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Tuesday May 22, 2012

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Ela Carte discovers Agraba

Posted by: Ela Carte | 4 March, 2011 - 11:28 AM
The view to Errol Street at Agraba Bar and Mezze

Agraba – 63 Errol Street Nth Melbourne  www.agraba.com.au     

Errol Street is a cool little strip. Not too cool for school, but just a relaxed destination with a growing number of terrific eateries and bars. One of the more well known Errol St institutions is Errol’s Café, but its owners have set up a few doors down a more unique, and boutique Mezze and Bar that looks destined to garner its own cult status.

Agraba has multiple meanings, and lucky for the owners they seem to be complimentary rather than blush-inducing. It initially comes from a junior member of the family and has links to the fictional land of Aladdin, but as pointed out by Turkish friends – in that language it means “relative” or family member, and this is almost more fitting as Agraba aims to churn out the simple, tasty fare you’d sample in many a Lebanese home.

The interior is small, and the décor rich and warm. Little touches like ornamental water jugs filled with mint sprigs, quirky lamps, and charming glass plates give hints that some thought and finesse has gone into this establishment. Service is prompt enough, and what staff may lack in detail, they make up for in charm. I wanted to try the Lebanese wine so asked what it tasted like. Don’t know that our waiters quite knew, but their arrival with a tasting glass was a perfect solution to everybody’s dilemma.

The wonderful thing about Agraba is that they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, they know that Lebanese cuisine boasts some great, simple, flavoursome fare and so they’re sticking to what they know best. There’s a great selection for vegetarians and meateaters alike.

Some of the standouts included:

Arnabeet Meklieh – a minimal plate of cauliflower and broccoli florets that have been blanched, drained and then fried; accompanied by a tahini sauce, lemon and bread. Seriously, this is the stuff I had to be forced, cajoled, threatened to down as a child – I have no idea how they can cook it so simply but make it so delicious.

Kibbeh Meklieh – or as I like to call it, the lamb football. Definitely one for the carnivores, it’s a combination of spiced lamb, pinenuts, and yoghurt enveloped in a mixture of more lamb and cracked wheat, fried and served with tangy yoghurt.

Fatoush Salad – So often with Middle Eastern and African salads I’m amazed at how they can take such plain ingredients, put them together with functional dressings like lemon juice, oil, salt, and come up with such a flavour packed result, this one all the more better because it tastes so healthy. The guilt factor of the lamb football is simply washed away.

What makes the meals here even more impressive is that the superwoman who bashes them out of the kitchen is an absolute star. Hanen works on her own, cooks everything fresh, and does it with a smile. When I asked her about recipes for some of my favourites, she was generous with tips and even pushed me to come back in to have a look at some of it in action, I’m still considering taking her up on the offer! 

Prices are terrific here. We made ourselves ill on six savoury dishes and one dessert, and the total food bill came to $68. The Lebanese red went down a treat, it was $10 a glass, but there’s plenty of other local and international varieties available and a good selection of beers.

For novelty factor, Agraba promises that if you bring in something decent on vinyl, they’ll give it a spin while you enjoy your meal. Never one to shy from a challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed the Aretha Franklin we took along – hadn’t had time to give it a listen yet, so proved yet another reason to head back in the not too distant future.

3AW Food - Eating Melbourne

3AW Food 3AW is Food: Melburnians love to eat so it's fortunate we live in the culinary capital of Australia. On this dedicated food page you will find the latest recipes by Bob Hart as well as Tony Leonard's Pub of the Week reviews. La Luna head chef Adrian Richardson also serves up a dish from his own cook book and food reviewer Ela Carte visits one of Melbourne's hottest eateries weekly.

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