I finally tried Moroccan food at B'stilla. And it didn't disappoint. My cousins P and C came along for the ride - well, it's actually their pick to try this place, since Moroccan food is not common in Taiwan. I really enjoyed the food and it showed from the way we cleaned up the plates! They were pretty busy on a Tuesday night and there's no wonder why.The atmosphere was low key yet inviting. Service was prompt and our server was always around - she never tried to ignore us by pretending to look around. That's one of the things that I don't like about service in Melbourne in a busy cafe or restaurant. You could see servers "looking" around but it was very difficult to catch their eye. Very few cafes does service well - B'stilla is one of them.
On to the food!
B’stilla – duck & chicken pie, almond, cinnamon, saffron ($14). I don't know how to describe this one but I have to say that the taste was very unique. It's a strange appetizer. Kind of a savoury dessert. It's not bad but I think it's an acquired taste. The filo pastry was filled with minced meat, I was expecting shredded meat for some reason. The inside tasted a bit like what you would have inside an empanada but dry.
Quince ($8) - This is a non alcoholic drink flavored with apple, lime and vanilla. My cousins said that it tasted like green mango. It tasted refreshing without it being too sour or zingy. It's got a nice punch to it. I felt that i cleansed my palate in between dishes and bites.
Fish tagine – spinach, mussels, fish ($38) - I love the presentation of this dish. It came in a tagine then the lid was lifted off the dish. The aromatic scent filled the air for a brief moment and all I could do was stare at it. We all thought that the dish was well made, however, the flavours did not seem to permeate into the fish. In true Moroccan style, we had the couscous doused with the sauce, and the couscous complemented it very well.
Cauliflower, pine nut sauce, ras el hanout, herbs ($8) - If there's one dish you have to have in this place, this is it. You simply had to try this. I normally don't order cauliflower dishes for sides, simply because the variations I've tried were unsuccessful. This one though was just superb. The cauliflower florets were fried evenly without them being greasy. That sauce - oh my! - a light pine nut sauce should be the new thing.
Cous cous, fennel, green olive, orange, honey ($10) - Everyone thought this dish was too salty due to the green olives. I liked the fennel added to this but I didn't taste the honey. The orange was also a nice touch. I thought that adding another citrus would make it more interesting.
Beef short rib, carrot jam, preserved lemon ($34) - This was the second best dish of the night. The meat was just so tender and succulent and that carrot jam added the right rounded taste of sweet. The preserved lemon "gremolata" was a nice addition. Thinly sliced preserved lemons and parsley was the right herb salad for the dish.
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