Friday October 2, 2009
Eating Out with ESTHER CHANDRAN
THE MEDINA,
9, Jalan Telawi 5,
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2287 4644
Business hours: Monday to Saturday - 11.30am to midnight, Sunday - 6pm to midnight.
LIGHT and fluffy to the touch, couscous the popular fine round granules made from moistened semolina wheat (coarsely ground durum wheat) is lipsmacking eaten with sweet and savoury Moroccan flavours simmered in tagine.
Remembering an enjoyable meal of aromatic stewed lamb tagine paired with delicate couscous years ago, I was eager for a renewed encounter.
This time, my destination was The Medina Restaurant in Bangsar Baru.
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Heavy portion: The Royale Couscous (RM40) is a serving of couscous
with a combination of barbequed chicken and lamb. |
Although I had spied on the restaurant many times before when passing along Jalan Telawi 5, I never suspected within lay a tasty fare of Moroccan dishes, cooked by Moroccan chef Said Sadouq and served by quiet Moroccan men, sometimes dressed in traditional garb.
The outlet began operations in April dishing out Mediterranean dishes but realised they were on the wrong course when most customers preferred placing orders for Moroccan dishes.
With customers’ feedback a reflection of their direction, director Marouane Rouicheq decided The Medina was better suited as a house of Moroccan food.
Operating in Bangsar and not at Kuala Lumpur’s Arab precinct was also spot on because he was looking to woo regulars, not merely tourists.
“We want to be visible in an area where we can appeal to various groups of people.
“Bangsar as a neighbourhood is alive and our presence here gives people another venue to dine at,” he said.
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Tagine lamb: The Berbere Lamb Tagine with carrots and beans. |
Marouane and his partners also own restaurants in Morocco and Malta.
The former language teacher has an aptitude for business, owning an art and interior decorating business in Morocco.
When he is in the mood to tap into his artistic side, he whiles his time away dipping into acrylic and oils, producing admirable paintings depicting nature, people and still objects.
Needless to say, the insightful paintings on the walls are a peek into Marouane’s artistic side.
Being one of the few Moroccan restaurants in the city, The Medina is an effort to transport diners to the famous labyrinth of older narrow streets of Morocco which are steeped in history , where one can discover Moroccan lifestyle, culture and food.
Colourful Moroccan glass lamps lend their charm in enhancing the surrounding in its cosy glow while traditional decorative artefacts give the place a total Moroccan feel.
As the warm ambience embraces diners to sit back and relax, Moroccan cuisine influenced by French, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Greek, Cyprus, Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean and African styles of cooking is worth anticipating.
The amalgamation of sweet and spicy flavours of raisins, dates, prunes and honey combined with spices, harissa, saffron, coriander, cumin and marjoram to name a few, is truly enjoyable in stewed tender meat, poultry and fish dishes.
The terracotta tagine with its conical top hides beneath surprising flavours that will assault the senses, especially if you’re willing to depart from normality to acquaint with new flavours.
Working like a claypot, the contents of either Berbere Lamb Tagine (RM30), Marrakech Lamb Tagine (RM32), Tagine Kofta (RM28) and Tagine Vegetables (RM20) sizzles away even after leaving the stove, and the cooking process continues right at your table.
For the stew, the home-made round flattish loaf, khobz (in Arabic) does a wonderful job soaking up the delightful thick and flavourful juices swimming at the base of the tagine.
Although bread is the right match for tagine stews, Moroccans will not bat an eyelid if you decide to pair up a tagine dish with a mound of couscous.
“Tagine dishes are usually eaten with bread but recently, more and more people are liking it with couscous,” Marouane said.
I found the dark sweetish spicy Marrakech Lamb Tagine’s aromatic appeal, rich with prunes, honey and almond fabulous with couscous.
A dish influenced by the French is Carre d’ Agneau Mechoui similar to lamb chops which is laced with thick white sauce.
The Calamari Farcis reminded me of a Kelantanese dish Sotong Sumbat Pulut.
But the latter is a sweet dish with coconut milk, gula melaka, glutinous rice and pandan leaves while the savoury French calamari option was stuffed with rice, mushrooms and shrimps served with Provencal sauce.
Other Moroccan favourites here are Chicken Bastilla (Moroccan chicken pie), Harira (Moroccan lentil and tomato soup) and desserts like Kaab El Ghzal or gazelle’s horns which is a pastry filled with almond paste topped with sugar and tasty cookies Halwa Shebakia.
Do as the Moroccans do and savour the experience with glasses of mild mint tea.
On Fridays, diners are also treated to a belly dance performance that takes place after 9pm.
This is the writer’s personal observation.
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