Mama Baba

A family dinner with my parents leads to me ticking off another much anticipated dining experience from my 'to-do' list. After this surprise dinner, I am now one step closer to successfully eating my way through the Made Establishment family.

Walking down a lane way through South Yarra, we see the red and white striped awnings giving off a hint that if you want some great pasta, then this is the place to be! The Greek and Italian inspired Mama Baba is another of George Calombaris' gems and the menu uses traditional flavours with a modern twist.

As you walk in, the dim lighting and upbeat tunes pumping from their in-house DJ provides a cool Melbourne vibe, along with the relaxed bar-style seating.

As I can be quite indecisive (especially with so many great options in front of me) we went with my favourite dining approach and let the chefs decide, choosing the Mama Menu, allowing us to enjoy a selection of the chef's favourites. Starting with a bread bag on arrival we then ventured into meze plates, a selection of mains and pastas... and last but not least dessert!

Making our way through the plentiful courses, each dish was bursting with the traditional European flavours - from fresh vinaigrette dressed starting plates to warm garlic-infused pastas. I think my top picks of the night would have to be the seafood stew and squid ink pasta... there's something about the dark colouring of the pasta that brings the sense of mystery and intrigue.

By the end of the night, there were impressed smiling faces all around the table (not to mentioned very satisfied appetites) and I was certainly happy to enjoy my way through another Made Establishment mission.

With Gazi  now on the scene, it looks like my list has grown yet again... but with the great reputation this collection holds I am definitely looking forward dining my way through the rest of my list!