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MELBOURNE | I was recently invited to the soft launch of Maha Bar, the new Maltese/Middle Eastern inspired meze bar from Shane Delia that recently opened to the public.
It’s in the spot that was home to the original Biggie Smalls Kbabs (don’t worry kebab fans, the Biggie Smalls food truck is still rolling around town) and sees Delia putting a more casual spin on his CBD restaurant Maha.
There’s a lot to like on the menu, which caters for meat eaters, but also has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. Journeying through Malta, Turkey, Lebanon and more, I’m hard pressed to pick a highlight from what I tried. I thoroughly recommend the dense, almost doughnut-like spiced beef (you can get eggplant if you want) buns filled a fragrant turmeric, coconut & harissa curry.
Another favourite is the wonderful Moroccan semolina crumpet, topped with saffron eggs, pickled onions, and salmon caviar.
Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with any of the things that I tried. “Hobz bil zejt’ – baker bleu bread, tomato paste, olive oil, gbejniet, anchovy is great, as is the gnocchi like “Macaroon bil toum” – chickpea & garlic dumplings, tomato sumac. 12 hour roasted lamb shoulder with smoked eggplant, makanek, date & lamb fat jus is super tender, and the oyster mushroom shish with toum, pinenuts, and parsley is also delicious.
For dessert, the signature Turkish delight doughnuts are always a good option, but for something different try the chocolate rice pudding, baharat & plums, and almond milk ice cream.
Arak is a big part of the drinks menu, and can be found in a variety of cocktails and infusions. Particularly interesting is the house made cola arak infusion. It’s a great introduction to the spirit of the aniseed intensity of having it straight makes you wary.
Great food, tasty drinks, and a chill, welcoming space (and still a bit of hip hop & R&B on the now lower volume speakers) all combine for a winning experience.
Maha Bar
86 Smith Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9417 3531
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Thu: 5:30pm to 12:00am
Fri – Sun: 12:00pm to 12:00am