Meze Me

If there's proof of how far Bedouin-inspired hospitality has travelled around the globe, it can be found in an unlikely old weatherboard homestead on the northern outskirts of Sydney. Here, in the historic Mungerie House, stands a new Middle Eastern cafe run by two local caterers, Darren and Joanne Pettit.

The Victorian property was once used to grow fruit and raise sheep, dairy and poultry. Recently it was turned over to developers as part of a $4 million restoration to create a visitor and community centre, surrounded by pretty gardens and generous play areas.

In one corner is Meze Me, Darren's first restaurant. He spent most of the past decade catering across the city in between stints in the kitchen at Kazbah in Balmain and Top Ryde.

Darren admits the decision to open on local soil was risky, given the limited dining options in the area but he has already seen signs of success since opening in January. ''The tagines for breakfast have really taken off,'' he says.

We have come for dinner, lured by the ample meze menu. On entering the venue, it is obvious that part of the appeal is the modern fit-out. It's less shisha smoke and belly dancers, more revamped country cottage with clean surfaces and liberal splashes of red throughout.

We're welcomed by an easygoing waitress who takes encouragingly to the baby in our group.

The mixed meze plate arrives first; a good-looking display of dips, fried cauliflower, prawns, salmon kebabs and tabouli. We scoop each of the dips - hummus, baba ghanoush and beetroot - with crisp bread, and pick and choose from the rest. Each mouthful is full of flavour and freshness - especially the salmon - though the hummus is not as moist as we had expected.

We follow with an impressive dish of salt and pepper dukkah squid, which is perched inside a ring of avocado relish and mango lime sauce. Momentary confusion arrives with a small interloper, a praying mantis that causes havoc among the diners until a brave chef swoops it out.

Order is restored in the form of our mains. First, a lamb shank tagine to share, with vegetables and couscous. The meat falls apart to the touch and the heart-warming soupy concoction catches the eyes of a couple of neighbouring diners, who scurry over to check it out.

The hearty flavour of a beef eye fillet with roasted potato, onion and tomato pleases my companion, and my chicken kataifi is just all-round great. Stuffed with chakchouka (a spicy tomato sauce) and encrusted with shredded pastry, it's sweetly fragrant and comes with a lovely mushroom ragout and softened baby spinach.

Dessert is more ostentatious. A bowl of gelato with berry compote is fun and carefree, as is the meringue and double cream, although we're put off by an unusual pungency to the passionfruit syrup.

Things get truly wild with a crowd-pleasing share plate. We try baklava, sugar-coated almonds, white chocolate ganache and white chocolate and orange-blossom gelato. For restraint's sake, there's also a Turkish delight brownie topped with pastel puffs of fairy floss.

Given our bulging bellies, perhaps it would have been wiser to stop at the mains. We'll just blame the praying mantis.

Menu Moroccan and Middle Eastern

Value Good. Meze, $9-$16; mains, $24-$29; desserts, $11-$16.

Recommended dishes Mixed meze plate for two; chicken kataifi stuffed with chakchouka.

MEZE ME
Mungerie House, Bellcast Road, Rouse Hill, 8824 4999
Tues, Wed, 11am-5pm; Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri, Sat, 9am-10pm; Sun,9am-3pm
Licensed and BYO wine only, $2 a person corkage