Tagged-In /tajine

T (May '23)

SCORE: Tell yo' friends - worth a visit in a group

ORDER: Lamb meatballs | Fava bean dip | Cornes cookie dessert

VALUE: ~$150/head with drinks

I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food and was super excited when Alati, Fotia and Bakalaki opened their doors. The Greek end of the spectrum seemed to be covered, and I was left with a hole in my life for the more Arab inspired flavours. As you might imagine, I was very excited to hear about /Tajine opening from SlickShash, and started looking for an excuse to try it. It took awhile but I finally managed it with a girlfriend who makes the BEST lamb meatballs I have ever had. Hers come with a mint and date sauce, and I have been known to do ten in a sitting. With this in mind, I ordered the lamb meatballs while I was waiting for her to arrive...

I liked how Tajine served their dishes with salt and pepper, and cumin/cardamom. The meatballs were excellent, with a crust reminiscent of falafel. I resolved to save her one. I failed. Thankfully, she forgave me.

I had come from some alumni drinks at (recommended) Vin Geek with its $35/bottle happy hour, and had already had too much wine by 7pm. Instead, I opted for a tray of 5 mint and lemongrass infused rum shots. This wasn't a high end rum, and was a bit of a hard hitter, but it went well with the food and vibe.

To officially kick things off, we got the triple dip option and were persuaded to try the bread. If I manage to get back to Tajine, I would probably opt for the pita instead (here's hoping that it's like Miznon's excellent pita). I tend to judge med places by their hummus and smoked eggplant dips, which makes ordering a little easier than usual. Tajine didn't do a hummus, and I was dissapointed by a lack of smoke in the eggplant (I've also been spoiled by a Turkish friend's version). This may be my own ignorance, maybe the Morrocan version of a babaganoush isn't meant to be smokey, but I did miss it. The fava bean dip was a distinct winner though - creamy and firm enough to fork.

My date doesn't eat beef and so we didn't try the veal, which remains on the list for me. Instead we had my first ever fish tagine - the monkfish. It was good! I was a little unconvinced by the concept as there are so many ways for a dish like that to go wrong - over seasoning, over cooking... but the fish managed to retain its character while staying firm. Complements to the chef, for sure.

To finish, we had the Cornes de Gazelle, a cresent shaped pastry stuffed with almond paste and orange blossom. I really enjoyed this and it would have been perfect with coffee. Perhaps a lunch visit is due...

A word on the setting to explain the title of this post. The restaurant has invested in creating a Morrocan vibe, complete with low stairs, tiles, an indoor palm... opportunities abound for the Gram.

/tajine