Moltaqa Moroccan

Trying to hit up the last few restaurants on the Michelin guide for Vancouver, it has brought me to Moltaqa Moroccan.  This has actually been on my radar for quite some time even before it became Michelin-recommended.  However, it is the same thing over and over again - too many places to eat at and so little time.  We made it a point to go there since we actually do like Moroccan cuisine, in particular a lamb or chicken tagine.

So before those tagines, we had went for their Moroccan Hummus and bread.  This was an extremely smooth and creamy hummus with the strong nuttiness of sesame seeds that were on top.  I got a bit of the garlic, yet was wanting more lemon.  Even the squeeze of the lemon wedge wasn't enough.  Maybe I like things more acidic, so the hummus overall was very good.  The side of Moroccan bread was fantastic.  A bit crispy on the outside and plenty fluffy inside, it was perfect for mopping up the hummus.

Our next small plate was the Duck Pastilla.  Oh my, this was absolutely mind-blowingly delicious.  Beyond the flaky and crispy phyllo casing, the ample amount of duck inside was moist and well-spiced.  There was definitely the sweetness of the onions while the powdered sugar made this almost a quasi-dessert.  But it all worked well with the combination of savoury and sweet.  Loved the almonds too as it added texture and nuttiness.

Continuing with the same protein, we had the Flambe Duck with cherie sauce.  The flambe was served tableside and that was pretty cool.  However, this dish was not only for show, it was also super delicious.  The skin of the duck breast was blackened with Moroccan spices and hence had rich fall flavours cinammon and cloves.  The duck itself was moist and tender while complimented perfectly by the sweet and tart sauce.  The side of roasted root vegetables were prepared nicely.

Finally, here we are with the tagines!  The first was the Lemon & Olive Halal Chicken Tagine with saffron.  This was truly an aromatic dish with the saffron coming through.  The chicken itself was super tender and moist with the salty brininess of the olives and the tangy lemon being quite evident with each bite.  There was also the earthiness of the turmeric as well.  With olives and thinly sliced lemon at our disposal, we could make each bite even more flavourful.  We had rice as our side dish for this tagine.

For me it was all about the Tagine of Lamb with saffron prunes and almond.  This was delicious where the lamb fell off the bone and was at its fatty best.  The meat had the gelatinous fattiness that I was looking for.  Due to the lamb being more robust than the chicken, the saffron was much more muted, but still present.  There was a certain sweetness to go with the rich Moroccan spices.  I had the side of cous cous with chickpeas with this.

We had a few cocktails to go with our meal in the Moroccan Cherie Sour and La Bel Aicha (we were also served some olives at the outset of the meal).  I found the sour to be quite nice and appetizing with the classic fall flavours of Moroccan spice paired with bourbon and white cherries.  A bit of sweetness to go with that tang.  As for the other cocktail, it was floral and refreshing with some ginger notes.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Moltaqa.  The portions were generous and the flavours were exotic.  Considering its Yaletown location and the deliciousness of the food, the prices were fair too.  Will come back.

The Good:
- Impactful exotic spices
- Generous portions
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Maybe a few repetitive spices, but I didn't mind

Morocco West

Here we go again with the F-word...  No, I'm not going to start analyzing hip hop or gangsta rap songs here.  Rather, it is the word that often elicits strong reactions from food lovers everywhere.  Yes, I'm talking about fusion.  Generally misunderstood, fusion cuisine is often the blame for strange eats that is not easily categorized.  But let me ask you this, if fusion is such a bad thing, where do you think Pho and Banh Mi originate from?  So with an open mind and an empty stomach, Viv and I made our way to an invited tasting at Morocco West.

As the front signage suggests, the food at Morocco West is fusion rather than being straight-up Moroccan. With being said, our first appie was not really fusion as it was an actual Moroccan dish.  Zaalouk, made of spiced eggplant and topped with 3 olives, was served with house-made bread.  Although the soft eggplant was quite mild, there was a low rumble of spice.  The olives played a key role as they provided the necessary saltiness and zip to what otherwise would be an ordinary dish.  We found the bread to be a bit dense, but it worked as a compliment to the eggplant.  We thought the Chemoula Prawns was the best dish of the meal as it featured plenty of acidity.  Consisting of barely cooked prawns exhibiting a meaty snap, the cilantro pesto butter already had enough lemon to brighten things up.  On top of that, the cooked lemon slice allowed us to add even more zip (we happen to love lemon).

Next up, we sampled the Moroccan-Style Halibut with roasted peppers, lentil ragout and potato florets.  Depending on what part of the fish, it was either a touch dry or completely moist and flaky.  It appeared to be seasoned with similar spices as the prawns.  I thought the lentil ragout to be well-balanced with a background spiciness. However, the lentils could've been more firm.  Onto the Rabbit Tenderloin with braised cabbage medley and green pea velouté, it made me think of my daughter.  She loves bunnies and I thought it would've been funny to send her a picture of the dish.  But then again, that would've been mean and would've scarred her for life. I decided not to...  As for the dish itself, the rabbit was somewhat chewy, yet it is a lean meat.  We didn't like the seasoning though as it was far too salty where even the tangy cabbage couldn't help matters. The cabbage itself was a too greasy.

On the other hand, the Chef's Signature Baby Back Ribs were too sweet.  Already tossed in a sugary balsamic reduction, the fall-off-the-bone and super tender ribs were in no need of more sweetness.  However, the maple bourbon bacon jam added just that.  There was actually a lot to like with the individual components, but they just didn't need to be with each other.  Interestingly, Viv combined the bacon jam with the salty rabbit and it was pretty good.  The 2 components balanced each other off.  Out last savory dish was the Chicken Cous Cous with saffron chicken, chickpeas, onion confit, raisins and Moroccan jus.  This was a substantial plate of food that featured a chicken leg with nicely rendered crispy skin.  The meat was sufficiently moist, but lacking in seasoning (we didn't get much saffron).  However, when combined with the rest of the ingredients, there was no issue as the raisins and onions added sweetness while the jus supplied the savory aspect.

With dessert, we started with the Cherry and Ricotta Strudel consisting of Cointreau, fresh cherries and mixed berry coulis.  I liked the crispy light phyllo exterior, but I found the filling to be too dense and somewhat dry.  The cherries were nice though being purposefully sweet.  Yet, there needed to be more of them as the strudel was very mild-tasting.  Something that caught our eye was the Cous Cous Creme Brulee with apricots, prunes, raisins, cinnamon and Crème Anglaise.  I found that it resembled a cross between a rice and bread pudding.  As much as it was mushy, I didn't mind the texture.  With all the fruit, the whole thing was quite sweet, but somehow it worked for me.  Ultimately, I give the chef kudos for attempting this and the other dishes.  As you can see, some worked better than others.  And really, that is what fusion is all about - experimentation with food.  Some will hit the mark while others need to go back to the drawing board.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- Something different
- Bold flavours at play with some dishes
- Proteins were mostly on point

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- With experimentation, you get both hits and misses