Renowned Australian chef and author Greg Malouf has once again teamed up with restaurant group Dining Concepts with the opening of Malouf’s Arabesque Cuisine.

In the menu Malouf writes, “It’s all about making traditional Arabesque dishes more stylish, and bringing more flavour and visual dimension to them.” If a recent dinner there is anything to go by then he has succeeded.

All the items on the menu sound tempting, with a harmonious combination of traditional and non-traditional. Luckily for both the foodie and the uninitiated, the charming and knowledgeable manager Adrian Hall is well-versed in the menu and is happy to explain dishes and to make recommendations. All the dishes he recommended were winners.

To Begin
We began our culinary journey with the Roasted Cypriot Haloumi in Vine Leaves with Istanbul Artichokes, which also came with potato and broad beans. At first I was disappointed to only see one piece of haloumi, but then I tried it. It had such a wonderfully intense flavour that more would have been too much. It paired perfectly with the subtleness of the other ingredients, especially the artichoke. The crunchy vine leaves added extra textural depth. This dish, like many, had a more traditional, humble appearance than was expected. It was well matched with a glass of Principato Pinot Grigio.

We also had the recommended and outstanding Poached Duck in Seven-Year Master Stock, Crispy Fried with Cumin Salt on Moroccan Carrot Salad. After having poached in the aged master stock from Malouf’s Australian restaurant the duck is then deep-fried, playing with textures it is crispy on the outside and soft and succulent on the inside. There was good depth of flavour from the complementary spices that kept coming forward, and the duck melted off the bone. The crunchy and tasty salad provided the needed contrast and contained carrot, beetroot, parsley and cumin. Again the dish had the appearance of simple fare, but was anything but. The spice and cumin paired well with a glass of Babich Pinot Noir.

Out of curiosity we also ordered a couple of Chickpea Battered Oysters, with Pomegranate Ketchup. I am not a fan of the cooked oyster and this option reaffirmed that view. While the textures were right and the sauce was sweet and spicy, the flavour of the oyster was completely lost in the overwhelming and thick chickpea batter.

The Main Event
Next was Slow Roasted Tomato and Saffron Risotto with Parmesan and Za’atar Crumbed Zucchini Flowers. A pretty presentation with the use of the flowers, this was a rich dish and is probably best shared. It is full of flavour and as my companion said, had all sorts of flavours jumping around. A lot of work had gone into the divine flowers that were stuffed with feta. The richness is nicely balanced by the addition of some crunchy greens, such as cress and parsley and personally I would liked to have even more to further balance the dish, which I think would have allowed me to eat it all. Paired with a Peter Lehmann Unoaked Chardonnay. 

Bistayeea – Morocco’s celebrated sweet spiced pigeon pie with minted white cabbage salad was our other choice. This dish is another winner, very tasty with intense flavours and juicy pigeon. The mint and cabbage salad the perfect taste and texture contrast. Despite Adrian’s concern that pigeon is a hard wine match he did a superb job in recommending a glass of Talus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Together the pigeon (and spice) and wine made this a total experience that we would repeat in an instant.

The food at Malouf’s pays homage to the cuisine’s roots and is deceptively filling, but not in a way that leaves you feeling heavy.

We could only manage to squeeze in one dessert, Blood Orange Mahallabia – Lebanese Milk Custard with Blood Orange Jelly and Iranian Orange Candy Floss. This was a delightful end to the meal and was not too sweet, with wonderful flavours and perfect textures.

The only disappointment of the evening was the mint tea, having expected traditional mint tea I was let down to receive a teabag, and I was also surprised that there was no Turkish coffee to go with the Turkish delight.

What Else
The restaurant is tastefully decorated and features Moroccan-style tiles, silver leaf, textured walls, and arabesque-inspired copper detailing in the stairwell. The room is given a warm tone from the backlit burnt amber faux-stone feature.

A high-backed banquette runs the length of one wall and the furnishings are plush and tactile. Attention to detail is evident down to the stylish cutlery. There is a sense of fine dining, in a relaxing ambience, which adds to the experience.

The service is great, in Adrian’s case exceptional. A nice touch was being asked if we wanted more bread and olives.

A small downstairs bar offers drink and snacks. Signed copies of Malouf’s cookbooks are available; the kitchen is led by Malouf’s protégé Robin Sutcliff.

Wine List
Malouf’s has a great selection of wines by the bottle, including some highly desirable sommelier’s selections. Although there are not many by the glass options they have been carefully selected and all pairing recommendations were spot on.

Signature Dishes
•    Baby snapper and giant tiger prawns roasted on the bone with green chermoula and fennel
•    Crispy honey and orange blossom pork hock with butternut pumpkin tagine
•    Clay pot roasted free-range chicken with giant couscous, Turkish sausage and sweet spices