Taipei's gourmets may find themselves in a kind of United Nations with exotic cuisine on every block. However, for an original Moroccan taste, they have only one place to turn to -- the unimaginatively named Moroccan Restaurant.
The restaurant in a quiet side street is decked out in warm dessert colors and traditional North African music fills the air. Its laid-back atmosphere attracts countless office workers in this busy commercial district to spend a relaxing lunch.
PHOTO: DAVID VAN DER VEEN, TAIPEI TIMES
The food is unadulterated Moroccan, as Driss Alaoui, founder of the restaurant, insists on presenting the genuine taste of his home country. The menu therefore consists of the dishes which best represent Morocco.
Moroccan cuisine is one of the most interesting food traditions in the world. A centuries-long history of invasions coupled with fertile land have contributed to the cuisine's variety.
Morocco produces a huge variety of tropical and Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, and mutton, goat, seafood and poultry are all readily available. The desert oasis also supplies a bountiful harvest of dates.
All these influences are evident in the restaurant's dishes.
Among the restaurant's most popular dishes are mixed seafood couscous (NT$380), the ingredients of which are mostly imported from Morocco. Couscous is cream-colored grains of semolina steamed over a highly flavored stock made from meat and vegetables, and served with the meat. The dish is carefully prepared by steaming the grains in chicken broth, putting butter and later vegetables on them. The process is then repeated twice more to create the strong fragrance.
Kofta in tomato sauce (NT$280) shows how spices are used to get the best taste out of meat. The dish mixes minced beef with parsley, coriander, red pepper, cumin, onion and salt. These are then cooked in butter and allowed to simmer, condensing the spices in the meat. A bit of cinnamon mixed in over a small fire gives it a unique aroma.
Another customer favorite is the Tajine Lamb (NT$280), a casserole of prunes, meat and poultry named after the cooking pot in which it is cooked.
To complement the meal, Moroccan mint tea (NT$150) is a must-try. Mixing green tea and mint leaves with large amounts of sugar, the drink is pleasantly sweet but not cloying.
Although Moroccan dishes take a long time to prepare, the restaurant is not keeping diners waiting as it always partially prepares the dishes in advance.
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