When you show up to a regional restaurant packed with locals greeting each other by name,you know you’ve found yourself in the right place.

At compact,pretty Nomah,the first venture for Hamon Shephard (formerly cooking at Gwylo) and Sky Hession after a food truck and pop-up,you’ll be even more certain of it once the procession of Middle Eastern-leaning small plates start hitting the table.

A smoky makanek – Lebanese-style sausage – hums with spicy sweetness,while smashed cucumbers have tang,heat and creaminess from peanut tahini,miso and house chilli crunch. Tilba haloumi gets the saganaki treatment,with fennel-seed freckles and burnt-sugar crackle from honey made right next door.

The falafel are crunchy,the vibes are high,prices are reasonable,and a BYO licence means your first stop should be the shelves at Small Town Provisions a few doors down. More please.

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