Meal #40 – Georgia

It’s always fun to get into something when it first gets started, whether it’s a new fashion fad, or a great new band, or even a brand new restaurant. Taste of Georgia has only opened recently, about six months ago, and focuses mainly on take-away meals. In fact, the awning still has the word “Seafood” painted across it, an indication of the buildings previous ‘life’. They have plans to expand to a dine-in restaurant; according to the owner the dine-in menus will be arriving in a couple of weeks (we were given take-away menus with the prices adjusted in pen), and we assume that by then there will be more tables and chairs brought in too!

Taste of Georgia
365 North Rd, South Caulfield
9578 8350
Open 7 Days a Week
Mon to Thurs from 4pm – 8:30pm
Fri to Sun from 12pm – 8:30pm

When we first walked into Taste of Georgia we were shocked – it was empty! Not empty as in there were no people (there were several ethnic Georgians waiting for take-away); but empty as in no tables and chairs. There were three small tables, with a couple of chairs each, at the back of the restaurant – but these appeared to be aimed at giving take-away orderers a place to sit, rather than for dining. The rest of the restaurant was empty, except for a couple of benches covered in large jars of pickles, and a single table near the window that was reserved for us (to give them credit, it was laid out nicely). On seeing this, our expectations dropped…on seeing the bain-marie our expectations plummeted!

Our worries were quickly put aside as all our food was prepared for us as we waited, and once we tasted the dishes, we knew we were on a winner. This weeks gorgeous group of Georgian gastronomic geniuses were Caroline, Rami, Nick Deb, Paul and Sai.

Dishes:

Hinkali – Georgian dumplings stuffed with meat
Chebureki – Fried Crimean meat pie
Crepes with meat filling
Lamb Cupati – sausages
Satsivi – Roast chicken in garlic walnut sauce
Pork Shashlick – Pork fillet marinated for 24 hours
Marinated Carrots
Marinated Eggplant
Red Cabbage Salad
White Cabbage Salad
Roast Potatoes

The Meal:

Of the vegetarian dishes, the marinated carrots were the best, followed closely by the marinated eggplants. The roast potatoes were brilliantly done, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside; a complimentary, spicy chutney perfectly complemented the potatoes.

This chutney also complemented the meat dishes magnificently. The ‘meat’ in these dishes was a mixture of beef and chicken, and the overwhelming differences between the dishes was the carbohydrate it was served in – the juicy dumplings, the soft crepes, and the crunchy pastry of the Chebureki. That being said, the Hinkali were spicier than the other dishes. The Cupati sausages were favourably received, with a hint of coriander highlighting the natural flavours of the lamb.

The roast chicken of the Satsivi was served cold, which, although unexpected, worked nicely with the garlic walnut sauce. The pork shashlick was also well received, as were the chips it was served with (although these were well received by everyone stealing them off the plate).

Overall:

The menu states that the Taste of Georgia serves “Exotic, Mysterious and Unique food from Georgia.” Although not necessarily living up to these very lofty claims, Taste of Georgia still serves very delicious meals that are well priced (for a real bargain check out their take-away only banquets!). Once this eatery fully develops into a dine-in restaurant we expect to see it reported in Cheap Eats.

Next Stop: Georgia

Georgian cuisine is famous for its uniqueness and diversity; every historical province of the country has its own distinct cuisine. An experienced traveller may discern some similarities between Georgian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Georgian food includes all types of meat and fish. The choice of fruits, appetizers and vegetarian meals is even wider – as an ancient settled culture Georgians developed a rich vegetarian menu. The different combinations of a variety of spices, fresh organic food, and the excellence of the cooks, make Georgian food an unforgettable experience.

Georgia is one of the oldest wine producing regions of Europe. Grapevine has been cultivated in the fertile valleys of the South Caucasus for at least 7000 years. Because of that the traditions of its viticulture are entwined with the country’s national identity. Georgia is believed by many to be the source of the world's first cultivated grapevines, and many also believe that the word wine is of Georgian origin.

Some tradition Georgian dishes include:

Khachapuri – is a filled bread dish from the Caucasus. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise, and is shaped in various ways. The filling contains cheese (fresh or aged), eggs and other ingredients. There are several types of khachapuri in Georgian cuisine, depending on region of origin

Khinkali – Georgian dumplings filled with various fillings, but usually spiced meat.

Churchkhela – a traditional candy originating from the Caucasus. Churchkhela are walnuts sewn onto a string, dipped in thickened white grape juice and dried.

Information from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_wine

Meal #39 – Armenia

We were warned by our Indonesian correspondent Naomi (who is currently frolicking around Europe with our Paris correspondent Lisa) that it was important to book before attempting to dine at Café Armenia. Ignoring her warnings we rocked up last Sunday for an Armenian lunch, only to find the restaurant closed – even though they advertise that they are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner (it was even written on the door!). So taking no chances this week, we booked online – and for our troubles the booker received a complimentary glass of Armenian red wine…filled to the brim! Nice :)

Café Armenia
179 Booran Rd
Caulfield South
Open 7 days
9.30 – 2.30 for breakfast and lunch
5.30 – 11.30 for dinner

Café Armenia promotes itself as “The only restaurant in Melbourne where you can enjoy Armenian cuisine” and appears to be the hub of the Melbournian Armenian community; it is filled with the sound of families and friends speaking Armenian, and there is a stunning Armenian photo-landscape above a stage where live Armenian music is played on Saturday nights (unfortunately we left before this began). This eatery appears to be the most authentic cultural encounter we’ve experienced yet (including the horrid Armenian fashion sense, with females diners wearing leopard-print stretch tops and red snake-skin boots!)

This week’s amazing assortment of astute Armenian assessors were Rami, Caroline, Paul, Deb, Marty, Sai and Nick.

Entrée:

Beans – Dip with kidney beans, garlic, walnuts
Pickles – Cucumber, cabbage, cornflower, sweet and hot paprika
Eggplant – Eggplants, walnuts & garlic

Mains:

Soups:

Chanakhi – Spicy soup with beef, beans, potatoes and garlic in a special sauce
Solianka – Soup with ham, sausages, olives and lemon

Barbecues:
All served with fried potatoes and fresh vegetable salad

Lamb off the bone
Chicken
Vegetarian – tomato, capsicum, eggplant

Entrée:

Before the meal started we were treated with complementary pita bread and a spicy tomato dip. The pita bread was also used for the bean dip, which had a subtle flavour and a thick consistency. The pickled vegetables were great – the best being the cucumbers and the large, sweet paprika (chillies). The small, hot chillies packed a punch, especially when you were expecting the sweet chillies! The highlight of the entire of meal, however, was the eggplant stuffed with walnut and garlic paste, the three flavours mixing amazingly well.

Mains:

The two soups were well received, with large servings and chunky ingredients making them a great meal within themselves. The spicy chanakhi was considered the better of the two soups sampled.

The barbeque lamb was tender and juicy, with a wonderful taste that only comes with masterfully barbequed meat. The barbeque chicken was also tender and juicy, with a marinade that emphasised its natural flavours. We were disappointed that there were only six pieces served with each dish. However, the meats were served on large, sword-like skewers that made the meal seem far more dangerous and exciting than your usual night out.

Unfortunately the barbequed vegetables were not of the standard of the meat dishes, and were a great disappointment – especially as they were not served with the promised fried potatoes.

Overall:

Café Armenia offers an authentic Armenian experience, demonstrated by the fact that it is aimed at the Armenian community of Melbourne. The food, on the whole, was amazing (especially the entrées) and well priced. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the complimentary pita bread and dip was unexpected, but appreciated (as was the complimentary glass of wine for booking on the internet!). This restaurant offers a unique opportunity to not only taste an uncommon cuisine in Melbourne, but to experience the culture from which it arose.

Next Stop: Armenia
Which Skippy kid can skip a meal from a cuisine knows for its lamb and vegies on the Barbie? Armenian cuisine may be as ancient as the history of Armenia, it seems rather modern Australian to have vegetables, fruits and grains take centre stage in a meal, with lamb as a basic ingredient.

Closely related to Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits combine to present unique dishes. Throughout history, Armenian cuisine has had cultural exchange with its Greek, Persian, Turkish and Arab counterparts. Armenia is also famous for its wine, brandy and vodka. In particular, Armenian cognac is renowned worldwide, and was considered by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, as his favourite. You can't travel the world without a stop at a place known for its ability to get a drunk even drunker.

Armenian cuisine is not so much a static set of traditional recipes as it is an attitude and approach to food and to cooking. Partly, this has to do with the fact that a standard mixture of seasonings - known as chaimen - flavours most prepared dishes.

Besides the chaimen, garlic, onions, peppers, lemons, cinnamon, oregano, mint, tahine (tahini, a sesame seed paste), mahleb (ground cherry pits, available in Middle Eastern specialty stores) and olive oil round out the rest of the Armenian seasoning cupboard.

Dinner (jash)

The evening meal occurs after 5 p.m., with restaurants and bistros serving until midnight or the last guest leaves. A full course meal in Armenia begins with appetizers (also known as salads), that feature herbs (greens), cheese, sliced sausage, basturma and sujukh (dried spicy beef), prepared bean and vegetable salads and bread. First course is usually soup (spas, borsch, piti are specialties to ask for), or other prepared specialty (mushroom julienne is something to try). The main course is a variation on meat or fish, though there may be two main courses, varying between the two. Tradition demands that fruit and dessert always completes the menu, along with a demitasse of Armenian coffee and sweets.

For more information go to:
http://www.tacentral.com/dining.asp
http://middleeasterncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_essential_armenian_pantry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_cuisine

Meal #38 - Turkey

We fought them on the beaches…but that was a while ago. Now Australia is friends with Turkey, which is brilliant, because there is nothing more Australian then finishing a big night on the booze by stuffing one’s face with a huge Turkish kebab! (just like in that VB ad)

Meze
Turkish Restaurant
250 Glen Eira Rd, Elsternwick
Open Monday – Saturday
5:00 – 10:00pm

Melbourne is famous for its many wonderful Turkish restaurants, especially on Sydney Rd. However, that was too much of a schlep for us, so we went to one that was much nearer to where most of us live. Meze is a small eatery located in a small group of shops which included a store that comprises solely of two vending machines filled with kosher snacks – we really didn’t travel all that far to get there, did we? (In fact it is only a 5-20 minute walk for many of the diners!)

Most of the restaurant comprises the cooking area, including a large, traditional, earthen oven at the front of the store used for cooking pides. The tremendously talented Turkish tasters for this week: Caroline, Rami, Paul, Deb, Helen and Nick, managed to get a table at the back of the restaurant, in the incredibly small, “main” dining area.


Entrée:

Soslu patlijan – Slices of oven baked eggplant with yoghurt and tomato paste
Vine leaves dolma – Rice wrapped in vine leaves

Mains:

Shish kofte – Burger on skewer (5 per serve)
Karisik izagara – combination of grills
Aciki pide – Ground beef (spicy), onion, capsicum spread on thin pastry base
Sucuklu pide – Turkish sausage
Ricotta Salad – Turkish fetta cheese, tomato paste, cucumber, lemon, onion, tomato and sweet paprika

Desserts:

Lokum – Turkish delight
Baklava – Flaky pastry in syrup with walnut filling

Drinks:

Ayran – Beaten yoghurt
Turkish cofee

The Meal:

All the dishes arrived at pretty much the same time, so there was no real distinction between entrée and mains. The dolmas were lovely, but nothing special and the salad was overly focused on onion. One of the more interesting dishes was the sucuklu pide, with its Turkish sauage, plus eggs, on pide bread – it was a fried English breakfast pizza!

The ground beef pide, aciki pide, was enhanced by the addition of lemon juice – such is the case with many meat dishes from that region. This was also the case with the shish kofte and the combination grills; both of which were received favourably.


The highlight of the meal was the dessert – which is where Turkish food excels – with the Turkish delight and baklava bring joy to the heart of any sugar-lover.


Unfortunately the other staple of Turkish cuisine, the Turkish coffee, wasn’t that good. This was made up for by the subtle flavours of the beaten yoghurt drink.


Overall:

For what Meze is, a small Turkish eatery in suburbia, it makes for an enjoyable experience. The food is tasty and well priced; the staff are friendly and attentive; and the atmosphere is friendly. However, to experience the preeminent Turkish cuisine in Melbourne it is probably best to make the effort and trek over to Sydney Rd in Brunswick.

Many weeks ago an intrepid team of suburban Melbourne gourmets travelled into the heart of Central Asia, via Brunswick Street, to taste the delights of authentic Afghan cuisine. No review ever came back. It was thought lost forever. But now, at last, for the first time on this website, the story of that meal can be told…

Meal #34: Afghanistan

It’s been the low season for tourism in Afghanistan for a while now but there was a time when this spectacular country was a must-stop destination for any serious backpacker. While the Afghanistan of old, a legendarily relaxed land of tea-rooms, colourful bazaars and caravanserais, seems to have dissipated like a desert mirage, on Brunswick Street we found an oasis where some of the old spirit lingers on.

Afghan Gallery
327 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy

Brunswick Street, being something of a bazaar itself, seemed the perfect spot to find authentic Afghan cuisine. The Afghan Gallery is something of a Brunswick Street institution, and many passers by have been tempted in over the years by the promise of fine cuisine and the exotic pleasures of the “Afghan tent party” advertised on the chalkboard out the front.

Eight diners came on our Afghan foray - Rami, Caroline, Nick, Paul, Deb, Sai, Kel and Regan. The restaurant was divided into two sections – the downstairs area, which had standard western-style table settings, and the “tent party” upstairs, where diners lounged around low tables on sofas that appear to be have been upholstered with Persian rugs. The illusion of a tent setting was completed by a riot of colourful wall hangings. Naturally, we chose to have our meal in this section. Unfortunately the camera had technical difficulties, so please excuse the correspondent-style photos taken from a mobile phone, which don’t really do the colours and atmosphere justice.

Despite the exuberant surrounds, the staff didn’t appear to be in party mode. They were brusque and bristled if asked questions that didn’t involve actually ordering a meal. While waiting for some late-running diners we asked if we could get a plate of dips to tide us over in the meantime. Apparently not. We had to order everything at once. “No, kitchen very busy” was the last, and indeed only, word on the matter. Admittedly, the place was very busy, with constant streams of diners coming in and out. We took this as a good sign and after finally getting to order we eagerly awaited our meal.

… and waited.

…and waited.

…and continued to wait, at first eagerly, then a bit angrily, then simply hungrily. All in all, we had been on our low-slung sofas for well over an hour before any food got to the table. When it arrived though, it was like rain in the desert.

The meal

Afghan food, similar to northern Indian and Pakistani cuisine, relies more on subtle mixes of spices than on hot curry. Yogurt-based sauces appeared to be common. The menu also offered a range of vegetarian dishes, with lentils a common ingredient.

We started with the ubiquitous middle eastern entrée – the dip platter with unleavened bread – along with some Afghan specialties. There were pakouras - deep fried vegetables served with a refreshing yogurt sauce - and ashak, leek pastries, that came with a spicier sauce using yogurt and lentils. Together with a hearty vegetable soup, these tasty starters helped restore the mood after the long wait.

Things only got better as the mains came out. The kofte – spiced meatballs – were described by one diner as the best they’d ever eaten. Another favourite was the vine leaf roll, or dolma. Unlike the small dolmades that are becoming a delicatessan standard in Australia, this was a large meal-sized roll, exquisitely tasty and served with an excellent sauce. It was good enough that we even braved the surly service to order a second helping.

Most of the meat dishes on the menu were either qormas (ie curries) or kebabs. We had both the lamb and beef qormas. Both were great, although we concluded that lamb worked better with the mild Afghan spices, seeming to soak up and enhance the flavours more effectively than the beef, which could overpower the spices with its own strong flavour. This interplay of lamb and spice came into its own in the kebab barg, elevating a simple meal of lamb skewers on rice into a masterpiece. Our other kebab dish, the kebab karai, was a surprise, as it came as a hotpot. Chunks of lamb were served in a claypot along with mixed vegetables, olives and egg, the flavours blending into each other, for a sumptuous one-pot feast.

Rice came with most dishes and, of course, no Afghan meal would be complete with the signature Afghan dish, the pulao. The Kabuli pulao was a blend of rice, beef, carrot, almond and sultana, a semi sweet and wholely satisfying combination.

The verdict

Afghan Gallery played a delicate balancing act, weighing slow and surly service on one side versus brilliant food on the other. In some ways it was reminiscent of the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld. Yes, the process of getting the food was more difficult then it needed to be, but it was worth it in the end. While the service irked some diners, all was forgiven when the meal arrived and we wouldn’t hesitate to return. We wouldn’t try to fit in a quick meal before or maybe a movie or something though - go into the Afghan Gallery and who knows when you’ll come back out?

Mains were in the $15 - $20 price range and they have to be tasted to be believed. One warning though: after a long time on a low seat, enjoying a banquet of sumptuous food, getting back on your feet can be a creaky, awkward business. Or is that just us getting old after travelling over almost half the globe?

Next Stop: Turkey

Turkish cuisine inherited its Ottoman heritage, which could be described as a fusion and refinement of Turkic, Arabic, Greek and Persian cuisines. Turkish cuisine also influenced these cuisines and other neighbouring cuisines, as well as west European cuisines. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia such as yogurt. The Ottoman Empire indeed created a vast array of technical specialities. It can be observed that various regions of the Ottoman Empire contain bits and pieces of the vast Ottoman dishes.

Taken as a whole, Turkish cuisine is not homogenous. Aside from common Turkish specialities which can be found throughout the country, there are also region-specific specialities. The Black Sea region's cuisine (northern Turkey) is based on corn and anchovies. The southeast—Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana—is famous for its kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayıf and künefe. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking. The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions display basic characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine as they are rich in vegetables, herbs and fish. Central Anatolia is famous for its pastry specialities such as kashkak, manti and gozleme.

The name of specialities sometimes includes the name of a city or a region (either in Turkey or outside). This suggests that a dish is a speciality of that area, or may refer to the specific technique or ingredients used in that area. For example, the difference between Urfa kebab and Adana kebab is the use of garlic instead of onion and the larger amount of hot pepper that kebab contains.

One of the most famous and common traditional stone baked Turkish specialities is pide (or Turkish ‘pizza’). Pides consist of a base of rolled out dough which is covered in various toppings. Like pizzas, pide toppings are extremely versitile and can be made with minced meat (together with onion,chopped tomatoes, parsley and spices), kashar cheese, spinach, feta cheese, pieces of meat, braised meat (kavurma), sucuk, pastirma and/or eggs.

For more information go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_cuisine

Meal #37 - Lebanon

Lebanon, where the Arabian Peninsula meets the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for the mighty cedar tree, which adorns the country’s flag; and this flag, in turn, adorns Almazett Lebanese Restaurant – leaving you in no doubt as to what cuisine you will be served.

Almazett
Lebanese Restaurant
208 Balaclava Rd. North Caulfield
BYO & Licenced
Open 7 days

The first thing you notice when you approach Almazzet, besides the huge Lebanese flag, is the Arab-style painting design on the wall near the entrance. This focus on Arabic decoration is continued inside with many (fading) tapestries depicting Arabian scenes hanging on the walls. The dinning area itself is spilt into two adjoined areas, a smaller, intimate one near the door (where we were seated), and second larger space filled with long tables, catering for group bookings. As the night progressed, these tables started to fill up with massive crowds of Lebanese diners (one table could easily seat 30-40 people!).

This week’s litany of Lebanese lackeys were Nick, Sai, Caroline and Rami.


Entrée:

Fattoush – Lebanese green salad with special dressing
Meat Cigars – Light filo pastry filled with minced lamb fillet and pinenuts

Mains:

Al Masha Weh (Lebanese Grills)
Shish Kafta – Barbequed skewers of minced lamb fillets with onion, parsley and spices

Al Bahr (From the Sea)
Samakeh Harrah – Whole fish grilled, served with tahina, walnuts, coriander, chillies, garlic and pinenuts

Sides:

Loubia Bi Zeit – Green baby beans in tomato and olive oil
Riz Djaj – Rice, chicken, minced lamb and pinenuts

Entrées:

The entrées (or Almezzat) were light, but very tasty. The meat cigars (which despite our attempts were not smoke-able) had the familiar Arab tastes well-cooked lamb, wrapped in fluffy puff-pastry. The Lebanese salad stood out from the similar Israeli salad due to the liberal, and welcome, usage of sumac – which not only brought colour to the palate, but also to the plate!

Mains:

The Shish Kafta, which was served wrapped in aluminium foil, was a delicious mix of meat and spices, but the dish was truly enhanced by the onions that were specially cooked with sumac (which appears to be a favourite spice at this restaurant


By far the most exciting dish we’ve had on this journey for a long time was the Samakeh Harrah – a whole Snapper that appeared to have been drowned in tahina dip; it was definitely a sight, and a taste, to behold.


The two side dishes, the rice and the green beans, both complimented the main dishes well, resulting in a full and satisfying meal.

Overall:

Due to popularity of this restaurant, by Lebanese and non-Lebanese diners alike, we were forced to make our booking for early in the evening. As such we missed the belly-dancer that famously entertains the diners at Almazett on Saturday nights. It is not hard to understand why this restaurant is so popular – the ambiance, service and food are all top-notch. The mains are a bit pricey, but the quality of the dishes is worth every cent.

Next Stop: Lebanon

Although the food varies little from country to country throughout the Middle East, it is when the Arab world meets the Mediterranean that it becomes really interesting.

Lebanese food combines the sophistication of European cuisine with the excitement of eastern spices, and it is Lebanon's culinary contributions that have been the greatest influence on modern Arabic cuisine. Dishes from the Lebanon provide the framework for the exotic cuisine recognized internationally as Arabic.

Many traditional Lebanese dishes are simple preparations based on grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Often the same ingredients are used over and over, in different ways, in each dish. Yoghurt, cheese, cucumber, aubergines, chick peas, nuts, tomatoes, burghul and sesame (seeds, paste and oil) are harmoniously blended into numerous assorted medleys. Parsley and mint are used in vast quantities as are lemons, onions and garlic.

Pastries are stuffed with vegetables and vegetables are stuffed with meats. Meat may be made into nuggets then cooked over charcoal. Presentation is always artistic: even the most basic dish is beautifully garnished -- a sprig of parsley here and a dab of yoghurt there.

A typical Lebanese meal starts with mezze - this can be an elaborate spread of forty or fifty hors d'oeuvres or simply a salad and a bowl of nuts. But it is always a social occasion when friends and family gather to enjoy appetizers and conversation before dinner. A meat, (lamb is the favourite meat) chicken or fish dish follows with salad and rice.

Information:

http://www.arab.net/lebanon/ln_food.htm

Next Stop: Israel

Basically, one can divide Israeli cuisine to two: Ashkenazic and Sephardic.

Ashkenazic relates to Jewish people (immigrants) from east and west Europe and Sephardic relates to Jewish people from middle east countries. The Sephardic food is full of aromatic spices & herbs, spicier and livelier in general than Ashkenazic cooking which is sweeter. Nowadays we have new Israeli cuisine which combines the two with modern cooking. The style of Jewish cooking reflects the many places that Jews have lived throughout the centuries. Jewish cooking shows the influence of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Spanish, German and Eastern European styles of cooking, some influenced by the unique dietary Jewish laws.

Many of the foods that we think of as Israeli are not unique to Jewish or Israeli culture. Stuffed cabbage, a traditional Jewish dish, is common in Eastern Europe. Blintzes and knishes are familiar to all Germans, not just Jewish ones. Many of the dishes that make up the Israeli cuisine have been brought by immigrants from the countries of their origin. Thus, even though dishes such as couscous, felafel and shishlik are extraordinarily popular throughout the country, none of them can be considered "truly Israel." Couscous, for example, originated in the Maghreb nations of North Africa; the roots of felafel are Egyptian; and shishlik first came from Turkey.

Israel is a small country. It is long and narrow and stretches just under 450 kms from north to south and, on average, is 60 kms from east to west. Israel's cosmopolitan society is reflected by the infinite range of cuisine available in the country. Any style of food from Argentinian to Zairean can be obtained in Israel. Israel is famous for its fresh fruits and vegetables. The Jaffa orange has long been a sweet symbol of the country.

Many restaurants in Israel observe the Kosher (Jewish dietary) laws. When dining Kosher you cannot mix meat and dairy products. However there are many non kosher reasturants where you can found a big saucy white (refer to pig meat) steak. Bacon and eggs too can be obtained in some restaurants. Together with the country's non-jewish citizens - Muslim and Christian Arabs, Bedouin, and Druze this melting pot gives the country its exceptional cuisine flavour.

Information from:

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/israelifood.html

Meal #36 - Israel

How’s this for timing? The weekend before Israeli Independents Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut) our culinary journey brought us to Israel. How’s this for bad timing? Our original destination, Sabra Café, was closed due to the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) not finishing early enough for the restaurant to be ready for dinner. So instead, we walked five minutes down the road to Wallah – ahh… the joys of Melbourne’s Jewish precinct (known ironically to its locals as the “ghetto”).

Wallah
Falafel and Grill
302 Carlisle St. Balaclava
Open 7 days for lunch and dinner

Israel is melting point of different cuisines due to the many cultures that reside there. This is demonstrated by Wallah’s menu, which although heavily influenced by Sefardi (Arab Jews) flavours, also had dishes based on Ashkenazi (European Jews), Arab, and Modern Western cuisines.

The décor was simple and inoffensive, with the main wall of the dining area being covered in funky insect paintings. Although the main dinning area of Wallah is relatively small, reminiscent of a café, there is a separate back room reserved for larger bookings – unfortunately, as we had not booked ahead, we had to make do with two smaller tables being pushed together. This week’s insatiable Israeli ingestors were, Paul (birthday boy!), Deb, Caroline, Rami, Sai and Nick.

Entrées/Dips:

Hommus – Chickpea, tahina, lemon blend
Tahina – Sesame, lemon, whipped
Matbucha – Spicy tomato make with out special recipe
Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad – Spicy grilled eggplant and capsicum
Pita Bread

Mains:

Falafel Pita Pocket – with hommus, tahina and tabouleh (parsley based salad)
Beef Kebab Pita Pocket – with babaganoush (eggplant dip)
Chicken Schnitzel Platter – Chicken breast with handmade crumbed spice coating
Chilli Chicken Burger – Marinated pieces of chicken served with caramelised onion, lettuce and chilli mayonnaise
Warm Chicken Salad – Spicy chicken breast fillet on a bed of fresh cut salad with a chilli mustard sauce
Wallah Salad – Finely chopped capsicum, onion, lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber, tahina, served with 4 falafel balls

Sides:

Chips
Majaddarah – Lentil rice
Arisa – Authentic Moroccan recipe, homemade, extra hot chilli paste

Entrée:


The hommus was good, not great (although it is tough to get great hommus outside of Israel and the Middle East); the tahina was surprisingly green, yet tasty; the matbucha was spicy, light, and had a strong hit of coriander; but the best of the dips was the Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad, spicy and filling. The dips were so good that we had to order extra pita bread so that we could make sure that none was wasted.

Mains:


Although the pita pockets were served without the quintessentially Israeli ingredient – hot potato chips – this was quickly rectified by stuffing as many chips (ordered as a side dish) as we could fit into the pita pockets. Magically, what were good Australian pita pockets became great Israeli pita pockets!


Chicken schnitzel is a staple dish for the Ashkenazi, and Wallah’s version was a hit, especially due to the unusual, but rewarding, use of cumin in the crumbed coating. This meal was served with rice and Israeli salad – a traditional salad made from lettuce, onion, tomato and cucumber.


The two salads and the chilli chicken burger were all hits (although the chilli chicken burger was not spicy) and are great examples of the Western influence on modern Israeli cuisine.


Overall:

Wallah offers a great variety of dishes that successfully highlight all the different influences to modern Israeli cuisine. The wait staff are Israeli (this being a popular area for Israeli backpackers to find work) and their accent and attitude helped to give the restaurant a more authentic feel. The meals are well priced, with most dishes under $10, although the larger mains are about $18.