There are times where you’d like to go out for a nice relaxed dinner without feeling the need to dress up or sit in a stuffy environment. These are the times you want to laugh heartily with friends over a delicious unpretentious meal. This cosy little spot offers just that. Read on...
The menu at Mezze explores the wonderful flavours surrounding the Mediterranean. You’ll find dishes inspired by France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Northern Africa. The portions are large and sharing is encouraged. This is exactly the kind of spot where you get together with a group of friends and order a bunch of dishes to eat family style.
That is exactly what we did on our visit here. To start off with we were recommended the jamon croquetas. The manager told us that we would never taste anything like it elsewhere. We also ordered the chorizo salad and the duck liver pate.
The jamon croquetas are indeed like nothing else I’d eaten before. These little breaded deep fried balls are filled with creamy béchamel sauce and ham. I don’t even know how they manage to keep them intact when they fry them. As soon as you bite béchamel sauce gushes out. Absolutely delightful. The chorizo salad with baby potatoes and slow roasted tomatoes are also a favourite at the table. The tart dressing works well with the spiced sausage. The pate is served with a fennel marmalade that cuts the richness and I adore it slathered on my bread.
With our appetites stirred by the delicious starters we swiftly went on to order a few main dishes to try; the pappardelle with oxtail, the salmon with puy lentils and a mustard sauce, and the lamb pilaf pie. The oxtail is braised for 8hours making it meltingly soft and flavourful. This dish is an acquired taste though as the meat tends to be a bit gelatinous and gamey- if you enjoy your meats however this is the dish for you.
"Just add yolk for a rich carbonara..."
I quite enjoyed the salmon with the lovely lentils. Puy lentils are like the caviar of lentils and only found in France. They keep their shape when cooked and have a great al dente bite. Mix it up with the mustard sauce and you are good to go. The lamb pilaf pie is a specialty here and it’s not something you’d expect. The lamb is cooked gently with aromatic spices and basmati rice. It is then topped off with a puff pastry crust and baked. Breaking open this flaky crust reveals tender juicy lamb with an abundance of flavour.
Half way through the meal we were treated to a cooking demo by French chef Yves Renou. He showed us how simple it is to make a carbonara in just a few minutes. He serves his carbonara the traditional way with a raw egg yolk. You would normally stir the egg yolk in to add to the creaminess of the dish, he puts it in the eggshell on the side so that diners have an option. We got a taste of this too and it is rich and delicious.
For dessert we decided to share the panacotta and the sticky toffee pudding. The panacotta is beautifully creamy and silky smooth dotted with vanilla bean. I was a bit greedy with this one as I didn’t leave much for my dinner companions to try. It was just too good! The sticky toffee pudding is a highly guarded family recipe. It has a rich spiced flavour and I’m pretty certain it has dates in it. It is a bit sweet though, best enjoyed with an espresso.
Mezze has also recently opened up a jazz lounge on the second floor where they serve some of their smaller dishes and snacks. This is the perfect spot to head up to once you’re done with your meal for a relaxed night with some live jazz.
More Photos To Drool On
The sticky toffee pudding is a guarded family secret
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Foodster's Verdict
Mezze
Taste
Service
Ambiance
Address:
132, Jalan Kasah,
Medan Damansara
Tel: 03 2095 0122
Open:
Monday – Saturday 5pm – 1am Closed Sundays
Pros:
You can be as casual and as loud as you want and no one will stare. It is the kind of place where you can just enjoy yourself.
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