Restaurant Review: Maha Restaurant

Location: 21 Bond Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9629 5900
Link: mahabg.com.au 
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Overall Impression: 8/10

L loves Middle Eastern food, so during our recent lunch catch up, I suggested Maha. 

 

Maha serves Mediterranean inspired Middle Eastern cuisine that boasts bold flavour combinations that retain authentic characteristics.

The ambience is great. There is a distinct ‘Arabian night’ theme in the furnishings and fabrics used and it makes the whole dining experience a little mysterious.

Having dined at the restaurant a couple of years ago and really enjoying the experience, I was excited to try their bar menu.

 

I decided to email the restaurant about the bar express soufra. I received a prompt reply from the very helpful Reservation Coordinator, Sian who kindly provided me with details in relation to the soufra. I was also informed that the restaurant was currently a part of the Look, Stop, Taste event.

 

The Maha offering (which was priced at a bargain $15 per person) was designed to be a quick 45 minute lunch. I promptly made a booking as the menu was absolutely perfect given our time constraints. 

2011 Wanderer Rose from the Yarra Valley

 

To our delight, the menu did not disappoint!

Turkish bread

Corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, iranian figs, sucuk soil 

 

We each had the corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, Iranian figs, sucuk soil. We both expected the tagine to arrive to the table served in a tagine pot, with its conical cover. Instead, what we received was a beautiful work of art that looked nothing like what we had expected.

The dish was delicious.

 

Owner and chef, Shane Delia’s background in classical French cuisine is apparent in the technicality of the dish. The morsels of chicken were butter-tender. The tagine had deep and complex flavours from the use of spices. The grittiness of the corn bread brought an interesting textural element to the dish and was an excellent canvas for the delectable chicken and the sauce. The Iranian figs brought the right hint of sweetness and the dehydrated sucuk (which is a traditional Turkish sausage) added a lovely savouriness to the dish. It was a beautiful.

Hot Chocolate

The meal ended on a sweet note with a very tall glass of hot chocolate.

 

Whether you’re at Maha for a quick lunch at the bar or an indulgent 8 course degustation at the restaurant, you will be well taken care of. The service we received was outstanding. Every staff member was incredibly hospitable and accommodating. Maha is certainly deserving of all the accolades it has received.