music into the café because it’s a big part of our DNA." Source: Anj Sulit / Sunday in Canberra
Anj may have had to put singing aside for her culinary dreams, but she is grateful to have both gifts to pursue and enjoy, adding, "I am lucky and blessed that [I found myself in both food and music]."
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Anj may have had to put music aside for food, but she feels lucky to have both in her life. Source: Anj Sulit
