Balmain, Sydney
Kazbah in Balmain was the first in a series of successful Arabic restaurants by this name that have opened up across Sydney - with more still expected. If the bustle and popularity of this one is anything to go by its no wonder more are on the cards!
It does not appear to be a huge place from the street yet it does stretch back a fair way and fits plenty of people in - which is just as well. We were there on a Sunday for brunch/lunch and it was busy - but tables were constantly being cleared and new customers were being seated, particularly for the smaller groups.
The great thing about this time on a weekend is that the breakfast and lunch menu's are both available.
The coffee here is nice and strong but not bitter. It also arrives quickly after you order it - which is important all the time - but more so perhaps on a Sunday brunch!
We both decided on the breakfast menu - despite heaps of great options available for lunch as well. I liked the sound of the chickpea fritters with pork belly shish kebab. This was served with crème fraîche, baby spinach, roast tomato, poached egg and capsicum sauce. It was a colourful dish that had a great variety of textures and flavours. It was a substantial quantity as well and the rich mixture tasted fantastic. This wonderful dish was a full meal on a plate and good value at $22.00.
Mlady decided on a more traditional breakfast option and chose the bircher muesli. It was again a very large serving and came nicely garnished with orange segments (with all the pith carefully removed), pitted dates and cinnamon salad. It was a sweet but healthy combination again packed with colour and flavour. At $16.00 for this substantial breakfast it was again great quality and value.
They also do several fresh juice combinations at Kazbah as well. They all sounded very appealing but the watermelon and ginger particularly grabbed my attention.
While I'm not normally a huge fan of ginger in drinks it turned out to be a wonderful combination for a Sunday pick-me-up. I could have had two of these. It was so nice and only cost $6.50.The award winning Kazbah is clearly popular. Husband and wife team Zahi and Penny have created a place with great food and a lively charming atmosphere. The menu provides enormous variety and the service was pleasant, attentive and helpful.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Kazbah. Special thanks to Zahi and Penny and to Daniella Leona of the Kazbah Group.
