Kazbah @ Top Ryde

It seems like there's an ocean on top of our heads. This rain is endless and the sun peeks out for only a short moment as if teasing us. If it was at least dry, I would go to the city to have my long awaited red velvet cupcakes but this darn weather just won't permit it!

To push this gloominess aside, we decided to have dinner then watch movies at the Top Ryde shopping centre. Kazbah at Top Ryde opened not too long ago. I didn't expect much because my previous dinner experiences at Kazbah haven't been that great. Nonetheless, the place was packed when we got there around 7:30 and we had to wait approximately half an hour until we got cozy seats by the heater.

With a glass of wine each, we eagerly waited for our food!

The Moroccan BBQ plate. It was so pretty! but the morsels were tiny for the Man. Clockwise from the top, grilled corn with cheese, sausage pastry, fried egg with cumin powder on top, lamb sausages in lebanese bread, grilled chicken with capsicum (?) paste, lamb meatball, and the chickpea and nut pilaf in the middle with tabouli on top.

The meatball was juicy and tender, served with a sweet sauce which I couldn't tell what it was. That sausage pastry had a texture like black pudding and was very chewy. It was a bit dry but that was what I found I liked the most. The lamb sausages were wrapped in the lebanese bread. It would have been better with a bit of sauce because it was quite dry and had no other spectacular flavour to remark. Everything was a bit bland, nothing great. Perhaps the next couple of dishes will wow us.

The beef shish kebab with Harissa marmalade. I couldn't taste the marmalade at all if there was any. The beef was tender and well grilled but it was very bland. We had to eat everything with quite a bit of salt to bring the flavour out. The chickpea and nut pilaf was quite nice though and the crunchy pine nuts added a nice roasty flavour.

First look - it looks great. Look at how glossy with juice that beef is. And all those pine nuts! It would have been better if the herbs were chopped and mixed through the pilaf. It would have added heaps of flavour to this overall bland dish.

One thing I love about Kazbah are the plates! The pattern is beautiful and transports me to an exotic location. Food on pretty dishes seem to taste better!

The lamb shank tangine with prunes, carrots and steamed cous cous. The only thing I can really say about this is VERY BLAND. The first impression was great, freshly made, steaming and bubbling away, served in a clay pot. However, the first bite, no good. It may be visually stimulating but the overall flavour is basically non-existant.

The menu boasts that the dishes reflect the flavours of the Middle East and Northern Africa so I had high expectations. I thought it'll be bursting with flavour after flavour, that I'll be widening my eyes as the flavours explode into a foodgasmic supernova, that I'll be licking the dishes for more but nope. Just bland, the carrots raw, not much to comment on besides it being bland. I may sound harsh but with food I can't help it. I want my money's worth and Kazbah sadly has disappointed me. I'll have to come back for breakfast and try the french toast my friend always raves about.