MezMez

Back to restaurant reviews
42 Ferguson Street, Williamstown, 9397 8804

My score: 3.5/5

My day pivots on the moment breakfast lands on the table. If it doesn’t look right (wan bacon, flaccid toast, unjiggly eggs) my heart sinks and I know it will be a day of uncharged phones and rogue red socks in the whites wash. But if my breakfast looks as appetising as the sujuk sausage and egg at MezMez then it’s a good day: there’ll be free-flowing traffic and extra hugs.

Sujuk is a dryish, spicy sausage, usually made with beef, and eaten everywhere from Croatia to Kazakhstan. It’s also found in Williamstown, the winsome seaside home of Amin Elmenawi’s third cafe (he’s got Newport’s Pint of Milk and the Pickle Barrel deli, also in Willy). At MezMez, the paprika-spiced sujuk is grilled, sliced and served with crisp roasted potato bits and an egg that has succumbed for just long enough to fierce frypan heat: the white is frayed, and the yolk spills jauntily. Baby spinach, wilted but not destroyed to mush, tangles with the spuds. A scattering of dukkah (a toasted blend with cumin, nuts and sesame seeds) ties the flavours together with a brash brunch bow. Lunch is along mezze and kofta lines; there’s a sturdy falafel pide with charred eggplant, and a fattoush (chopped salad) with pita bread and the delicious bottom-of-the-bowl juices that denote a great salad. Have it with zaatar-crusted chicken if you like.

MezMez is named for Amin’s late father Elhami, an Egyptian immigrant and the family’s chief cook, who gathered his clan for dinner by calling, “Let’s mezmez!” The cafe is a homage both in flavours and tone: timber keeps the mood warm and the lights are made with shisha water pipes. It also ticks off Melbourne musts like good coffee, fancy juices for healthy buzz (try the Hulk, with cucumber and kale), high chairs and wi-fi. Evening dining is planned.

More Middle Eastern:

Maha, 21 Bond Street, Melbourne, 9629 5900
Shane Delia’s restaurant is closing on January 1 for a big refurbishment so get in soon for your last dose of Maha magic for a while. The lamb shoulder gets lots of love but vegans and vegetarians are also looked after with their own special menu.

Rumi, 116 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, 9388 8255
Joseph Abboud’s food is heartfelt and delicious, from the first crunchy, salted cucumber crudité to the sweet arak-poached apricots that may finish the meal. From November 28 to Christmas, Rumi opens for Friday lunch for groups of eight or more.

Oasis Bakery, 993 North Road, Murrumbeena, 9570 1122
The range of Middle Eastern groceries and house-baked pastries is incredible, and the cafe food is wholesome and tasty. Wraps, pizzas and salads are always popular but look out for daily soups and braises too from dynamic chef Marwa Makool.

First published in The Age, November 9, 2014.