Middle East on the Andaman

THE POPULAR Metzo’s Bistro & Bar on Bangtao Beach in Phuket has reopened after a major three-month makeover – resulting in a cool mix of wood, marble and metal – and, lo and behold, there’s a new chef as well. 

Mustapha Haj Omar from Lebanon was quick to establish his credentials at a sit-down dinner for the press last weekend.

Done up like a contemporary loft, the bistro at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort is ideal for cosy lounging after the rigours of surf, sand and sightseeing, the bar a long oasis of stimulants backed by a sea of wine-stocked shelves.

Not that you should only be imbibing, of course, because Omar is quite the culinary wizard in his open kitchen when it comes to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. In fact he comes from a family of restaurateurs and knew how to cook when he was still a kid, and yet he still wanted to get a degree in hospitality management.

He’s cooked for royalty in the Persian Gulf (or is that the Arabian Gulf?), working at five-star hotels – the Sheraton Bahrain and Le Meridien Dubai – and also did a turn at the Shangri-La Villingili in the Maldives. Naturally his speciality is Lebanese food, and we’re told that the “Metzo’s” in the bistro’s name isn’t the owner but the Lebanese word for “tapas”. 

Oddly, though, meals can begin with what’s called the Mezzo & Tapas Display (Bt410), a sampler of five “daily special” morsels so delectable that the spelling becomes superfluous. The tzatziki alone is worth the price, a terrific salad laden with yoghurt.

Among the other starters, the Hummus (Bt220) is creamy but light, all chickpeas, sesame seeds, imported tahini, lemon juice and garlic, and the Moutabal (Bt190) is lovely variation with pureed eggplant. Both of these come with a basket of warm and soft pita bread.

 The Tabouleh (also Bt190) is a refreshing, flavourful salad of parsley, bourghul (bulgur), tomato, onions, olive oil, Lebanese spices and that ubiquitous lemon juice. The same price will also buy you a classically Mediterranean Bruschetta with diced tomato and basil.

You can see that this is a great place for vegetarians. Also on offer are Falafel – fried, spiced balls of chickpeas and other vegetables – and Cheese Rakakat, a sort of spring roll containing feta cheese. These too cost Bt190 apiece.

“Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine emphasises simplicity,” Omar says. 

“Many of the countries in the region have Mediterranean coastlines, so they share the same ingredients and cooking techniques,” he adds, by way of explaining why there are dishes on the menu from Greece, Morocco, Turkey and Spain, as well as his homeland. “We combine ingredients from all the countries in the region.”

Choosing a main course is tricky when everything sounds so tempting, but the chef recommends Lamb Kofta (Bt490), which is three skewers of Australian lamb “Middle Eastern-ised” with his fantastic Lebanese spices. It’s served with couscous. Samakeh Harra (Bt750) is grilled fillets of sea bass swimming in onions, garlic, pepper, coriander, parsley, olive oil and potatoes.

Order the Lamb Chops (Bt890) and you get three chunks lovingly marinated and served with couscous and yoghurt-based tzatziki sauce, while Lamb Tajine (Bt950) is a stew of tender shank in Moroccan spices, couscous again coming along for the ride.

To end with something sweet, there’s homemade Turkish Baklava (Bt290), wonderfully crisp and filled with pistachios.

 

 

ONE SEA TO ANOTHER

>>Metzo’s Bistro & Bar is at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and open daily from 6.30 to 10.30pm. 

>>Call (076) 360 600 or visit the “MetzosBistroandBar” page on Facebook.