Hummus where the heart is 

A perfect blend of azure blue and white walls sets the stage for the newest Mediterranean kitchen in town - Mezze. From falafel to shish taouk to baba ghanoush to Muhammara, this week-old restaurant in RA Puram has a powerhouse of authentic flavours to offer. Anush Rajasekaran, 25, and Swetha Regasamy, 24, took less than a month to conceptualise the restaurant and the menu. "Swetha played a pivotal role in curating the entire menu from scratch," says Anush who also started Ordook, a do-it-yourself meal kit delivery service. Swetha trained and studied at Balley Maloe cookery school in Ireland and previously interned at Smoke House Deli. The duo's love and passion for food brought them together to start Mezze, what could quite possibly be one of the few fully Mediterranean restaurant in the city after a long time.

Meze or Mezze has its etymology rooted in Persia and Turkey, and often describes a selection of small dishes. An intimate setting with portions that serve one person, Mezze is the idyllic spot to spend your Saturday afternoons at. We start off the meal with soft kuboos (pita bread) and hummus, with just a drizzle of olive oil. It is fresh and makes for the perfect palate cleanser. What comes next is the Spanakopita, spinach and feta cigars served with a sweet onion relish. The flaky and buttery pastry is enough to have you reaching out for more. We get our drinks along with our food - a refreshing iced beverage made entirely out of dates and a strawberry mint ice frappe.

The Dijaj salad comes next which is a cornucopia of flavours with roasted chicken, raisins, nuts and greens. The salad is almost a meal in itself like the authentic mezze in some parts of the Middle East. Lahmajoun, our next dish is a Turkish dish which means 'meat with dough', a thin crust pizza of sorts with delectable minced lamb. It's light, super thin, crunchy and filled with just the right amount of flavours, which is characteristic of Middle-eastern food. They also served a creamy soft Harissa fish that is mildly marinated and served with toume (Lebanese garlic paste). What better way to end our meal than with a Baklava. It's a melt-in-the-mouth moment - these buttery phyllo pastries filled with rich chopped nuts. With more dessert options like the cheese pastry soaked in rose water called Kuna Fa, and Um Ali, a bread pudding with cardamon flavours and nuts - Mezze fulfills all your starry Mediterranean dreams.