Steve surprised me with a last minute reservation at Maha on Friday. It's been a long hard week so we both skipped Friday night drinks with colleagues and met up at home where Steve had a 2 hour nap and I had a rest before we headed out for dinner.

We had a quick drink before heading to Maha and enjoyed a second drink at the bar. I tried their specialty cocktail - a heady mix of rum, lemon, vermouth and a violet sugar crust. Not the best on an empty stomach!

We decided to go for the full shebang and braced ourselves for the 8 course degustation. It's a new menu so we wanted to give it full justice and attention!

Opening ceremony of hibiscus tea and a passionate "saha!" was followed promptly by smoked pork hock broth, silverbeet, beans and a quail egg. I love broth and consomme type dishes and this one was salty and smoky and really quite delicious. The beans added body and substance and took away some of the saltiness and the shreddlings of pork hock were delicious.

Tuna kibbeh neya, yoghurt and wasabi foam, soy pearls, mint, cucumber and rice cracker came next; effectively a tuna tartare tian topped with a wasabi foam. I loved the concept and the soy pearls very clever. The tuna and cucumber were beautifully fresh. The proportions of the dish could do with a little tweaking for my tastes as I found there to be too many soy pearls and too much wasabi foam compare to the amount of tuna and cucumber. But lots of potential and on the plate and I can understand where this dish has come from and where it's going.

The poached rainbow trout, tapioca, dill, candied walnuts, salmon caviar, trout pashmak was a more mature dish I felt and I really enjoyed the clean flavour of the trout intensified by the pashmak which was reminiscent of the Asian pork floss and then bursts of sea flavour from the caviar.

We then moved onto meat dishes and enjoyed the corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, Iranian figs, sucuk soil. Very rich and sweet it transported me to the spice markets of Marrakech. The egg added a creamy depth and the sweet fig flavours penetrated the tender meat. The sucuk soil was a little grainy and mealy for me but I guess it added more texture to a soft dish.

Roast duckling breast, leg malfouf, roots, onion crumble was another triumph. The duck confit wrapped in a cabbage leaf was simple and just full of duck flavour and the duck breast was pink and moist. The little balls of crispy potato were a delight to munch.

Lamb loin, tahini mousse, roasted eggplant foam, freekah, quinoa, fried cauliflower and shoulder cigar looked a lot simpler than it sounds! It was a lamb cutlet coated in tahini mousse that was reminiscent of scrambled egg. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the fried cauliflower and quinoa added texture. I loved the eggplant foam that was more substantial than a foam but still very light. The shoulder cigar reminded us of the cigar we had at Cutler & Co which was filled with a foie gras parfait and a pretty special cigar. This one did not disappoint but was certainly different.

Our final main course was David Blackmore rib eye cap marble score 9+, honey, coriander seed, roast garlic parfait, shaved roots. By this time we were pretty full but the beef was so delicious that in spite of full bellies it disappeared. Cooked rare it was just excellent and I loved the punchy garlic parfait and the stodgy potato croquette ball on the side. The was a hint of spice to it but the beauty of the beef came through most of all and rightly so!

The first dessert was beetroot sponge, beetroot ganache, milk chocolate peppermint crisp ice cream, watermelon rosewater ice. I loved the dollop of refreshing watermelon granita and the peppermint ice cream was light and fresh. The pink beetroot sponge was very pretty but not my kind of thing but Steve ate it all happily.

The second dessert was beautifully presented in a box and comprised of three components. There was a chocolate and pomegranate molasses souffle all toasty brown and fluffy. Not overpoweringly chocolatey I enjoyed the sweetness of it but it was just too big!

The strawberry ice cream came in a silver tin and was childishly delightful reminding me of the milky sweet candy like ice cream that kiddies enjoy. The best part of this dessert was the little shot glass of sumac meringue, candied pine nut mint salad and pomegranate jelly. More complex and grown up than the strawberry ice cream it was refreshing and light and tropical and I loved it!

Maha was maha-vellous. Service as always was personal and attentive. We were asked our opinion on the dishes and our thoughts listened to. The pace the dishes came out was good and our late sitting didn't feel dragged out. All in all great Friday night surprise. I'll take more of those hubby!

As a former lady of leisure for all of a week and a half, it was right and fitting to enjoy various mid week lunches and and ideal time to try the offerings from Maha.

Price start at $35 for 2 courses, $40 for three and $45 for 4 courses.

Given that my dining companion was under time constraints (oh the burdens of work) we were advised that 3 courses (cold entree, hot entree and main) would be the quickest way of doing three courses so we decided to follow the advice from our super efficient and slick waiter.

We were served a platter of olives, picked veggies, almonds in a yoghurt dressing and a pine nut dip which was like a smooth hummus and incredibly delicious. We also had some warm bread. The 4 little dishes worked great together as the almonds provided texture, the veggies were sharp and lemony and the pine nut dip salty and creamy. Yum!

Next up was a salmon croquette with Japanese mayo which looked like a slab of halloumi. Simple salmon flavours with a slight crisp and still moist but not greasy. Pretty good croquette.

Spatchcock came with an eggplant puree and some black chilli. I enjoyed the juicy chicken but Stefanie fund the spices a little too overpowering.

Our main courses were pan fried trumpeter fish that come on lentils and also the renowned 12 hour roasted Mt. Leura lamb shoulder pistachio and green olive tabouleh. Side dishes were a tomato cous cous and a fresh garden salad with some savoury crunchy shards of something I can't describe or remember!

The fish was meaty and perfectly cooked and the lamb was just amazingly delicious. We couldn't finish everything and found it exceptionally good value for money.

Stef rushed back to work but I enjoyed the relaxed environment that I treated myself to some me time and had a pot of tea and read a book. I felt very comfortable and looked after whilst seated alone.

As I left the restaurant I caught sight of Treagan from this year's Masterchef series working hard in the kitchen! If my lunch is anything to judge her by then she is a great chef!

We'd tried to go to Abla's once before but had to cancel the reservation as Steve got too drunk so this time we made sure nothing stood in our way.

The idea of a rustic, homely, Middle Eastern feast appealed to us and the fact that Abla's has been around for as long as I have means it is the Melbourne place to go to for just that!

Abla's is the 33 year old baby of Abla Amad and was always intended to be a simple but homely place for traditional family style Lebanese cuisine.

So this rainy Friday evening Steve and I headed to Carlton for a second sitting dinner. The place was very busy and no table was left empty. There was a buzz in the air as people came together to eat, drink and enjoy each other's company. There were large tables and families and couples - a real mix. We were shown up the rickety narrow staircase to the second floor where we sat at a table in the middle of the dining room.

We'd always intended to feast so it didn't take us long to decide on the banquet and we'd brought a couple of bottles of wine with us to wash it all down.

Glistening black olives and some pink pickled turnip was already on the table along with some crispbread. Neither olives or the pink turnip were my cup of tea although they did look very pretty.

We started with some delicious flatbread which was warm and doughy and three dips:
Labnee - homemade naturally thickened yoghurt
Hummous bi Tahini - chickpeas blended with tahini, garlic and lemon juice
Baba Ghannooj - smoky eggplant blended with tahini, garlic and lemon juice

My favourite was the eggplant which was smoky and rich with a sweet aftertaste and Steve enjoyed the hummous. The labnee was creamy with a sharp tang and although cleansing didn't have the flavour of the other dips.

Dish upon dish of appetizer sized tasty delight soon filled our table:

Makaneek - grilled homemade spiced lamb and beef sausages. These were flavoursome and meaty.
Ladies' Fingers - filo pastry cigars filled with minced lamb, pine nuts and spices. Pretty yummy with a sweet flavour which contrasted with the other dishes.
Silverbeet Rolls - silverbeet leaves stuffed with rice, chickpeas, tomato, herbs and spices. Sharper in flavour and again tasty.
Loubyeh - green beans cooked in a tangy tomato sauce. These were the best! So simple but the beans must have been braised in stock as they had a real deep savoury flavour and the tomato sauce was sweet and yummy.
Kibbee - casing of minced lamb and cracked wheat stuffed with spiced meat and pine nuts and served with labna. These were quite dry and were made better with a dollop of the leftover yoghurt dip we had. The minced lamb casing didn't really taste of much and the filling similar to the stuff in the ladies' fingers. The whole thing just didn't come together as well as some of the other dishes.
Falafel - patties of chick pea, broad bean, parsley, coriander and spices served with tahini tarator. Good falafel, soft and moreish with a great balance of spices.
Chicken Wings - tender chicken wings baked with garlic and lemon juice. These were very tender and the meat fell off the bone. I'm a great chicken wing fan but I think they're better roasted or fried rather than baked and braised like this. Although tender the meat was a bit dry.
Tabbouleh - Lebanese salad of parsley, tomato, mint, spring onion and cracked wheat. I'm not a huge fan of parsley or mint so have never been a great tabbouleh eater. I prefer a cracked wheat or bulger / couscous salad.

Main courses weren't huge in size but given what preceded it, we didn't need too much.
Lahem Mishwee - pieces of lamb fillet, marinated and grilled. Admittedly the lamb wasn't premium tender backstrap but it was pleasant enough. There was not gristle nor was it too tough. Nicely flavoured and we enjoyed it.
Chicken and Rice - exquisitely flavoured rice pilaff with minced lamb, chicken and almonds. This was a lovely dish with chicken breast meat and a slightly sweet rice mixture. The rice was moist and almost sticky.

Finally we were served Lebanese coffee and home made baklawa. The coffee is thick, dark and grainy with a strong bitter flavour. It reminded me of Chinese herbal medicine!

Steve enjoyed the baklawa and Turkish Delight. I'm not a fan of either and was too full to enjoy anyway.

Overall we enjoyed our meal. As I've mentioned previously we're not huge Middle Eastern cuisine fans so some of the dishes don't suit our palettes. I've never liked tabbouleh or Turkish Delight and I don't think it makes a difference whether it's made by a home cook like Abla or a Middle Easter expert and executive chef like Greg Malouf; it's just not my thing. Having said that there was a lot about this meal I did enjoy and I also really liked trying new things.

Service was efficent and prompt if not the friendliest and we enjoyed the busy ambience. This restaurant is full of character and we appreciated Abla's little visit to our table!

We've walked past Koy a million times and eaten there a couple of times now. It was one of the last places we hadn't tried on the South Melbourne market strip as we'd always be enticed by Claypots or some of the other places.

The first time we went we opted for different dishes to share and since then we've also had other items too. It's a relaxed place with outdoor seating. It's nice to sit in the sunshine with the free newspapers and enjoy a relaxed weekend brunch or lunch.

The spinach and cheese gozleme is made on premises by an authentically Turkish old lady and it comes with a yoghurt dip. I love the warm doughiness of it. The cheese is barely there though so I'd love it more if there was more of a cheesy flavour. Great bread to dip in sauces and soak up cooking juices though.

The Mantar Dolması - oven baked field mushrooms filled with halloumi cheese, spring onions, dill and spices is one of my favourite dishes as it's well seasoned and yummy. Cheese and mushrooms - what's not to like?

Bıldırcın - quail wrapped in pastrami with pomegranate molasses is like upmarket KFC and pretty tasty.

Kabak Dolması - zucchini boats stuffed withh ricotta, goat’s and parmesan cheese is a nice vegetable dish. Cheese and vegetables - what's not to like?

We've enjoyed it the couple of times we've been here. We have always found service to be friendly enough. Yes they have been forgetful at times and we haven't had water or cutlery but it's corrected pretty quickly and once it's brought to their attention.