Hands down one of the best dining experience I have had in Melbourne so far. Food was topnotch, service was attention and friendly, and excellent value for money.
Bookings are quintessential here to avoid disappointment but nevertheless, available if you choose to book at least 2 weeks in advance, depending on the size of your party. Maha does have an extensive wine menu (and cellar!) as well as a good range of cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from, something I would consider if I had more people in the group who wouldn't mind sharing a bottle or two with me:)
Diners are given three set menus to choose from and being first timers here, WL and I opted for the 4 course meal. Partly because their dessert menu sounded very appealing.
First up was the mezze which consisted of:
Chemen cured hiramasa kingfish, kewpie mayo, urfa biber, preserved lemon and sorrel - drenched in a slightly spicy chilli infused oil, this felt like a very moreish dish and two bites sufficed for me. Each piece of ingredient used here was fresh and lent the dish an overall pleasant aroma.
Local olives poached in olive oil and fel fel - one of the best locally sourced olives I have tasted. Still had a pleasant crunch to it and was seasoned to perfection.
Summer tomatoes, St. David's yoghurt, candied olive and spiced oil - tomatoes had the right acidity to sweetness ratio and were plump and juicy. I would have liked to steal WL's share of this plate if he was not looking.
Hummus, sesame and preserved lemon butter and flat bread - again, one of the best hummus I have tried in terms of taste, texture and most importantly aroma. Not shown in the picture is a bowl of flat bread that I was obsessed about. Possibly pan fried and seasoned to perfection, it matched the hummus's subtle flavours well.
Not pictured is also a plate of salmon kibbeh neya, fermented black garlic, sesame, pickled onions and mint. I was giddy with excitement and impatiently snapped my pictures, completely forgetting to scroll through the pictures to make sure I have a photograph of each dish. Salmon kibbeh neya was a mildly flavoured dish that had been paired with a stronger flavoured garlic concoction and mint leaves which again, worked out well.
Small dishes:
Harissa moghrabieh, victorian calamari, scallops and herb - Despite being a subtle flavoured dish, I personally felt that each individual ingredient had been prepared with utmost care and meticulously cooked. Calamari and scallops were both finely sliced, almost akin strands of linguine, and placed atop a bed of chickpeas and cous cous that had been cooked in (what I think) a seafood broth.
Heirloom white zucchini, St. David's yoghurt, sujuk and almonds - I cannot recall the name of the sausage used in this dish but damn, it was delicious. Heavily spiced with paprika, it paired well with the subtle sweetness of the zucchini, and was further toned down with a dash of yoghurt.
Large dish:
Market fish, St. David's yoghurt, green chermoula dressing and pine nuts - fish was soft, fragile to the touch and again, well cooked. Another delicious dish that I would happily order if it came in a bigger version.
Aged rice, Turkish capsicum, parsley and almonds - we wanted a bigger bowl of this. Enough said ;)
Slow roasted lamb shoulder, garlic and cumin, pomegranate and smoked almonds - WL agreed that this is one of the better lamb shoulder dishes we had in Melbourne and one that I am secretly certain we would fight for. Again, extremely well seasoned and slow roasted to perfection.
Summer fattoush, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, roasted garlic and toasted flat bread - I am now inspired to use bigger cuts of cucumbers in a salad.
Dessert:
Lemon and labneh cheesecake and sumac roasted strawberries - Strawberries puree had the right amount of sweetness to it and as for the strawberry ice cream served alongside the cheesecake, it was subtle enough to be compatible to it. I happily polished this off when WL offered me his share.
Olive oil and spiced syrup soaked semolina cake, summer peaches and saffron, chickpea ice cream - another winner in my books and even WL polished this off without regretting the amount of calories in it. Perfectly sized portion too!
Turkish delight doughnuts, rosewater honey and roasted walnuts - I love how the chef clearly incorporated a small piece of turkish delight in each doughnut before dressing it in some rosewater honey. A fluffy, warm little piece, perfect to sum up the meal.
Wonderful dining experience at Maha, each dish brilliantly prepared and composed, incorporating a vivid array of ingredients that worked harmoniously together. Kudos to our ever attentive waiter as well for being patient with our queries and made us feel at home.
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