Liz Smailes discovers the exotic riches of a Moroccan kitchen in Bangkok

In recent years, Bangkok diners have become more famil­iar with Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants as they have established a notable presence on the local restaurant scene. Already en vogue for a number of years with UK and European trailblazers, the fascination with Moroccan cul­ture has now spread to Asia and in 2008 various Moroccan themed resorts and restaurants have peppered Thailand’s landscape from north to south.

To understand why Moroccan cuisine is so popular across the world, you have to really taste the tanginess and the spicy flavors. Considered as one of the most diversified and sumptuous foods, it has blended different cuisines from Moorish, Arab, Middle Eastern, Berber, Jewish, Iberian and Mediterranean African cultures. Hence Sukhumvit Soi 3 serves as the prefect ground in Bangkok’s own eclectic scene for one of the finest ambassadors of the Mo­roccan kitchen, Tagine Marrakesh.

Located at the foot of The Grace Hotel, 200 meters in from the main Sukhumvit road, the space is nothing fancy yet comfortable, and those who really know their Mechoui from their Kefta wont need any strange words to invoke Moroccan magic here. It’s all about the food, and perfecting the true taste of an exotic land. The interior furniture designs, decorations and crockery are imported from Morocco and when walking in from the steamy streets of Bangkok this contrast in cultures is striking.

Over different historical eras and centuries the Moroccan cuisine has been refined by the highly capable cooks working in royal kitchens from Meknes, Fez, Marrakech, Tetouan to Rabat. Tagine Marrakesh in Bangkok has managed to lure the chef away from The Sheraton Hotel in Casablanca to bring her spice jars and whip up her own magic in the menu now available on Sukhumvit Soi 3. Most of the dishes are priced between 120 – 300 Baht and in Europe you would have to add at least one more zero to these prices for the same quality, and probably less quantity.

Known as the culinary star of North Africa, Morocco is the doorway between Europe and Africa. Much imperial and trade influence has been filtered through her and blended into her culture. Unlike the herb-based cooking across the sea to the north, the Moroccan art of cooking is characterized by a palate of rich spices. Cumin, coriander, saffron, chilies, dried ginger, cinnamon and paprika are on the cook’s shelf and in her mortar. Harissa, a paste of garlic, chilies, olive oil, and salt, makes for fiery dishes that stand out among the milder foods that are more the Mediterranean norm.

Couscous, granular semolina, is central to Moroccan cuisine and cooked with spices, vegetables, nuts, and raisins. After a triple steaming process under the skillful eyes of the chef at Tagine Marrakesh, it makes a meal in itself or is topped with rich stews and roasted meats. Lamb is the principal meat and when done the Moroccan way it is cured and roasted until tender enough to be pulled apart and eaten with the fin­gers. Topped with raisin and onion sauces, or even an apricot puree it’s the carnivore’s dream of greener pastures in a concrete world. Meat and fish on the Moroccan menu are grilled, stewed, or cooked in an earthenware tagine – the name for the pot, the dish and this particular restaurant.

Nuts are prominent throughout the menu; pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios show up in all sorts of unexpected places. Sa­vory foods are enhanced with fruits, dried and fresh apricots, dates, figs, and raisins, to name a few. Lemons preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture bring a unique face to many Mo­roccan chicken and pigeon dishes. Where you have rich food laced with Moroccan spices, you will definitely have desserts. In Morocco these don’t necessarily have to be sweet although the sweeter it is, the better it will be with rich and dense confec­tions of cinnamon, almond, and fruit perfumes that are rolled in phillo pastry, soaked in honey, and stirred into puddings.

Epicureans can’t claim to have really enjoyed a complete Moroccan meal unless it ends with a time-honored tradition; a pot of mint tea and a selection of three pastries. The aromatic blend of Chinese green and jasmine teas is made all the more enticing by adding some orange blos­som water and then infusing it with fresh mint leaves. At Tagine Mar­rakesh this is best enjoyed together with restaurant owner, Hassan.

Although he has been living in Bangkok for several decades Hassan still knows the fine art of his country’s kitchen and aims to share it with other appreciative nomads – and they wont be disappointed. Those who already know the Moroccan cuisine make a beeline for his res­taurant, including the Moroccan Ambassador to Thailand. A violinist by profession, Hassan appreciates and understands cooking as an art form, touching not only our taste buds but also providing a sensory and tantalizing feast for the eyes and nose.

Chatting with Hassan is a treat in itself, with his heart-warming insight to culture and cuisine he transports you to another time and place. Ed­ucating guests on regional specialties and the tricks of the trade when it comes to food combinations, colors and health properties of their food, Tagine Marrakesh dishes up the essence of Morocco with no frills attached. You will be forgiven for altogether forgetting you are in Bang­kok and upon leaving this restaurant culture shock strikes again when an elephant, not a camel, stops you in your pace.

Tagine Marrakesh, The Grace Hotel
Sukhumvit Soi 3, Bangkok
(between BTS Nana and Ploenchit)