I grew up in a family where meat and 3 veg was a standard dinner. My brothers used to look at the plate funny if mum served up something that consisted of a chicken based pasta dish and ask ‘where’s the meat?’ I made a spinach and ricotta lasagne once and nearly got laughed out of the room.

So it still astounds me that I have such wide and varied tastes in food. Lot’s of things that would be considered weird on unusual in my family are things I regularly like to eat. I nearly choked the other day when I ordered eggplant and the thought of what my brothers would say about its representation humoured me.

But I digress, as I want to tell you about my latest culinary experience – Maha. Yep, for all you Masterchef fans, you heard right, the restaurant is the brainchild of one Mr George Calombaris (also of The Press Club and Hellenic Republic) and chef Shane Delia. Dining as part of The Age Good Food Guide’s Winter Restaurant Express, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but at $35 for two courses, wine and coffee, how could I go wrong?

Most of you have probably heard of Maha, and its reputation definitely precedes it. From the moment you walk down the stairs off Bond Street, the atmosphere and scent transcend time and place and you could easily be somewhere in the middle east, where the weather is humid and the colours of the desert create a wonderful palette. Spicy aromas fill the air, as our coats are taken and we are seated at a cosy table where comfy bench seats are adorned with cushions in rich colours and tapestry’s and the warm lighting makes 1.30 in the afternoon on a chilly Melbourne day feel like late evening on a Friday night.

A choice of red or white wine to accompany the meal and we start with entrée dishes to share. Tapas style dips, olives, eggplant and various others with breads and house spices leave us feeling full before we have even moved onto our mains. Larger share plates with chicken, lamb and butterfish with salad, rice and creamy mash arrive at our table and instantly I feel hungry again. The aromas are amazing and will leave you salivating for more. If the entrée was divine, then the main was heavenly.

Well and truly full by now, coffee was offered and accepted, admired and drunk before the bill was delivered in an old cut out book – a very effective touch at the end of an authentic experience.

Finally, a dash of lemon water to cleanse the hands has you walking out the door gently inhaling the citrus fragrance and planning your next Arabian encounter.

With food and dining like this in our fabulous city, why would you settle for meat and 3 veg?

Maha Bar and Grill
21 Bond Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
03 9629 5900
www.mahabg.com.au

The Age Good Food Guide Winter Restaurant Express runs until August 8th, $35 for lunch and $45 for dinner.