From Arabian kabsah to za’atar fried chicken, Middle Eastern food is as diverse as the region itself. Western Australia is home to chefs and eateries celebrating this culinary heritage.
Often hailed as the birthplace of civilization, the Middle East stands out as one of the globe’s most distinctive culinary crossroads. This vast region, made up of 18 countries, was once traversed by the ancient Silk Road trails – facilitating the exchange of spices, ingredients and cuisine loved around the world today, from smoky baba ghanoush to sweet, flaky baklava.
Luckily, here in Western Australia, Middle Eastern fare is in no short supply; you can taste the region and its broader influence in traditional dishes and modern retellings. We’ve rounded up the most mouthwatering spots across Perth, and further afield, to sate your cravings for those fragrant, heady, unforgettable Middle Eastern flavours.
Le Marrakech
Keep it traditional
Run by a Syrian-Saudi refugee family, Oriental Breeze in Northbridge is a friendly and welcoming restaurant serving exquisitely prepared dishes from their homeland. Their specialty is the kabsah with lamb shank, an authentic Saudi Arabian and gulf area dish of rice cooked with tomato and lamb, topped with carrots and sultanas. For fresh, fragrant Egyptian dishes, head to family-owned Cairo Cafe (Cannington, Canningvale, Broome, Derby), which was founded by a group of classmates who grew up along the Nile. Taste of Middle East in Bayswater and Petra Restaurant in Victoria Park are great options if you’d like to savour a wide range of Levantine dishes. For something a little different, head to Silk Road Uyghur Restaurant in Victoria Park. While it may present as more Central or East Asian, the food is described as being a fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian culinary arts. Try the Tuhum Laghman, a traditional hand pulled noodle dish served with stir fried tomatoes and egg sauce. At Le Marrakech, also in Victoria Park, chef Ali Benali takes inspiration from a thousand years of Arab and Berber cuisines. Think, tagines, grilled meats, immaculate spice blends and traditional North African crockery.
Yalla Balla
Casual bites
Middle Eastern cuisine is often synonymous with sumptuous kebabs and falafel, and there’s plenty of memorable options here in the west. At an unsuspecting soccer pitch in Yokine, you’ll find Falafel Omisi, a reincarnation of the Omisi family’s kebab shop in Israel, Tel Mond. Their deliciously crunchy falafel is made according to owner Yaakov Omisi’s grandmother’s recipes. In Leederville, Yalla Balla is a hole in the wall Middle Eastern canteen with a small but mighty menu. The pop-up turned mainstay serves up mouth-wateringly good chicken shawarma and falafel served either in pitas or on plates. For Turkish takeaway, make a pit stop at Istanbul Kitchen in North Perth. Think traditional Turkish pide, lahmacun, böreks and Turkish bread, all baked fresh in-house.
We all love Lebanese
There are so many fantastic Lebanese eateries in Perth, we dedicated an entire category to them. You can’t go past The Prophet in Victoria Park, run by Lebanese father and son duo Jihad and Christian Moussallem. An institution along the Vic Park strip, be sure to try their batinjan, a plate of thickly cut eggplant, covered in tahini sauce, sumac and herbs. Dine amongst a bevy of shimmering belly dancers at Beiyrut Restaurant in Tuart Hill, a family-friendly restaurant with an extensive menu. Try the potato harra, a fried potato dish with garlic parsley and spices. Little Lebanon in Osborne Park offers a quality selection of tasty dips, flatbreads and meat dishes, and for a fine dining Lebanese experience try Maroosh in Ascot.
Bivouac
Modern fusion
A perennial favourite among the inner city set, Bivouac in Northbridge offers a sophisticated blend of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, served in their intimate, art-filled bistro. The menu features fresh, flavourful dishes like the grass-fed beef tagine and Arabic biryani. One for the adventurous diners, in Mount Hawthorn, Pogo’s innovative kitchen sees modern Australian food infused with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences, like beef cheek Turkish dumplings, whipped hummus and za’atar fried chicken. Finally, in the heart of Perth’s CBD, Hadiqa’s elegant rooftop offers a sublime backdrop to a spice-infused menu of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Greek flavours, presented alongside cocktails decorated with rose petals and served in gold-rimmed Moroccan tea glasses.In Freo, Sana is billed as a Middle Eastern tapas and cocktail bar. While it may feel that emphasis is on the liquid side of the offering the food pulls broadly from a modern take on
Market Eating House
Out of town
Good news: there are myriad Middle Eastern dining experiences to be had outside the Perth metro area, too. Market Eating House is now a dining stalwart in Bunbury, offering Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like the Turkish beef manti served with labna, peas and capsicum butter, and exemplary baba ghanoush. Join us at Market Eating House on 25th July for one of our first Global Food Stomp events, celebrating diversity through food. At Laian in Geraldton, head chef Nadem Turkia, who is from Jordan, with Syrian heritage, is passionate about using fresh, local ingredients and infusing them with Middle Eastern flavours, like Abrolhos Islands pink snapper served with creamy freekeh. While, Inara in Busselton takes diners on a gastronomic journey through the culinary traditions of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Greece, Egypt, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories.
