Mecca Bah - Canberra

Went to Mecca Bah for a friend's farewell and the first thing i've noticed about Mecca Bah (25-29 Manuka Terrace, Flinders Way (02) 6260 6700) was its beautiful and rustic decor. Mecca Bah has a very relaxed atmosphere and it is divided into two sections: the restaurant and the bar. The restaurant itself was very inviting and the patterned-lamps were my favorite things. The staff was polite but not very attentive as i had to keep asking them to refill the water for our tables. Our order took a while to come but it could be because we had 20+ people.

The lamps had the same pattern design as the menu

I ordered a Middle Eastern Spiced Swordfish with Spicy Couscous and loved the fish. The fish was lightly marinated and grilled beautifully - moist and juicy. The couscous was gently tossed with some pistachio which added a nice touch to the overall dish. 

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Spicy Tomato Sauce Tangine was the most oredered dish at our table. I don't usually fancy lamb but the meatballs were really tasty (and not as 'lamby') and went well with the couscous. It's a very delicious and hearty dish but seemed like it wasn't enough for the guys.

Overall the food was good and i enjoyed dining at such a lovely and cozy restaurant. Will certainly be back to try their mezze menu as well as their Turkish pizzas.

Taze Mediterranean Cuisine

It's always a pleasure seeing new restaurants being opened here in Canberra, especially when you least expect it. I was walking along Genge Street on a random day when i suddenly spotted Taze Mediterranean Cuisine (4/21 Genge Street, Civic, Canberra). Taze's decor is just as elegant and chic as its counterparts on Genge Street: Tongue & Grove and Blu Ginger, with big glass windows, modern-looking straw lamps and wooden fixtures with a little Mediterranean touch.

After a few months, i finally found some time to go to Taze with another two friends for lunch. It wasn't a particularly good day and the sky seemed gloomy, but on the bright side we had a very satisfying lunch with heaps of laughters. 

We started off with the Trio of Dips - we chose the Pembe Sultan (beetroot), Tzaziki (cucumber) and Babaganhoush (eggplant) - which was accompanied with refillable Turkish Bread. The dips are deliciously well made and i particularly liked the Tzaziki, which had a well balanced acidity and freshness to it.

We then had the Mushroom, Fresh Herbs, Feta Cheese and Spinach Risotto and the Bursa Iskender (shaved lamb simmered in homemade tomato sauce, Tazè Turkish rice with roasted garlic and yogurt dressing). The risotto was done al dente and the fetta really added that needed saltiness to complete the entire dish.

I am not a big fan of lamb but i have to say that the lamb slices Bursa Iskender were quite tender and flavoursome (i tasted two slices of lamb)! The highlight of the dish for me was the pilaf with the tomato sauce, simply beatiful!

After finishing our mains, we were definitely full. Not just full, but very full...it must have been all that bread that we consumed with the dips. That, however, didn't stop us from ordering some of the desserts that they had in their dessert cabinets. We ordered a Baklava, a Kadayif (sweet made with fine vermicelli-like pastry) and three Turkish delights, and we got to try some Revani (Turkish soft and sweet semolina cake with a sweet syrup) and Halva (almond dessert). Overall the sweets were good but probably a bit too sweet for my liking - my favorite ones were the Kadayif and the Revani though. *no photos for the Revani and the Halva, sorry! 

Overall lunch was good with nice food set in a well-decorated restaurant. The staff is enthusiastic and attentive who makes sure you are well looked after. Taze Mediterranean Cuisine is definitely a good place to go to with family and friends for a comfortable and relaxed meal.