Birthday outings

With birthday cheer in the air, my loved ones knew what better way to make my birthday wishes come true than to take me out to a lovely restaurant for dinner and fill my belly with delicious goodness.

My birthday this year was on a very windy night that blew a strong chill, you could feel through the thickest of winter coats. However, this could not dampen my excitement for my first indulgent birthday venture, as my boyfriend had chosen well, taking me out on a dining experience which had been long on my ‘must-try’ list. Up the many steps from the Lt Bourke Street entrance awaited MoVidaAqui. This Spanish eatery was bustling with excitement and seemed to be booked out on our mid week visit. Mo Vida Aqui sports a much larger kitchen space of the three instalments from the MoVida family. There was great enthusiasm from the staff upon welcoming and even though we had arrived quite early before our booking (eager much?), we were very pleased to be offered a seat at the bar for a cider, or two, while we waited for our table to be ready. From here we had a great view of the very spacious restaurant and also a look at the hard working chefs in the kitchen. With great looking dishes being served all around us we knew we were in for a treat! Above our heads were milk crates displayed around the lighting fixtures to create a modern-industrial feel.

Once seated at our tables we drooled over the menu and decided on a selection of tapas and some items from the Chef’s Specials for the night. My highlight of the night would have to be the abalone with king brown mushroom and oyster emulsion. This dish had such fresh flavours that made me feel like I was out in the ocean and sent my taste buds into a frenzy! Another highlight was dessert – a chocolate and hazelnut praline with citrus salad and olive oil sorbet, which had a great combination of textures and the sorbet provided a unique twist to the flavour combination.

After our nice meal in MoVida Aqui’s cosy atmosphere, it was time to venture back out into the cold wind – but this time with two very satisfied stomaches which made our walk back to the car much more enjoyable. 

Then it was time for the weekend…

Two of my girlfriends started the tradition a couple of years back on my birthday and we have kept it up when all of our birthdays have come around ever since. Instead of buying each other gifts, the three of us head out and take the birthday girl on a girly adventure which normally involves a gossip, lots of wine and of course an overabundance of food! Well it was my turn again to be taken out to a surprise location and they kept me guessing right until we were at the door step of another restaurant which I can finally tick off my ‘must-try’ list (and this one had been a long time in the waiting). It was Shane Delia’s Maha Bar & Grill, partnered with Made Establishment – and I think I squealed of excitement once I saw our destination ahead! Coming from a half Maltese background myself, I have taken an interest in the hype Maha has attracted, with Delia’s Maltese influence demonstrated in his take on the Middle Eastern cuisine.

It didn’t take us long to decide that we were going to try a banquet – I believe it’s the best way to experience what a restaurant has to offer, taking away the hassles of decision making, and my friends were in agreement. We decided to go with the Sultan’s 6 course degustation. The staff were lovely, answering the many questions us girls tend to have during our decision making process (we need to make sure we have all the info so that we can choose wisely!)  One aspect that clearly stood out from the night was how accommodating they were to any dietary requirements. Each staff member that brought meals to our table knew exactly who had a dietary requirement and provided a description of how their meal had been altered to suit their needs. This was great to see, as all three of us could equally enjoy the Sultan’s greatness!

 

Stand out dishes for the night would have to be the smoked pork hock broth with quail egg, beans and silverbeet - where the broth is poured into your bowl once you have received your dish in front of you, for effect! The 12 hour roasted lamb shoulder with pistachio and green olive tabouleh was another stand out dish and a definite must try! The lamb melted in your mouth and the tabouleh provided a great added crunch. 

As this place is particularly busy on the weekends with back-to-back bookings, our table was required for guests to be seated after us. But the difference that Maha provided for us was that, instead of rushing us out the door in time for their next guests, when it came to dessert time we were escorted to the lounge where we could enjoy our dessert in a more quite atmosphere, to keep chatting and sip on a few more drinks at a leisurely pace!