Maha

Ph: (03) 9629 5900; 21 Bond St, MELBOURNE 3000 www.mahabg.com.au

Middle Eastern, $$
Open Lunch and Dinner 7 days; Licensed; AE DC MC V
Chef Shane Delia Score: 16/20 (13-05-08) Owner

Other published opinions

Herald Sun Claire Sutherland, 10-06-08 Score: **** "Lebanese food is super-cool in the hands of a chef of Maltese extraction"

Herald Sun Simon Plant, 13-05-08 Score: 16/20 "Barely-two months old, Maha shows a maturity that belies its youth. Shane Delia is firing ideas in all directions and most are hitting the target. The service is well attuned, f a tad formal. The drinks list is a magic carpet ride through the Middle East and Mediterranean. Maltese lager, Israeli shiraz and Sardinian vermentino are exotic options. And $8 buys bottomless refills of sparkling mineral water."

The Age John Lethlean, 22-4-2008 Score: 15/20 "Deep inside the sophisticated timber, leather and faux Persian-rugged salon that is Maha, a young waiter in a snappy red apron places two dishes before us. Each contains two little crab dumplings - chiche barak - like something you might see at yum cha, topped with shredded cucumber and ras al hanout, the all-purpose sweet and mystical spice mix that varies from kitchen to Arabic kitchen but provides each with top-shelf seasoning. From the traditional brass tray he bears, a matching brass "jug": into each he pours a slightly sour yoghurt and rice "soup", the colour and texture of congee, around the dumplings"

Herald Sun Bob Hart, 15-03-08 "AT LEAST one splendid new word has emerged with the opening of this elegant, below-stairs Middle Eastern bar and grill. New to me, anyway. The word is "soufra" which, according to one of many helpful menu definitions, means "open table" in Arabic. Here, however, it seems to mean "more excellent food than you can jump over, plus a couple of extra courses for good measure". Or something like that."