It's pretty obvious from just glancing over these pages that I'm a bit of a food freak, or nerd as I like to say.
I love it all; eating it, talking about it, playing with it and writing about it but one foodie area that I know I need to improve in, is my understanding of Middle Eastern food.
Lets just say, that I have a growing appreciation, for appreciating it more.
I've tried the usual suspects, Abla's et al, yet find the lack clarity in each flavour challenging - yes, I know that's the point - the flavours are actually combinations of flavours; spices, herbs and eclectic ingredients. It's a mine field of foreign-ness that can be intimidating, unless you grew up with it. I didn't, it was grilled lamb chops, peas and mash for me.
I love the subtle hints of these flavours in modern Melbourne food - Greg Malouf can take full credit for his influence on a whole generation of chefs - yet to understand the food better it's not just a flirt with the flavours that I need, it's a full on affair with the cuisine... but perhaps within an accessible modern package!
Here are a few of these modern Middle Eastern dining rooms in Melbourne. I liked Mama Ganoush, I'm keen to try Maha and I am awaiting Momo's reopening, but the answer right now is Rumi.
Situated on Lygon St, a tram ride north of the cheap Italian joints that the tourists frequent, Rumi is in a simple corner shop front, that just hums from opening time at 6pm. You can tell that you are in on a good thing when a place is this busy from the moment it opens. I feel like I have stumbled on a Middle Eastern version of Spice I am.
The room is basic, quite a few tables packed tetrus style into the space, but the friendly professionalism of the staff make you forget that you could easy steal a meatball from the table next door. An perhaps you should... the dishes are intended to share after all!
We begin by asking a few menu questions, this then leads into our waiter ordering for us, the trust was built and we feel in good hands, our only request was that the Persian roast goat be included and I'm glad we did, it was fabulous.
First was the sigara boregi; perfect cigar shaped rolls of crunchy pastry filled with a combination of haloumi, feta and kasseri cheeses. Who doesn't like warm cheese and pastry?
Next it was some 'baharat' spice dusted school prawns that were fried whole until crispy, these were served with an avocado, tahini and lemon dip. The prawns were well cooked and lightly seasoned, yet perhaps the idea of dipping them in avocado was a little strange to me. Avocado is definitely one of those fruits that are very wrong hot, but the rich creaminess was a great match to the textured, sweet prawns.
The prawns were served at the same time as a very seasonal little salad of baby beetroots, broadbeans and labne garnished with tarragon and mint. Fresh, fantastic flavours.
Then we had our way, the Persian goat. A few random cuts; part of a rack, some rounds of leg shank, a little bit of shoulder. All cooked to a sticky, pull apart and suck the bones perfection. Served with a side pot of spiced salt, essentially sea salt flakes with aromatic sweet spices of cinnamon, cardamom and perhaps some fennel seed. I could eat this dish everyday for a month and not tire of it, definitely on a must try list should you go.
To balance it all off there was some pilaf rice and a sweet and sour dressed cos leaf salad.
Unfortunately the desserts are forgettable and appear to be an after thought, so don't bother further than a couple of pieces of Turkish delight and perhaps a strong and sweet Turkish coffee.
The service at Rumi nearly stole the show over the food; friendly, accommodating, and happy to explain as much as possible. They are no doubt, use to people like me being unfamiliar with the cuisine style and have found a niche in sharing the experience with a wide variety of diners.
Rumi is a place that I'd recommend; the food is exciting and fresh in flavours, the service is smart and passionate, the wine list is simple, (but with BYO at $10 you can bring something nice from home) and the room absolutely buzzes with happy diners taking advantage of a reasonably inexpensive meal that educates the palate, and the mind.
Rumi
132 Lygon St
Brunswich East
ph: 93888255
Have you tried Arabesque in Elsternwick? It's another belonging to the Malouf family. Casual and inviting, though way less fashionable than Rumi, Maha etc, the food is delicious.
ReplyDeleteI just got some of Claudia Rodens cook books and there are some great recipes in there. I tried making a pomegranate soup with meatballs and spinach and it was fabuluous!
ReplyDeleteI am of arab decent and so tend to make my own arabic food. i did go to Maha on the weekend though and it was great - just dont get the banquet as we overate! And now i have to try making the lemon yoghurt soup with a poached egg (morrocan rather than the arabic i grew up with)
I have been to Rumi for lunch and I really liked it but thought it was a little stereotypical. My cousin went to Mamaganoush and found that more experimental for the 'genre' (i have yet to try it though). How do you compare it to Rumi?
Hi Sticky
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't been to Arabesque, but I should give it a go as well.
Ran, I enjoyed Mama Ganoush and Rumi. I think Rumi was one step more contemporary that MG. Perhaps the food at Rumi was a little cleaner and more refined in application of the cuisine, were MG was perhaps a little closer to what you would get traditionally. BUT it was still quite modern and actually some dishes were quite far removed from typical Middle Eastern fair (ie a smoked trout fattouche topped with a poached egg, but there was some nice spices through it!)
Jack