It's not difficult to find a French restaurant in Taipei, but very hard to find a French/Moroccan restaurant. Bistro Le Casanova in Tienmu, is therefore exciting news for Moroccan food lovers.
An exotic impression is immediately given by the mosaic wall beside the entrance of the restaurant, which extends to the walls inside the restaurant and to the ceilings. There are also decorations which include Moroccan drums and bells and antiques such as a dagger and a gun. According to owner/manager Eva Makdad, except for a few chairs, everything you see in the house is imported from Morocco.
Salad des lentils et saucisson is a good choice for starter. The lentil paste is very creamy and mildly blended with spices. On top, the beef sausage adds just a little punch of saltiness. Afterward, Moroccan Salad is refreshing choice, a mixture of diced tomatoes, green peppers and onions.
Trying the couscous in a Moroccan restaurant is one way to test it. There are choices of lamb, beef, chicken and vegetables. I recommend the vegetable couscous containing eggplants, tomatoes, squash and two kinds of pumpkins, which are well-stewed and spiced.
"We cook the couscous the traditional way. It needs steaming seven times, so that it can absorb the sauce and the flavor of spices," says owner/chef Abdel Makdad, from Morocco, who added that the couscous is steamed with a special, gourd-shaped pot, which is the traditional way.
Making traditional Moroccan food is time-consuming to make, and this was the case with the making of taijine de agneau (Lamb Taijine). Makdad first prepares the lamb stock, which needs to stew for 12 hours. Then he sautees lamb with garlic, parsley, saffron, which he then stews for two hours. Finally he adds in green peas and cooks for another 45 minutes. The result is a very rich sauce and tender lamb. The best way to enjoy it is to use baguettes to dip the sauce in the Taijine.
Desserts here are mainly French in style. Floating egg white foam on sweet egg milk sauce and sprinkled with chocolate dressing, gives a smooth flavor. For a taste of liqueur try the banana flambe, which is fried bananas in brandy sauce, with a scoop of ice cream.
To end the meal in a traditional way, don't forget to have a "glass" of Moroccan mint tea.
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