Someone on the LP Thorn Tree recently asked about Yacout in Marrakech. To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed. It was good food and service, true, but as for what I liked to eat best in Morocco:
* beef tagine in Taddert
* fish from stall #25 in the Djemma el Fna
* freshly made sardine/egg/pepper/tomato sandwiches with harissa from vendor in Rabat’s Souika Market
* chicken salad sandwich from small French-style cafe in Khemisset
* watermelon from Tinerhir (and dates too)
* “ah’ha’baz” – Berber flat bread made on side of oven, cooks with hot pebbles embedded in it (must flick all of them out before eating!, also Tinerhir
* warm fenugreek salad made by friend in Sale
* gelato from Casa
* sharwarma from tiny storefront in Marrakech (down the street from L’Escale)
I could probably go on and on, but the best food I ever had in Morocco, and possibly in my life, was Fassi. Not from Fes, o you Fassi snobs, but made by a little Fassi cook who’d worked all over the country. He worked for Hotel Yasmina during one of my stays there, and thank God, because I was starving to death. We made up our own version of Iron Chef, in which I’d bring home some ingredient from the market, and he’d make a whole dinner around it. One of the most memorable was made with that bright orange squash that you see cut open to display the quality – I brought him half of one, and I can’t even begin to describe the results. I can honestly say (this is for you, Paul) that if anyone had come between me and that plate of food, they were likely to get stabbed. It was like someone had asked me, “What is the tastiest dish you can imagine?” and then made it. I actually did a little skip around the terrace after dinner because I was so happy, which worried my husband to no end.
Maryam in Marrakesh
February 3, 2007 at 12:53 pm
It all sounds delicious. Sorry, gotta go and get a snack.:-)
Samir
February 3, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Fassi snobs? Ouch!
Paul O Mahony
February 3, 2007 at 8:16 pm
I’d be more worried about your tendancy to want to stab people then your little skip around the terrace;-)
although that is worrying too;-)
naj
February 4, 2007 at 10:36 am
where was the gelato from? Oliveri or Venezia Ice style?
Felix
February 5, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Naj – I can’t remember, it was close to the Hotel Guynemer (Rue Mohamed Belloul)
Jeni
February 20, 2007 at 6:11 am
There are just few things closer to heaven than well-prepared Moroccan cuisine! Sometimes i find it ironic that I went from TERRIBLE guy with great national food to GREAT guy with terrible national food. (German “cuisine” is utter rubbish). Then, I come to find out that my adorable German dude “doesn’t like the texture of couscous”…. sigh ! Thank goodness Sally is here to go sneak Moroccan dinners when we’re desperate.
By the way, I think the best Moroccan food i’ve had was in Moroccan homes! I especially appreciate the cookie-and-tea hour
. Shouldn’t that be an international custom?!?
koyuki
April 17, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Utter poo? thats a funny name. hello utter poo. poooooooooo! Poopie man!