Now I am not one of those ‘ladies of a certain age’ to bemoan having a birthday…whats not to like… right? Sure…you notch up another year and the thought of lighting that many candles without access to a fire extinguisher is not recommended as well as the fact that the face that stares back at you in the mirror each morning may resemble more your mothers than your own; but, on the flip side…you’ve had another year of experiences and the time to enjoy what you love most. Also on the plus side (well on my plus side) is that your family contact you, & now that social media is firmly embedded in our lives, you get many, many well wishes from old/new/close and distant friends on Facebook. If you are lucky enough (and I was) your immediate family and your dearest friends make the time to spend with you, which is the best gift of all AND you get the odd copper pot from your lovely husband…..well I did 🙂

The Sydney family got together at a restaurant which was a mid-point to the various parts of the city we all now reside… ….McMahon’s Point. It was a blind selection as I had not eaten there and nor had I had a recommendation to fall back on, but I knew the location was fit for purpose and the cuisine would hit the mark with my mother who was visiting and whose birthday we were also celebrating. We were all impressed with the restaurant, the food, the service and the casual friendly atmosphere.

Moorish Blue describes its food as ‘Contemporary North African Cuisine’. We sat at the light end of the restaurant against a bank of windows which you could ‘just’ squeeze a view of the famous Coat Hanger. We started with the dips and bread which were 3 generous smears of beetroot, hummus & carrot (everyone’s favourite) served with warmed and tasty flat bread. The selection of entrees (or Small Plates as they are called on the menu) were also a hit, we shared amongst seven of us the Beetroot, goats curd, walnuts, rocket & crispy pear, the Moorish charcuterie with pickles & olives, the Za’atar salt and pepper squid, fried egg and lemon and the Wok-fried Prawns with harissa. I didn’t get to snap any shots before the hungry hordes demolished them…. Also, at the time of service I was having a photo taken of my lovely mother and me….but trust me – they looked and tasted great!

For Mains I managed to say loud enough to be heard and strongly enough to be taken notice of, “Don’t touch the food” – a phase coined by my lovely and talented friend Fenella in our travels through Paris and South of France a few years ago. The book she created from a consolidation of our photos is one of my most treasured possessions – she has a great eye & you should check out A Bellingen Diary if you get a chance.. Below are photos of the Mains and a description of each…they didn’t disappoint. It really was a lovely birthday celebration and I do recommend the restaurant for a casual gathering of friends and family.

We didn’t have room for desert, and actually with the exception of my mother and husband, the others don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Anyway, Mum and I did have a birthday cake to share which I made the next day. I kept it in the Moorsih theme with a flourish of rose petals across the chocolate glaze. Very gooey and very rich…very birthday!

Bon Appetit

xxKintheK