Meso Bites — Restaurant in Melbourne

Not genuine Iraqi cuisine nor was influenced in the right way. Went there in December, we were the only ones but thought that’s fine, doesn’t indicate anything. Upon inquiring about the dishes we wanted to order- we were informed by the friendly waiter that they weren’t available. In fact, most of it wasn’t available. No fettah, no shawarma, no tabouli. The reason for this, we unfortunately learned, is because everything was frozen. The food came out way too quickly compared to the time the dishes should realistically take. The Quzi had a tepid, cold temperature in the core, and used kofta meat as the ‘meat’. Anyone who knows even just a little bit about Iraqi cuisine knows that Quzi is NOT beef kofta. It is meant to be a slowly cooked lamb! I wouldn’t have minded if the waiter said that he didn’t have Quzi but to give us tiny kofta pieces mixed with old rice wrapped in bread is just sad. This Quzi was likely reheated in a microwave. And the rice lacked a lot of the other ingredients to enhance it like almonds.

The ‘falafel’ was the type you buy pre-mixed and you mix it up and fry yourself from the deli shop. Cheap produce and yet this place charged an exorbitant fee. Not to mention they were only a bit bigger than a 50c coin. I was so shocked that I didn’t remember to take a photo. Now the kofta ‘platter’ might have been the star of the show: 3 skewers smaller than my hand (picture for reference). And the ‘salad’ it came with? Well, it was lettuce. That’s it. See the image. Now upon learning there was no tabouli (probably because it can’t be frozen), we ordered the fatoush and we served with lettuce, tomato, the fried bread, and pomegranate molasses. Essentially, a very juvenile interpretation of fattoush. We paid the bill and left hungry all while remaining the sole customers. It wasn’t a ‘busy period’ - there was no one there and that is not a reason to use 3 ingredients to make a salad for the main salad and it is also doesn’t explain the high prices for the small portions. There is no reason to pre-heat food that shouldn’t be frozen in the first place. It was disappointing to see this is how our cuisine is represented - something that leaves you empty and unfulfilled. I’m sorry but I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially fellow Iraqis, as it doesn’t reflect the flavourful, comforting and generous portions Iraqi food usually entails.

The decor was cute, waiter was nice enough. I’m sure this restaurant could improve if the food was made on-site by an Iraqi chef with all the range of ingredients needed.

My reply: Thank you for your time to reply. I’m not sure why you want to claim that I’m a student (I was a tourist) but since that’s what you think is appropriate, then I will then disclose what I wasn’t going to say before. When we asked to see the chef because we wanted to see if they were Iraqi (and wanted to ask them in a joking manner if we actually heard them use a microwave), the waiter mentioned it was just him in the store. So looks like in December there was no chef - just a waiter. Waiter was lovely, but I don’t think he would have 30+ years of cooking experience as he was quite young and he was Asian. So not sure how he could also have been one the Iraqi chefs unless he has been training in Iraqi cuisine since 1 years old.

If I didn’t live in Sydney, I would definitely come back in and give the place a second chance to see if there are Iraqi chefs on site. I believe in giving second chances. But as I said, when we were there, there was only one person.

I’m sorry you feel like my review didn’t do your restaurant justice. Maybe I was a bit harsh, I have made it more clinical. And maybe during the other months of the year things are different. But that was the ...

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Meso means middle. Meso Bites in essence, could mean bites from the Middle East. Truly, on their website they say - 'Experience the rich heritage of Iraqi cuisine at Meso Bites – your destination for Middle Eastern flavors. Discover delightful fusion!' The words hold true.

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I was sort of doomscrolling Uber Eats ti find some new and exciting menu when I came across this restaurant with names totally unfamiliar to me. My eyes darted to a particular dish called Sham Quzi With Meat. Steeply (A layer of dough stuffed with spiced rice, vegetables, seasoned beef and lamb meatballs mixed with roasted nuts. Served with olives and pickled beets), priced at $25.90, I was a little apprehensive about ordering the dish, bit it looked so interesting in the image that I ended up ordering it.

It was better than expected! The almost paper thin dough was stiufed with delicious rice and lamb chunks. The most surprising part was how less oily the dish was, both inside and out. Yes, it was slightly on the drier side, but it wasn't so hard to eat it. The rice was perfectly cooked, with great seasoning, fried potatoes and the occasional pieces of meat. The dough cover was like paper, thin but tasty. It must take significant skills to make something like that. It kinda looked a little like omurice but tasted different. The roasted nuts on the outside, with their rich, earthy flavours was a bonus. The olives elevated the flavours, although I didn't receive the pickled beets. It was a very unique dish, and I'm glad to have ordered it.

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I'd love to visit this restaurant and taste their...

It’s quite remarkable how this place has a rating anything over one star — one star is generous and that’s only because you can’t give negative stars. The only explanation for this would be a negligent owner who has one worker working there over the holidays who is also serving the food, waiting the tables AND cooking the food. Whoever is the owner of this so-called restaurant should be ashamed to call it one. It’s a tourist trap at best and truly a scam. A $15 bowl of parsley stems and a piece of tomato they call “tabbouleh” was a salad of food scraps and was just criminal, not to mention the $16 shawarma with three pieces of lettuce and some lamb pieces in a blanket sized pita was honestly just upsetting. I’ve had a better wrap than that at a McDonalds for $4. Unless the owner turns this place around like he’s saying in the recent review responses, let this be a warning and avoid at all cost.

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Edit- I’m sorry, let me correct my review after reading the response from the owner: While I thank you for the effort you’ve put into the response instead of taking the feedback, no, I for one will not be “coming back to try the fattoush” when I’ve ordered the tabbouleh that does NOT consist of 90% parsley stems (straight up parsley STALKS) that I could not even physically chew. Either way, we literally had to go to a different place down the street after with no “holiday surcharges” and had a much...