ZA ZA TA‘s Spring menu is here, with grown produce added to its vegetarian menus.
Chef Michael Jackson, formerly of NuNu Restaurant, Palm Cove, Cairns, has firmly placed his seal on his new Middle Eastern Spring menu, created to bring diners on a journey to the garden with a forage of mostly plant-based delights; a menu of fermentation, house smoked oils, handmade breads and wood fire flavours. This season, Jackson brings his take on the east with a modern-twist to centuries old flavours with the launch of a new Spring A la Carte menu, Breakfast menu and updated Feasting menus.
Menu favourites remain on the A la Carte menu like the Yemenite Butter Bread, also available as Vegan using house smoked oil instead of eggs and butter, Haloumi Doughnuts, Shish Barak Pumpkin Dumplings, Lentil & Mushroom Manti, Old School Hummus as well as the Cauliflower Shawarma, however new Spring dishes are ready and waiting to be discovered.
A few must try Meze include Jackson’s Sesame Falafel with Whipped Tahini and Fresh Horseradish served on a lettuce leaf and also Apple Cucumber with Green Tomato and Carambola using early harvest tomatoes, dressed with a salsa of diced cucumber, shallot and green apple, for a light, gentle and refreshing result.
Continue the Spring experience with Field Mushroom and Goat’s Cheese Manoush. Originating from Lebanon, Manoush is also known as “Manakeesh” and can be described as a flat baked dough with toppings, just like a pizza, often referred to as “Lebanese Pizza”. Another new dish to discover is the Persian Potato Salad with Almonds and Spring Peas with added Smoked Feta, served cold and spiced with cumin, carraway, fennel and mustard seeds.
For a light palate cleanser, try the Blood Orange Sorbet with Borage Granita, or more-ish Milkyway Mahalabi with Halva Mousse, Cocao Soil and Malted Ice Cream. New to Fridays, a $49 Soufra Lunch menu has also just been launched. ‘Soufra’ is an Arabic word meaning long table, and every Friday ZA ZA TA lays out a meze of six dishes from the A la Carte menu, all served at once.
As a first for ZA ZA TA, a new Breakfast menu is now available from 6:30am weekdays and 7am weekends with coffee by local roaster Fonzie Abbott. True to their offering, the morning menu celebrates vegetarian dining and offers up a selection of sweet and savoury options including Soft Poached Pear with Hung Yoghurt, Crunchy Passionfruit Granola and Baked Eggs in Wood Fired Shashuka and a Persian Avocado Bagel with Whipped Tahini, Labneh and Preserved Lemon.
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