(first published in Bangalore Mirror. In my defense, the title I had given was ‘No great sheikhs’, since the plural is what delivers the intended wordplay. Sigh)
Considering the Malayali population in the Middle East, in a not too distant future, Arabic cuisine might be relegated to being just a part of Kerala cuisine. So it’s probably not a coincidence that Mazeej, with its ‘Flavours of Arabia’ tagline, has chosen to start operations in Koramangala, another area that is also likely to become an honorary part of Kerala.
Mazeej is located almost opposite India Heritage Academy and near Boca Grande. (map) In addition to Mazeej, the premises also host Blackboard Cafe and Gakko, a Chinese restaurant. Two wheelers will not have too much of a parking problem, the extra wheels will have to find a side lane nearby. On a broad level, the premises has been categorised to match the three kinds of cuisine being served. There is an outdoor area for the cafe, a slightly more formal dining area for the Chinese restaurant and a semi-covered terrace with loads of oversized cushions that corresponds to Mazeej. However, this is not strictly followed. So you could sit anywhere and order your preference of eats. Here’s the menu before we go further. (click for larger image)
We started with the Shourabat el Qeema. It was mildly spicy and the meatball’s texture complemented the soup well. The Chicken Manakeesh, an Arabic version of the pizza, was the pick of the dishes, with minced and flavoured chicken on flat dough. Much was expected of the Chicken Shawarma, but it completely disappointed with its blandness. The hummus was a similar tale with not even a trace of olive oil coming through. The Calamari Fry, though crisp, lacked any flavour whatsoever, and the sauce provided with it did nothing to help.
In the main course, the Shish Tawook, made of marinated chicken cubes was appreciated for the subtle yoghurt and lemon flavours. The Dajaj Alabama was not spectacular, but the tomato-based gravy just about passed muster. The Rubiyan Alabama (prawn) did not even get to the level of its chicken counterpart. The Mutton Nashif was supposed to have tender mutton but that must have been some time back since the consensus was that it was stale.
Among the desserts, the chocolate walnut brownie was quite good with an excellent chewy texture. The biggest disappointment was that many dishes were unavailable. This included the Cajun fish, most rice dishes, Umm Ali and other desserts like the Caramel Coffee Bavarian, and its vanilla version.
Helpful staff, who also educate you on the day’s special. But they did decide to bring a couple of the starters after the main course had arrived, and had to be reminded twice to refill our glasses. Considering the portion sizes and the relative scarcity of options for the cuisine, the pricing is just about right. Unlike the region’s more famous export, the prices of these dishes won’t make you recoil.
Mazeej, No: 816, 20th Main, 8th Block, (opposite Indian Heritage Academy) Koramangala, Bangalore 560095. Ph: 8792143224