RAISE THE BAR

Shane Delia’s take on a meze bar doesn’t let itself get overly entrenched in rules or traditions. Instead, Maha Bar looks to the Middle East for inspiration, while keeping one foot firmly planted in modern-day Melbourne. “Our whole aim is to cook unrestricted Middle Eastern food,” explains Delia. “We’re never bound by the thinking that if an ingredient or flavour doesn’t typically exist in a Middle Eastern kitchen, we wouldn’t use it.” This is exemplified in his ever popular sesame-studded beef buns, which see brisket bolstered with lemongrass, coconut cream and kaffir lime leaves, alongside harissa paste. “The filling has a South East Asian-feel to it, but the idea still comes from the great borek buns of Turkey,” says Delia. “In the good meze and arak bars all throughout the Arabic world – we include Turkey even though it’s not strictly a part of the Middle East – there’s always a sense of fun but also purpose.”

Delia’s vision for Maha Bar is also inspired by personal memories of travelling throughout the region. “I went to a really cool shanty pop-up bar in Lebanon. It was in the middle of a no-go zone, and there was art, cocktail bars and street food all done from shipping containers,” he says. “This was in the midst of shelled buildings, at two o’clock in the morning in the Mediterranean heat. It was just so fun, and I loved how local artworks were blended with incredible cocktails and food, and there was still that sense of authenticity at the same time.”

When Delia opened Maha Bar in February he wanted to capture those feelings and emotions. It’s not only evident in the food, but in the drinks and on the walls, too. “We sourced Beirut-based artist Raphaelle Macaron