Taste of Morocco
A feast for the senses

story by Patricia M. Grossman, photos by julie wiatt

Shadiyah entertains diners at Taste of Morocco in Silver Spring (above)

Harrita Soup (above)

Royal Salad (above)

Chicken Bastilla (above)

Lamb with Raisins and Almonds (above)

Mint Tea (above)

Fresh Fruit (above)

Memories abound from a recent visit to the Taste of Morocco restaurant:--the rich aroma of the hearth-baked bread, served in chunks overflowing in a basket--our waiter pouring a stream of mint tea from a petite silver teapot, a foot above small clear glasses, without spilling a drop--and the shimmering belly-dancer undulating throughout the restaurant giving attention to each diner.

The Taste of Morocco is the epitome of abundance-- from the sights and sounds to the savory tastes and flavors. Being able to share it with a group made it all the more meaningful for me. Groups do get special attention at this restaurant. By calling in advance a group can even make special requests, such as whole lamb.

The Walima, a package for two, ($49.95 lunch, $56.95 dinner) is great fun, served in courses: first are two soups, Harrita or Lentil; followed by a Royal Salad, consisting of five different appetizers; then one Bastilla, a flaky chicken, seafood, or vegetable pie; two different Tagines, lamb or chicken; and for the finale, Moroccan mint tea, Moroccan pastries, and a fresh fruit basket.

Harrita, a dark, savory soup, is blended with rice, lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce and parsley. Served in a decorated ceramic bowl, accompanied by a traditional long stemmed wooden soup spoon, the Harrita soup itself is at least as interesting as the challenge of sipping it from the ladle. The lentil soup was particularly good. Unlike the lentil soup I'm used to, this soup was hearty yet all vegetable. Combined with chopped carrots, onion and squash in a Moroccan sauce each thick brown lentil was whole and tender, the soup more like a stew.

The Royal Salad came on a platter: a large mound of hummus in the middle, surrounded by cucumber salad (cucumber and tomato in vinaigrette), carrot salad (chopped carrots and spices in vinaigrette), rice salad (rice, tuna, cheese and corn with mayonnaise) and eggplant salad (chopped eggplant and tomato in Moroccan sauce). The hummus and eggplant salads were unbelievable. The rice salad? I was too busily amazed over the hummus to give it a thought.

Next came the Bastilla, a thick round pie, wrapped in a layered pastry shell called "wraqa". While very similar to phyllo dough, the kind used in making baklava, wraqa is thinner, making the crust even lighter and flakier. Of the three offered, chicken, vegetarian or seafood, go for the chicken. It's heavenly. The dusting of confectioner's sugar and weaving lines of cinnamon topping the seven-inch pie subtly enhance the steaming chicken mixture inside, making the dish look like an exotic dessert.

A true Morocccan stew, the chicken tagine came to our table in a beautiful ceramic dish with a triangular lid. The generous portion of white chicken meat was moist and tender and nestled amongst potatoes, carrots and green peas with a light saffron spiced coating.

While not part of the "Walima for Two" combination dinner, the lamb with raisins and almonds is also worth mentioning. Delicious chunks of dark, rustic-flavored lamb are basted in its own juices. The raisins and almonds did not make this dish sweet; they only served to pronounce the lamb flavor. Never had I seen such dark lamb, nor tasted a lamb dish so strong and substantial. This is far beyond lamb shanks over orzo.

For dessert, our waiter poured small glass cups of Moroccan Mint tea individually, as plates of Moroccan pastries and a huge fruit basket arrived at the table. I picked two big, red, seedless grapes from the bunch and savored a slice of a sweet, juicy orange.

I was delighted with every sip of the tea. A mixture of green tea, sugar and mint, some of us thought it had been sweetened with honey, the drink felt so smooth. As smooth as our belly dancer who spent 20 minutes talking to us after she finished her performance? That's debatable.

Taste of morocco 301-588-4003 8661 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 (in City Place Mall) Hours are Monday through Saturday 11:30a.m.-3:00p.m. lunch prices, 3:00p.m.-10:00p.m. dinner prices. Sunday 1:00p.m.-9:30p.m. Belly dancing performed Sunday-Thursday at 7:30p.m. and Friday and Saturday 7:00p.m. and 8:30p.m. Reservations are suggested on Friday and Saturday nights. At www.tasteofmorocco.net, you can view the menu as well as the schedule of belly dancers.