COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE — Kasbah restaurant is famous for the flavorful Moroccan dishes that it serves at its Boracay branch. With the opening of a second branch in BGC now you don’t have to fly to Boracay to enjoy Moroccan cuisine.
According to the menu, the food is “well spiced, not hot and spicy.” This was something that my blogger friends and I got to prove when we visited Kasbah recently.
For kemia (cold appetizers), we dipped pieces of bread on a smoky eggplant and tomato dip (Zaalouk, PHP140) and a spiced chickpea and tahini puree (Hummus Harissa, PHP160). Our group realized two things early on: first, we all prefer the Zaalouk over the Hummus Harissa; second, the two appetizers can actually be more than enough as a snack.
The thing is that we went to Kasbah not for a snack but for lunch — and we were in the mood to pig out.
And so we ordered some more food, such as the Watermelon, Feta and Olive Salad (PHP285 for solo, PHP385 to share), which was light and refreshing.
We also tried the Tangier Calamares (PHP375), composed of squid pieces stuffed with herb rice. Its squid meat was tender and not tough, but its tomato sauce was a little too spicy — and it was already poured on the squid so there was no escaping it.
The moment the covered pot of Lamb Tagine (PHP765 for solo, PHP1445 to share) arrived, we knew it was something special. When the waiter removed the lid, we instantly got a whiff of its aroma. It smelled good, and it tasted even better — I am happy to report. This dish of super-tender pieces of lamb swimming in a sweet honey sauce together with prunes, almonds and hardboiled eggs is perfect with rice — lots of rice.
Although we were all already full, we had no choice but to consume the Chicken Pastilla (PHP385) that we ordered. Resembling a pancake/pie, it’s a type of pastry filled with spiced chicken, almonds and cinnamon. It was love at first bite for all of us in the group. Halfway through, we realized we could actually use the piece of lemon that came with it. And we were sure glad that we did. We didn’t think it was possible, but the already yummy pastry tasted so much better, thanks to the lemon juice.
For dessert, we chose the Cardamom and Pistachio Panna Cotta (PHP250), which was light yet flavorful and fragrant (and a little grainy), and their Baklava (PHP275), which turned out to be a nuttier and more decadent version. It was loaded with walnuts, pistachios and almonds, plus the honey and rosewater syrup made it extra special.
After stuffing ourselves silly, we ended our very satisfying meal the perfect way — by drinking some sweet Moroccan mint tea.
7th Ave cor Katipunan Circle, Bgy Fort Bonifacio, BGC, Taguig City; www.facebook.com/KasbahTheFort, +63 2 553 4499.
Coconuts Critic’s Table reviews are written based on unannounced visits by our writers and paid for by Coconuts Manila. No freebies here.
