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MELBOURNE | Mama Morocco in Balaclava is one of those places that’s flown under the radar since opening a little while back. When it was brought to our attention by way of an invite to eat dinner as guests of the restaurant, we gladly accepted the chance to see what it was all about. It’s been far too long since we visited Morocco, and we were keen to see whether the food and atmosphere captured some of what we loved about dining in Morocco.
Mama Morocco is a family run restaurant that focuses on offering traditional, home-style Moroccan cuisine and hospitality to those who walk through its doors. Enter, and you’re greeted with a simple, small space – white walls and wooden tables, with a assortment of Moroccan trinkets dotted throughout. The light bulbs are surrounded by patterned covers, which provide a striking patterned effect to break up the whiteness of the main wall. At the back is a large table for big groups and outside is a small courtyard for when the weather suits.
The drinks list is simple, with a focus on wines and cocktails that pair well with the food, and a few beer and house spirits. The “Sophisticated Arabian Night” is a particularly delicious cocktail featuring a well balanced combination of gin, pomegranate syrup, mint leaves, and green tea. The food menu is relatively concise, and features an assortment of mains and larger dishes which are all designed to share. Going through the menu we noticed ingredients that reminded us not just of not just our time in Morocco, but also our visit to Iran. We spoke to one of the owners Galit, and discovered that while her father is Moroccan, her mother is Persian, which helps explain what diners see on the menu – traditional Moroccan food with the occasional Iranian twist. We met with Leonie’s mother later on in the night and loved hearing her talk about the food and recipes, many of which are her own that she’s cooked for her family for years.
Highlights on the menu are many. From the starters, the Casablanca cigars – light filo pastry filled with soft, pulled beef, are a must. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, they really hit the spot when combined with the tangy tachina (a tahini based sauce). The pillow soft pita served with an array of tasty dips is also something that you shouldn’t miss – our favourite dip is the chunky smoked eggplant dip with a beautifully smoky flavour and beautiful texture. The broad beans, softened with lemon juice and rich traditional spices from Casablanca also stand out amongst the selection of starters.
For larger dishes, the very traditional chicken thighs and drumsticks cooked in a rich sauce of turmeric, cumin and black pepper with soft apricots and almonds is spot on, and the one dish more than any other which transported us back to Morocco. Our favourite larger dish though, was the ox tail served in a rich sauce packed with spices and a lot of green olives. The slow cooked ox tail is unctuous and tender and falls off the bone with ease while the sauce and olives top things of beautifully. Another surprise highlight are the whole cooked potatoes, hollowed and filled with rice, carrot and celery served in a tantalising sauce of tomatoes and spices with fresh coriander and parsley. We love our meat, but are always very pleased when we see the vegetarian options being taken seriously.
Dessert is a two choice affair – sfenj (Moroccan doughnuts drizzled with a sweet lemon syrup) or Moroccan dessert cigars with apple and walnut or banana and chocolate. If there’s a part of the menu that didn’t wow us the dessert was probably it. It’s not that the desserts are bad – they’re traditional and authentic, but they’re just probably not the sort of thing that the average Melbourne diner will go for. Of the options available, the apple and walnut dessert cigar is the best choice.
Overall, Mama Morocco succeeds in providing diners with traditional, home-style Moroccan cuisine and hospitality. You know that feeling you get when somebody invites you to their home for dinner? That’s what eating at Mama Morocco feels like.
Mama Morocco
302 Carlisle Street
Balaclava
Victoria 3183
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9939 0107
E-mail: n/a
Website: http://www.mamamorocco.com.au/
Open
Tue – Sun: 5:00pm to 11:00pm