Maha

May 25, 2012

Marieke has repeatedly recommended Maha for vego fine dining, in addition to Michael decided to accept her advice piece celebrating his birthday this year. While the eating theatre is large, its nighttime furnishings in addition to loud-ish music lend quite the urban center bar feel.

I took this equally a cue to social club a cocktail - our waiter suggested the pomegranate sour ($19) in addition to I'm in addition to thence glad he did. The egg white froth topping the sweetness in addition to sour liquor tasted similar icecream - this is ane grown-up spider.

The card is inspired past times the Middle East (though you'll for certain run into around contemporary tweaks inward the dishes nosotros ate) in addition to comes inward a gain of styles in addition to sizes - the soufra (in 2, three or iv courses) looks to a greater extent than traditional, piece the sultans is an extravagant vi or 8 courses. You tin also become a la carte, picking featured items from the other menu. Maha impress out a split vegetarian card specially, in addition to the staff explicitly asked close dietary requirements twice in addition to thence other restricted eaters should live good catered to, too.

Michael had us all ordering the 8 course of study blow-out, though nosotros held off on the matched wine. The repast begins amongst shot-sized spectacles of an iced hibiscus tea.

And bread. Soft, warm, fancy bread. These ones were most notable for their sweetness - I mean value the circular ane was lightly spiced amongst cinnamon.

Our origin proper course of study was a carrot in addition to cumin shourba amongst carrot cous cous. The soup was surprisingly thick in addition to I couldn't gustatory modality much beyond the cumin, which disappointed me.

This medley of breakfast radish, micro carrot, pickled cabbage, mushroom dirt, leaves in addition to saffron yoghurt was pleasant, though I didn't actually instruct the hang of how these ingredients fit together. Mostly I was merely distracted past times the cabbage's resemblance to raw meat.

I got to a greater extent than into the swing of the seeds, nuts, peas, turnips in addition to beans, swiping inward the roast lemon gel in addition to crunching on the goats curd cigar.

The side past times side dish had a similar presentation in addition to was merely equally likeable - BBQ corn kernels instruct a trivial mash from puffed corn, around depth from smoked almonds, in addition to extra wet from a corn custard. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 silverbeet borek on overstep adds the extra salty-friedness that I can't resist.

Course reveal 5 featured heirloom tomatoes in addition to broken coriander falafel amongst around unexpected kewpie mayo in addition to toast foam. Though it paired good amongst the tomatoes, nosotros industrial plant life the toast foam a trivial pretentious - hummus would serve the same purpose! - in addition to thence much in addition to thence that nosotros barely noticed that kewpie mayo anomaly.

Thankfully at that topographic point was a longer interruption earlier the terminal savoury dishes arrived, though nosotros however had no promise of finishing them. The highlight was a stuffed kousa (zucchini) bloom - instead of the stock-standard creamy cheese filling, this ane boasted sweetly spiced pumpkin, a surprisingly apt match. I was less enamoured of the mograbiehi - they were chewy, heavy in addition to non total of flavour.

Besides, at that topographic point were fifty-fifty to a greater extent than carbohydrates on offer, in addition to few compete for my attentions quite similar potatoes!

We were also served a fattoush, which was lovely but alone served to triple the carb load.

Dessert was non much lighter - our origin was a loving cup lined amongst baklava crumbs containing peanut butter parfait, salted caramel, chocolate sorbet in addition to orangish blossom foam. The subtleties of the orangish in addition to baklava were lost on me but equally a card-carrying supporter of all things chocolate-and-peanut-butter, I was happy.

Our lastly dish was non diminutive, either - nosotros were served towering pots of white chocolate soufflé amongst rosemary H2O ice cream in addition to bluish berry meringues. While the meringues didn't produce much for me, the honeyed flavor of the soufflé paired amongst the rosemary H2O ice cream was striking; ane time I'd eaten all the H2O ice cream I lost involvement inward the remaining tertiary of my soufflé.

As nosotros settled the pecker in addition to retrieved our coats, nosotros were left amongst ii parting gifts - vials of ras el hanout in addition to DIY packages of Maha's famous Turkish Delight donuts, no longer on the menu.

It was a mixed repast - around of the flavor combinations were remarkable, piece others left me completely indifferent. But nosotros were all resoundingly full! I liked that the service was to a greater extent than casual than at many other high-end restaurants; it felt friendlier in addition to was however sufficiently attentive. (Even so, I'd prefer that they didn't assume the meat repast at our tabular array must live for ane of the males in addition to declare that the DIY donut packages were 'for the women'. SMASH THE GENDER BINARY, MAHA.)

Moreover, it's nifty to notch upwardly around other high-end venue that gladly caters to vegos. Though we're unlikely to notice the correct excuse to furnish soon, I suspect their soufra card would live nifty fun to portion amongst friends.

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Fellow veg bloggers Nouveau Potato, easy equally vegan pie cause got previously covered Maha, amongst alone the latter having a few gripes.

Blog reviews of Maha are abundant in addition to overwhelmingly positive - run into Suburban Culinary Adventures, Dangerous Duplicity, Barley Restaurant Reviews, Let Me Feed You Melbourne, find me a muse, Foodie Diary, please sir, tin i cause got around more, This Food Guy, Petit Miamx, Fill My Belly inward Melbourne, EAT AND BE MERRY, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE(T), anitaeat, Out of my kitchen, spicy icecream, Moon cheese pie amongst a loving cup of starshine, juganaut's foodie thoughts, Journey of an Obsession, My Food Trail, Ooh, Look..., doublecooked, 1001 Dinners 1001 Nights, The Food Blog, My Belly Is My Friend in addition to Eat Almost Anything. Bloggers study feeling underwhelmed on Sweet in addition to Sour Fork in addition to I Eat Therefore I Am, in addition to Gastronomic Goodies, piece Better With Spice made a multi-course feast.

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Maha
21 Bond St, Melbourne
9629 5900
veg sultans menu, 8 courses, $105
http://www.mahabg.com.au/

Accessibility: Maha has reasonably spaced tables, is a trivial dim in addition to loud, in addition to has total tabular array service. The toilets are highly accessible in addition to Felicity reports below that there's a elevator side past times side to the staircase entry to the building.