Kazbah on Darling, Balmain

I love breakfast.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day", a teacher in high school would always lecture. "Eat like a king for breakfast, a queen for lunch and a pauper at dinner."

The idea of a big breakfast is even more alluring when you're eating at Kazbah and you're booked in for 11am, giving you time for a mini weekend sleep-in, and an opportunity to catch up with fellow foodbloggers.


Foodbloggers breakfast

We are a hungry crew of six, a fooding convention that includes Cucina Rebecca, Limes and Lycopene, Morsels & Musings, Pickles Perks and Veggie Friendly. Sadly we don't have quite enough numbers for the $20 breakfast set menu, but we all quickly agree to share our dishes, creating a mini banquet of our own choosing. The hardest part is deciding what the order, including the two vegetarians who are overwhelmed with options.


Vegetarian breakfast tagine with roast pumpkin,
spinach, roast capsicum, roast tomato, caramelised onions,
feta, eggs, Turkish toast and Lebanese bread $17.00

A breakfast tagine is mandatory and this doesn't fail to please. A pile of roasted pumpkin, capsicum, tomato and onion, all sticking delightfully to the bottom, is topped with two nestling blankets of egg and crumbled over with feta. Fresh baby spinach leaves are only just wilted, their vibrant greens giving a perfect balance of colour. Veggies never tasted so good.


Chermoula omelette with breakfast shish kebab
and Turkish toast $21.00

The chermoula omelette is intricately rolled, served with a skewer of sausage chunks, all grilled to a caramelised chewy crust.


Foul medammas - chick peas and fava beans with
garlic, tahini, lemon juice, boiled egg, shallots and flat bread $16.50

Yum. The foul medammas is a crowd favourite. I've eaten foul Lebanese-style, but the addition of feta and a spear of shallot make the puree of legumes even tastier. A boiled egg, diced finely and piled on top, gives an extra richness.


Foul medammas


Sweet couscous with mixed nuts, dried fruit,
stewed rhubarb and cardamom milk $15.00

Breakfast dessert. What beauty lies in these two words.

I quite like the sweet couscous, a tumble of softened couscous laden with toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds. A thick paste of stewed rhubarb, a deep scarlet in colour, adds a touch of tart sweetness. The milk is splashed over and quickly soaked up by the couscous. It's different but delicious. The kind of comfort food I'd love to snack on in front of the telly.


Warm rice pudding with saffron poached pear and hazelnuts $15.00

I'm a sucker for a good rice pudding too. The rice grains are plump and creamy, the saffron poached pear is lightly stewed, and the whole lot is sweetened by a puddle of honey.


Strawberry and banana pancake with
double cream and maple syrup $16.00

The arrival of the strawberry and banana pancake elicits plenty of gasps. It's more a cake than a pancake, about two inches deep and shiny with a glaze of maple syrup. Double cream spreads itself lovingly over the top. The pie-like portions are quite cakey, and there are plenty of strawberry and banana pieces scattered throughout. The edges are the best - browned till golden and a chewy crunch.

It's busy all morning and the full room means conversation is a little difficult amidst the din. But that doesn't bother us too much. We're too busy eating like kings.


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Kazbah on Darling
379 Darling Street, Balmain, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9555 7067

Breakfast: Saturday & Sunday 9:00am - 3:00pm
Lunch: Saturday & Sunday 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Dinner: Wednesday to Saturday 6:30pm - Late

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Kazbah, March 2007 (dinner)
Moroccan - Out of Africa, Manly