Walking into Mecca Bah, you’re literally whisked away to another world. Flowing gold curtains and lashings of red, orange and gold line the walls, while couches, soft cushions, lamps and a scattering of candles spread throughout the cosy venue. It doesn’t take long to feel a million miles away from Manuka.
When we visited, we chose to sit inside on the unseasonably cool December evening, but when the weather finally decides to warm up, the large outdoor seating area oozes just as much character.
The menu features a selection of mezze, Turkish pizzas, Grills, Moroccan Tagines with cous cous and desserts, plus a wide range of wines, cocktails and mocktails to wash down your meal. The dishes are a modern interpretation of Middle eastern and Moroccan cuisine, and offer a journey for the senses.
For entrée, we shared the Spicy lamb & pinenut boureks and the Kataifi pastries. The Spicy lamb and pinenut boureks dish came with four tasty pastry triangles, filled with quite a spicy lamb and pinenut filling. The Kataifi pastries also came with four pastry balls, filled with flavoursome Middle Eastern cheeses. A bit of a tip – there is no elegant way to eat this crumby, messy morsel. Scrap the knife and fork, dig in and use your fingers.
Moving on to mains, we selected two main dishes, and two sides.
Beautifully served in large blue and green tagine and served with cous cous, the lamb meatballs were baked with egg & spicy tomato sauce. The flavours in the wholesome and delicious dish were perfectly accompanied by the Middle Eastern coldslaw with pastirma, which we were told is the most popular dish on the menu.
While all of the dishes were delicious, the Roast pumpkin, chilli, pomegranate jam & fetta Turkish Pizza was the absolute favourite at our table. The long, ovular pizza was carefully covered in slices of pumpkin and fetta, and then piled high with greens and chilli, plus two large dollops of pomegranate jam. The jam was what really made the dish, with the sweetness a delight on the tastebuds.
On the side, we tried the Fattoush, a fresh Lebanese bread salad with tomato, cucumber, red onion and chunks of bread which soak up all the flavour.
Despite the fact that I could have quite happily kept the Turkish Pizza all to myself, the food at Mecca Bah is best shared, and if you have a minimum of 4 people, the banquet is a great option, starting from $35 per person.
All of the food on the Mecca Bah menu is also available as takeaway, and the Turkish Pizzas offer a gourmet alternative for a night in.
With very little room left for dessert, we opted to try some of the Middle Eastern pastries. The delicate, homemade bite-sized pieces come beautifully arranged, with a healthy dusting of icing sugar. Similar to Baclava, the Lebanese Ladies Fingers were delicious , with a light, crispy pastry exterior. To finish off our evening, we had some of the decadent Turkish Delight, which no trip to Mecca Bah is complete without.
From entrees right through to dessert, the food at Mecca Bah featured an incredible range of flavours and provided an authentic Moroccan experience. Pop in to experience a true mini oasis.
