30
Oct

Mission Chinese – NYC

by ccwynne812   {2:25 pm}

MISSION CHINESE FOOD – NYC

154 Orchard St. (nr Rivington), New York, NY

Rating 7.5

Dragons

Mission Chinese is a tiny (41 seat) with only a couple of reservations available. But don’t preoccupy yourself with trying to get one because you probably won’t. You’ll just have to get in line with the rest of us. Luckily, that line has free beer.

Once your long wait is up, down a few steps, through a curtain and the kitchen, you are greeted by a giant dragon head and red tinted lighting. This room isn’t so much “dining room” as a place that has seats to eat. The benches are all made out of ply wood and not much has been done to charm the place up, which in a backwards way, actually kind of gives it some charm.

Mission is orginally from San Francisco and had an interesting start. A husband and wife team started with a food truck cooking Chinese inspired food that was so popular they needed to expand. They began taking over kitchens doing pop ups twice a week at different restaurants throughout the city. In an interview, Chef Bowien called the restaurant’s cuisine “whimsical Chinese.” “It’s not fine dining. It’s not authentic. It’s not from one region. We’re just trying to do everything backwards.” [Credit: Daniel Krieger for The New York Times] Mission became so popular that they opened an outpost in NYC’s Lower East Side.

Mission might also be one of the most affordable meals I have had in recent memory. Our entire meal for 3 people was about $100 which in NYC is quite a bargain. The restaurant also gives 75 cents to a food bank for each entree it sells.

My friends and I wanted the full experience so we decided to order some of the spicier dishes as well as some that would cut the heat. I also ordered a Great Northern cocktail which definitely helped to cut the heat. This was a mixture of grapefruit juice, yuzu, soju, and sparkling wine. Really they had me at yuzu. If this is too sweet for you, it’s probably better to just stick with beer.

We started with two little bowls, one of Beijing vinegar peanuts with smoked garlic, anise and rock sugar and the other of smashed cucumbers with salted chili, sesame paste and garlic. These were both very interesting and just made us hungrier for the larger dishes.

Beijing Peanuts & Smashed Cucumbers

Next was a version of chawanmushi, a duck-flavored egg custard topped with raw scallop, a little julienned green apple, salmon roe, basil seeds and shizo leaf. The fresh ingredients on top provided a nice contrast to the thick, creamy custard and it was very interesting having a cold version as these are normally served hot.

Chawanmushi

Next our main dishes came out. The Mongolian long beans with roasted chili, horseradish and chili oil were one of the spicy dishes we ordered which had two flames next to it on the menu which signified the highest level of heat. I personally love spicy food but these were pretty intense. The heat was a smoldering heat that developed and got hotter the more you ate the dish. These were good but make sure to have some rice on hand.

Mongolian Long Beans

The rice we ordered was a salt cod fried rice which had slow poked mackerel, some chinese sausage and egg. The rice very much had a dry fishy flavor that you might find in Malaysian cuisine but also had your traditional fried rice flavor.

Salt Cod Fried Rice

The other spicy dish we had was the thrice cooked bacon with Shanghainese rice cakes, tofu skin, bitter melon and chili oil. This dish was even more insanely hot than the last and even the rice cakes, which had a rice flavor but a chewy texture almost like a hardened jello, could do little to cool this one down. The big chunks of bacon were meaty but easily confused with a giant whole chili. Try this dish if you dare.

Thrice Cooked Bacon

We had one more demure dish to add to the mis which was the broccoli beef brisket with smoked oyster sauce which provided some relief to the mouth. This was also a nice dish to add some vegetables to the meal.

Broccoli Beef Brisket

Overall Mission is a really fun experience, the food is interesting and unlike anything I’ve ever had before. While it is definitely worth it to go once, I don’t think that I will be craving any of these dishes when I really want Chinese food although I did make myself a few nice little to-go containers which lasted for a few days afterwards.

Free Beer

 

Filed Under: Cheap Eats Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
27
Oct

Pure Food & Wine

by ccwynne812   {12:18 pm}

PURE FOOD & WINE – NYC

54 Irving Place  New York, NY 10003

Rating: 8.7

When I was very little my grandmother used to ask me what I wanted for dinner before visiting her house and I would always excitedly screetch “salad!!” Now one could see this as either I was a completely deranged child, or I have just always really like vegetables. I’ll choose the latter.

That being said, I am by no means even close to vegetarian nor would I even consider being vegetarian. But I can appreciate a great meal of vegetables and also believe that in many cases it requires much more skill to create an outstanding dish of vegetables than a protein dish. With their fresh ingredients, colorful presentation and creativity in the use of ingredients, Pure Food & Wine will blow your mind with their delicious dishes that are completely animal product-free.  On the beverage front, all of the drinks and cocktails on the menu are organic wines and sakes.

One of my friends lives right next door to Pure so we decided to have an impromptu dinner one night. We started  with a Philly roll of avocado, Kim Chee and creamy cashew cheese-tatsoi, hijiki, scallion, sweet chili sauce. This was a sushi roll that I would order at any Japanese restaurant regardless of whether or not they had fish. The roll was beautiful and colorful and the multitude of flavors popped in your mouth.

Kim chee Philly Roll

Next we had the king oyster mushroom scallops, with Brussels sprouts and shiitake miso broth, miso glazed pecans, shaved radish and micro mustard. This was a dish that tried to replicate a protein (scallops) with a vegetable. The mushrooms were cut into perfect little disks and actually did taste meaty. The broth had layers of flavor.

King Oyster Scallops

As one of our mains we chose the zucchini, local heirloom tomato lasagna with basil pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara, and macadamia pumpkin seed ricotta. Not only was this dish incredibly beautiful but it really did taste like lasagna. The “ricotta” had a very similar flavor to the dairy version and I ate my entire share with eyes wide open in shock and awe.

Lasagna

Our second entree was a hen of the woods mushroom taco dish al Pastor with smoked guacamole, hearts of palm, fresh corn, guajillo crema fresca, and pickled onions. This just simply tasted like really good Mexican. I wish all my tacos has this many accoutrements to dress them up. The tangy pickled onions added nice contrast to the creamy crema fresca and smokey guacamole. The mushrooms added a nice deep, protein-like texture.

Tacos al Pastor

The dessert was the other dish that really amazed me. It was an ice cream sundae maybe better than any full fat / dairy sundae I have ever eaten. There are two versions on the menu and we went with the classic. The “ice creams” are all made out of cashew milk, almond milk and rice milk sweetened with coconut cream and dressed up with slivered almonds, cacao syrup and a few other toppings. Truly amazing what you can do with natural whole ingredients. I’ll be back for that one.

Sundae

Pure Food & Wine is a must try for anyone vegetarian, anyone looking for a healthy meal, or anyone just looking for something different.

Filed Under: Brunch, Date Spot, Healthy, Outdoor Seating Tags: , , , 1 Comment
13
Oct

Tertulia – NYC

by ccwynne812   {12:28 pm}

TERTULIA – NYC

359 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10012

Rating: 8.0

Photo courtesy of: www.villagealliance.org

Tertulia is a Spanish gastropub that came to be after Chef Seamus Mullen became inspired by the food of Northern Spain – its simplicity and quality of ingredients.

Before having dinner at Tertulia I had read some reviews that since opening with a bang in 2011, the food can be a little inconsistent. I was pleasantly surprised by every dish and thought it was actually pretty damn good. I am siding with Adam Platt on this one. My friend and I have a biannual dinner and go to a new place each time. Since he knows one of the chefs at Tertulia, we decided to check it out and leave our meal fate up to him.

The first dish we had was a delicately arranged hamachi crudo with avocado. This was very visually pleasing, served on a piece of slate and garnished with a few little greens and slightly pickled vegetables.

Hamachi

Next was the traditional pan con tomate, a staple that no tapas meal is complete without. Crusty bread rubbed with garlic, fresh tomato and a little salt. Of course this goes best with a cured Serrano ham. On the side we had an extra little bite – toast topped with a soft, mild sheep’s milk cheese, slow roasted tomato and some tangy white and salty black anchovies.

Pan Con Tomate, Serrano Ham

We then had a plate with a couple more bites. One was a little toast with crushed egg, potato and Ibérico ham. This was so rustic and flavorful. The other was smoked pig cheek, quail egg and a pickled spicy pepper. The pig cheek was rich and complemented by the vinegary pepper.

Small Bites

Luckily a salad came out next – a mixture of roasted and smoked beets topped with herbs, pistachios and a few bites of a creamy sheep’s milk cheese.

Beet Salad

We then had a dish that I did not see on the menu so it must have been a market specialty. It was crispy blowfish tail with a basil aioli. This was so interesting and tasty and I was also very excited to try blowfish for the first time. The little tails were butterflied and fried. They had a mild flavor of a white fish but were more meaty than flakey.

Crispy Blowfish Tails

Next was another seafood dish – grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes, Castel Vetrano olives and Meyer lemon. This was a good dish but not my favorite of the evening. The octopus was maybe a little bit dry.

Grilled Octopus

The last two dishes we had were their version of “surf-n-turf”. The surf was a squid ink rice dish that was like a deconstructed paella or a risotto and was topped with a little pile of uni. The turf part was a grilled lamb breast on top of creamy farro with cauliflower. The lamb was reminiscent of pork belly in the sense that it has thick layers of meat and fat (which I usually cut away) but it was much gamier than a pork. The farro beneath it was delicious and was a little zesty garlicky cream. Interestingly, the cauliflower was thinly sliced as a garnish and looked like a piece of coral.

"Surf"

"Turf"

Dessert was basically a classic creme brulee which they called crema Catalana and a dark chocolate and coffee ganache with almond crust and a bit of sea salt.

Crema Catalana & Ganache Cake

Tertulia a very casual place with a homey feel and dressed up rustic, simple Spanish cooking. It would great just to drop in with a friend or for a date.

Filed Under: Date Spot, Drinks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
12
Oct

Takashi – NYC

by ccwynne812   {11:37 pm}

TAKASHI – NYC

456 Hudson street, (btwn Morton and Barrow) New York, NY 10011

Rating: 9.2

Takashi is a name you may have heard primarily because it is rated a Zagat 27 which is pretty high up there. Especially for food where you cook half the dishes yourself. And especially again for food that would frighten most people. The next reason you might have heard of Takashi is because Anthony Bourdain went there on his NYC episode of The Layover and said that it was his favorite new restaurant in NYC after dining there. It is a Japanese and Korean barbeque mix.

The menu itself is beef and only beef, some prepared and some to enjoy in its purest form. The beef itself is selected over a period of months from sustainable farms including  local New York state farms Dickson’s Farmstand in Chelsea Market, Kansas’ Creekstone Farm courtesy of Pat Lafrieda, and Oregon’s Washugyu cows courtesy of Japanese Premium Beef. Nearly every part of the cow is served in some fashion which makes for a very exciting dining expereince.

My friends and I sat down at one of the 7 tiny tables with individual grills not really sure how far we were going to take this. Before we knew it we were ready for the craziest things on the menu and loved every minute of it.

We started off with the Niku-Uni – chuck flap topped with sea urchin and fresh wasabi. It was served on a shizo leaf and a sheet of nori which was perfect to roll up and take a bite out of. The fresh, clean presentation and flavor made this one of the best dishes of the night (Also Tony’s favorite).

Niku-Uni

Next we had a beef tartare with a quail egg which was a nice texture and had just the right amount of seasoning.

Tartare

Next came the Calf’s Brain Cream (in tube) with Blinis & Caviar Russian beluga vodka shot pairing. We decided to each prepare a blini and take a bite at the same time. I have had brains before but never, ever like this. The cream was smooth and had a unique but very mild taste. The caviar was a perfect and unexpected pairing that left everyone at the table asking “is it weird that I really like brains?”

Brain Cream & Caviar

Blini

Next came the fois gras stuffed mini kobe burger with chocolate BBQ sauce. This might have been my least favorite dish of the night (although stil very tasty) because I felt that the sauce was quite overpowering and the meat and fois gras flavors got a bit lost.

Meatball Getting Sauced

The next dish was the craziest in my mind- “Testicargot” or cow balls served escargot style with garlic shiso butter. No one really wanted to admit that they wanted the last one of these either…

Testicargot

After the appetizers you select an array of meats to grill. You can choose between marinated or just served plain with sesame seeds and we tried every cut both ways.

Grilling Meats

We selected the Kalbi – short rib, Rosu – Ribeye, and Shibire – sweet breads (thymus). We grabbed the tongs and got grilling. Each bite was better than the next, each meat was incredible tender and flavorful.

On the Grill

For our last dish we asked the waitress to surprise us and we had to guess what it was. She came out with a meat that was even richer and fattier than everything we had before and after thinking that we were eating one of the four stomachs, she revealed that it was the Tsurami – cheek.

Because we were celebrating two of our birthdays we of course had to get dessert. There isn’t much of an option as they only have one. We had homemade Madagascar vanilla soft serve with “the woks” which is rice flour dumplings (like the best marshmallow in the world), black sesame and soybean flour, sweet beans, green tea syrup, salted caramel and goji berry syrup. This was unlike any sundae I have every tasted.

This one is making my EPIC picks for very obvious reasons. Takashi is the perfect place for an adventurous eater.

HBD Barrold!

Filed Under: Date Spot, EPIC PICKS Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment
06
Oct

Dieci – NYC

by ccwynne812   {8:47 pm}

DIECI – NYC

228 E 10th St  New York, NY 10003

Rating: 9.0

Dieci is a very unusual concept when it comes to genre- it is Japanese and Italian. The recommendation came from my friend Emily, who’s birthday we were celebrating, via a very reliable source- Joe Bastianich- after sitting next to him at a bar recently (thanks Joe!)

This shoe-box sized eatery might be one of the East Villages best kept secrets. Almost everything about Dieci is actually Japanese from the architect, to the owner, to the chef but their flair comes from the infusion of Italian ingredients.

We started with a few appetizers to share. First came the brussels sprouts which have become the ubiquitous vegetable of choice on the restaurant scene. Rather than your traditional preparation tossed with bacon this one definitely had a little feng shui going on. The sprouts came arranged in a perfect circle with a thin veil of melted parmesan draped neatly over the top.

Brussels Sprouts

The next dish was one that everyone ordered – the scrambled egg with uni and caviar. The soft, evenly cooked eggs were covered in a glossy clear sauce almost like a gelatin and then topped with just enough roe and caviar to have some in each spoonful.

Scrambled Egg with Uni & Caviar

We also had a buffalo mozzarella with uni and yuzu. This was an incredible combination of creamy cheese and roe with the sweet tanginess of the yuzu to make it really interesting.

Mozzarella with Uni

The fois gras chawanmushi was so silky that is made a normally rich and heavy ingredient as light as a cloud. Somehow this tiny little cup stayed piping hot until the very last bite.

Chawanmushi

The Berkshire pork belly buns were so delicious that silence fell over the table once we took a bite. They immediately induced the instinct to hoard and not let anyone else know of this insane discovery. I must say that these might even overtake the buns at Ippudo-  a bit meatier with a slightly fluffier bun.

Berkshire Pork Buns...my new #1!

Emily and I wanted a Japanese and an Italian entree so we chose the Salmon and ikura don and the spicy lamb bolognese ramen which is one of their signature dishes. The salmon was incredibly fresh and arranged on an expertly prepared mound of sushi rice. To complete the little volcano was a generous amount of salmon roe nestled into the crater.

The lamb bolognese ramen was a damn good bowl of pasta. Just spicy enough to give it a little kick but not too much so that it overpowered the lamb flavor. The ramen noodles worked very nicely and actually held the thick sauce better than a normal angel hair or linguine.

Spicy Lamb Bolognese Ramen

The others ordered the fettucine with uni. In my experience, there is no such thing as too much uni. Ever.

Uni Linguine

After such a rich meal all we needed was something to put a birthday candle in so we went for the warm chocolate cake which was served in a little dish to hold in the gooiness.

Warm Chocolate Cake

Dieci is a wonderful place for an original meal that will surely impress anyone you bring there.

Happy birthday Emily!

Filed Under: Date Spot, EPIC PICKS Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
06
Oct

Kasbah Tamadot

by ccwynne812   {12:22 am}

KASBAH TAMADOT – ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO

Rating: 9.0

Incredible View

We didn’t think that Morocco could possibly get any better than what we had already experienced, but then came the last stop of our amazing trip, the Kasbah Tamadot. Tamadot is owned by Sir Richard Branson and operated in the same fashion as the rest of the destinations in his luxurious collection of hotels, but it is also stays true to the style and traditions of Morocco.

Set in an idyllic location at the base of a mountain and above a winding riverbed, the views of the sprawling Atlas Mountains are about as good as you can get. The infinity pool and dining terrace overlook a small Berber town on the other side of the river. Exploring the property reveals extensive gardens where they grow almost every fruit and vegetable that they would need to feed the guests.

One of the nicest features of the dining experience at Tamadot is that each evening the guests receive a formal invitation to dinner at one of many locations which changes each evening. Once a week there is a communal dinner where guests have the option to sit at a large table with other guests and some of the management to share what can be quite a fun time. We opted for the communal dinner with a live band our first night and then sat on the star-lit roof terrace our second night.

Since we ate all of our meals during our stay at Tamadot at the hotel here is sampling of what we had:

The communal dinner was an elegant buffet of various traditional Morrocan dishes including grilled and tagine meats, cous cous, a special pumpkin soup and lots of vegetable salads.

Appetizers at the Communal Dinner

One of the Chefs serving grilled meat

Breakfast was served on the peaceful terrace where you can sit and watch the smoke from the hammams rise over the Berber village and hear the sound of goats bleating from the woods below.

Terrace

Poached Eggs with Salmon

Grilled crepe breads

Breakfast Tagine

Somehow between mules treks and mountain hikes we managed to fit in a little bit of time by the pool. A nice poolside lunch with a cocktail is probably one of the most relaxing activities.

A Warm Club Sandwich with Egg

Kylie Enjoying Some Rose on the Terrace

The rooftop  was the highest of the hotel and without any light pollution for hundreds of miles, the only thing lighting we had was the candle on our table. We had a delicious last meal which included our favorite new dish, pastilla, as well as a tomato and onion tart, grilled salmon and a royal tagine (which means lots of meats and sausages).

Pastilla

Royal Tagine

Grilled Salmon

On the Rooftop

Thank you so much to Alex Erdman from Indagare for both planning the absolute most ideal vacation and being the perfect travel buddy! (www.idagare.com)

Filed Under: Date Spot, Drinks, Family, Groups, Outdoor Seating, Travel Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
04
Oct

Ksar Char-Bagh

by ccwynne812   {7:50 pm}

KSAR CHAR-BAGH – MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Djnan Abiad, La Palmeraie B.P. 2449, 40000

Rating: 9.2

Photo Courtesy of: http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2010/08/marrakech-riads-x-factor-hotels-in-morocco/

The Ksar Char-Bagh is a tiny hotel in the Palmeraie and belongs to the Relais & Châteaux collection. With only 13 rooms on an awe inspiring property, it is easy to feel like royalty here. We had a very late reservation for dinner and the kitchen was kind enough to stay open late for just the three of us. Even better, the chef, Hadrien Villedieu, who worked under the likes of Vigato, Robuchon and Passard, came out to chat with us twice which made it all the more pleasurable and interesting. Our absolute best meal of the trip was at the Hotel Ksar Char-Bagh. I must say that this type of experience may not be for everyone but I thought it was a truly incredible one. This is not a sceney spot but rather a truly luxurious and private experience.

Spanish-style dining room by candlelight

We were seated at a gorgeous little table on the side of the room overlooking the pool and some warmly lit royal palms. Out came a few amuse bouche which is always a fun part of the meal. Everything served at the restaurant is local and as fresh as possible. The first taste we were given was a plate of little shiny tomatoes around a stack of blini-like pancakes. We each grabbed a tomato and popped it in our mouth to discover that it was candy-coated in rosemary sugar. The burst was sweet and herbacious. Each little pancake turned out to be a cheesy biscuit. An amazing combination.

Canied Tomato Pops and Cheese Biscuits

Next we were served a little palate cleanser of melon soup. A refreshing little sip.

Melon Palate Cleanser

We were also served some freshly baked bread that was still steaming when it reached the table. The neatly arranged little poufs came in two varieties – French and a seasoned roll.

Freshly Baked Bread

As my appetizer I had a gorgeous medley of cooked and raw vegetables artistically arranged on the plate. A real natural work of art. The variety of textures made the dish even more interesting with some crisp bites followed by some buttery soft ones.

Mixed Local Vegetables

My friends had two different dishes which were also incredible. One was a fois gras two ways – a mousse that was served like a crème brûlée with a ginger sugar crust and the other was a traditional pâté terrine. This was incredibly rich as you can imagine but the spicy ginger sugar complemented nicely.

Fois Gras Two Ways

The other appetizer was a scallop carpaccio that was somewhat asian inspired with a sort of sesame teriyaki-soy seasoning. Garnished with some micro greens this was a much lighter plate.

Scallop Carpaccio

As my entrée I decided to have the lamb from Meknès which is a city in Northern Morocco. It was so tender and literally fell apart before you could cut it. The sauce was a reduction of the cooking juices and was a mix between French traditional cuisine with a few hints of Moroccan spices. The lamb was served with another artfully arranged arrangement of vegetables.

Lamb from Meknès

 We were so full after the main course that we decided to share a dessert (or two). The raspberry souffle was the perfect choice because it was so light. When the souffle came out the waiter poked a hole in the center for a small scoop of raspberry sorbet which quickly became the sauce.

Raspberry Souffle

The warm chocolate cake was the perfect size to split into 3 melty chocolate bites.

Molten Chocolate Cake

I would absolutely recommend the Ksar Char-Bagh for a traveller who is looking for a luxurious and romantic experience. This is a perfect getaway from the crowds of the city with top notch food. This one makes my EPIC picks list.

THEPICURISTOrnate Detailing

 

Filed Under: EPIC PICKS, Family, Travel Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
03
Oct

Bo Zin – Marrakech

by ccwynne812   {11:15 pm}

BO ZIN – MOROCCO

Route de l’Ourika 3,5km Marakech 40000 Morocco

Rating: 7.3

Bo Zin was another universally recommended restaurant that we booked. While it is neither really Moroccan cuisine, nor is it located directly inside the city, it is definitely worth the short cab ride to visit this swanky spot.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical of their “Asia meets North Africa” theme, especially when thinking about ordering raw fish in a desert, but once we sat down at our table, it all started to come together. The ambiance is more of a chic lounge with both indoor and outdoor seating which is covered by interestingly draped partial tents surrounded by a mix of palm trees and bamboo clusters giving it a woodsy-yet-curated feel. The scattered crowd (it was a Monday night out-of season) was dressed sharply and it was apparent that many were tourists and a few hip Moroccans.

The food is also quite eclectic and includes influences from Thailand, France and Japan. We sipped a few special champagne cocktails with red berries and got to ordering.

We decided to start with another sampling plate which included a tuna tartare with spicy guacamole, a spider crab salad with quinoa, some spring rolls with Thai basil and ginger sauce, a Thai salad of spicy vegetables, a few potstickers and some shrimp shumai. Personally I thought the spider crab and quinoa was outstanding and pretty original. The potstickers were also very good and all of the sauces that came alongside were rich and deeply flavorful.

Appetizers

We decided to do te same thing for our main course and go with a sampling of smaller plates. Thai sliced beef with tamarind and coconut, grilled calamari with mixed vegetables and a chicken stir fry. We definitely preferred the appetizers to the mains so were happy that we had smaller portions.

Entrees

The dessert menu was also very impressive. We had to order 3 beautiful dishes. The first was a baked Alaska. This is not something you see on many menus because it is labor intensive and frankly, often not worth the effort. This gorgeous baked egg custard, came out with a flawless vanilla cream topped with a halo of spun sugar.

Baked Alaska

The figs are so succulent in Morocco that you have to order them when you see them on the menu. We had some deep red sliced figs with just a bit of vanilla ice cream.

Figs and Ice Cream

Lastly, we had their famous molten cake which was served with an almond cream, pistachio ice and a bitter chocolate ciger.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Straight off to bed for us.

Filed Under: Date Spot, Groups, Outdoor Seating, Travel Tags: , , , Leave a comment
25
Sep

Palais Namaskar

by ccwynne812   {2:41 pm}

PALAIS NAMASKAR – THE PALMERAIS, MARRAKECH

Route de Bab Atlas, No.88/69, Province Syba, Marrakech Morocco

Rating: 8.5

Entering the Palais

We had one night at one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever been to, the Palais Namaskar. Namaskar opened just this past April and because the summer tends to be slow for tourism due to the heat in Morocco we were probably some of the earlier guests to stay there.

Namaskar is very grand with sprawling pools of water and gardens everywhere you look. Truly breathtaking at any time of day. It is located in the Palmerais which is basically out in the dessert. It is a great place to get out of the city, relax by the pool, do yoga in the garden, enjoy spa treatments and maybe even indulge in a camel ride.

We had lunch by the pool on the first day and everything was perfection. We each ordered a salad and then had two sandwiches to split.

I had the vegetable salad that was served on a bed of spiced, stewed and chilled tomatoes. The thoughtful arrangement of the garnishes made this the prettiest salad I have ever eaten.

Tomato & Vegetable Salad

Caesar Version of the Salad

We ordered a club sandwich, which again was made with egg on tasted white bread.

Club Sandwich

We also had a ham sandwich with truffled cream cheese that was pressed and served warm with the crust removed. A very adult version of the ham and cheese your mother used to pack in your lunchbox.

Ham & Cheese

The sandwiches were served with potatoes that were a hybrid of a potato chip and a french fry in the way that they were cut. A nice poolside treat.

Potato Chip/Fries

That and a glass of wine. Done.

Poolside

Victoria my Camel

Filed Under: Family, Outdoor Seating, Travel Tags: , , , Leave a comment
23
Sep

Terrasse des épices

by ccwynne812   {2:35 pm}

TERRACE DES EPICES – MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

15, souk Cherifia. Sidi Abdelaziz. Marrakech Médina

Rating: 6.5

Terrace des epices

Situated high above all the hustle and bustle of the souks is a quiet little terrace to escape for a nice lunch. To be fair, since we simply could not stop our good run of bargaining with the shop owners we showed up to lunch a tad late (around 3:30) so we ended up being just one of about 5 tables.

We sat down at a shaded table on the side of the terrace where a gentle mist sprayed us from the trim of the thatched roof- a welcome comfort in the heat of the scorching day. Each of the tables on the terrace had woven palm leaf hats with “terrace des epices” written on them to help shade customers from the sun during their meal which I thought was a cute touch.

Most of the menus in Morocco have pretty heavy fare and this was no exception although there were a few salads thrown in there as well.

I shared a salad, a Berber tagine and a chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives with my friend. The food was good, the location is great and the company was perfect.

Salad with Goat Cheese and Duck Bacon

 

Chicken Tagine

Berber Tagine

Terrace des épices is one of your best bets for a good meal and a little break from shopping.

Filed Under: Outdoor Seating, Travel Tags: , , , Leave a comment