L and I had a sudden urge for baba ganoush and decided to visit Mecca Bah, being a Monday night, there wasn’t much open as usual.
We’ve visited Mecca Bah numerous times over the years and have always enjoyed the food there, but tend to visit on quieter nights, seeing as you can’t book a table we never really want to risk visiting on a Saturday night and having to contend with the masses.
We were seated promptly indoors, being the only tables available... Yes it was a Monday night but it was still reasonably full and there weren’t any tables available outside at all. I did notice the furnishings have deteriorated over the last couple of years... chairs are looking a bit grubby and the light fittings and cushions are a bit dirty, but if you aren’t looking with a microscope like I tend to, you won’t notice these things.
Mecca Bah has had the same menu for as long as I can remember. Apparently they like to keep things routine and don’t have an urge to mix it up a little, fair enough.
We both ordered a glass of wine each, mine was a Baby Doll Sauvignon Blanc from NZ, about $9.50 for a glass.
Foodwise, all we were interested in was the Turkish pides or pizzas (we actually didn’t end up with any baba ganoush at all). L ordered the Harissa spiced tomato, haloumi, parsley and roasted eggplant ($19.50), whilst I went for the Pastirma, roast garlic, fennel and goats cheese ($21). We also ordered a fattoush to share, which is a Lebanese bread salad ($12).
Our food took no time at all to arrive which was great as L was so hungry he was chewing on his own arm (ok not quite).
Both pizzas looked amazing and huge, I was wondering if I was going to get through it all. Only problem was, I couldn’t actually cut through the lovely thick pastirma, which is similar to prosciutto only thicker and made of beef. I really needed a sharp steak knife, which is something I noticed other diners around us had accompanying their pizzas. Getting the attention of a waitress proved difficult so L had to go up to the bar to get the knife. I think this was partly because we were in the table in the corner at the back of the room, so we weren’t very obvious.
Once I had the correct utensil, I could enjoy my meal. The pastirma was really chewy and salty, just as it should be, however getting through a whole pizza coated with it was a bit tiresome towards the end. I felt the whole thing was a bit dry and it needed some yoghurt or tomatoes on it to moisten it a bit. There was a nice pile of fresh rocket and red onion on top which I liked.
L’s pizza on the other hand, was beautifully moist, however his only complaint was that there needed to be more of the harissa tomato, which is the main reason why he ordered it.
The fattoush, which was a salad consisting of tomato, parsley, mint, cucumber, red onion, spring onion, sumac and bits of toasted bread, was really refreshing and just the thing to accompany our meals. I was glad I had ordered it rather than bread and dips, or any of the meze plates.
Overall, Mecca Bah is a great place for a meal, particularly for a larger group as meals are cheap and designed to share... Only problem with visiting with a larger group is that you cannot book a table.
Its been there for a few years now and is looking a tiny bit tired, but the food is still great. No doubt we’ll be back for another pizza soon.
Love,
C
C
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