Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

We had a great meal last night with our old friends PK and Robyn at Tagine in Rozelle.  This charming Egyptian restaurant is a wonderful dining experience.  The food is interesting and delicious, but it’s the  service which brings me back – Ramy and his team are gentle, welcoming and accommodating, without ever being intrusive.  It’s just such a nice place to eat.

Pete and I decided this year that we would only pay for restaurant meals that we couldn’t make ourselves.  It’s a good rule, because it means that we always feel like we’re getting value for money (there’s no sense of “this is so simple, I could have made it at home”) and it forces us to try out different cultural cuisines.  The flavours at Tagine are indeed different – wonderfully so – with lots of distinctive cumin, coriander and baharat.

Of course, I had to whip out my pocket camera and take some photos.  The restaurant was quite dark, so I set the Lumix on its high sensitivity setting – hence the slight graininess of some of the shots.  All taken without flash or tripod though!  Ok, I’ll stop going on about my camera now…

Chicken livers, slow cooked with sundried tomatoes and mixed-nuts rice – one of the two entrees we had. Rob and I demolished this, while the boys turned their noses up at the offal.  They had spicy beef sausage cooked in capsicum, tomato and chillies, served with flatbread.

Quails stuffed with rice, beef mince, pinenuts, raisins and caramelised onions served with creamy mushroom sauce - my favourite dish of the night. The flavours were rich and layered, and the combination of the sauce and stuffing were divine.

Mixed chargrill of king prawns, chicken, and lamb - I was too busy eating quail with my fingers to try much of this, but everyone else enjoyed it.

Om Ali - A North African delicacy of pastry, honey, nuts & raisins baked in double fresh cream – rich, luscious, moreish.  Like a really good custard pudding, only much better.  I loved this.

Feteer meshaltet - an Egyptian delicacy of home made layers of pastry, covered in butter and served with honey, double cream & molasses - this was Pete’s favourite.  You break off pieces of pastry, swipe them over the molasses smeared on the plate, then dip them in the honeyed cream.  It’s very nice, but if you eat too much, you don’t have enough room for the Om Ali, and that would never do…

Traditional fresh mint tea - a great after dinner drink, made from fresh spearmint and green tea, then poured from a height to aerate it.  Traditionally served in these delicate little glasses.

Tagine has a great mid-week special – $39/head for two courses plus a glass of wine (or free corkage).  We were able to share two entrees, four mains and two desserts on that basis, and left feeling comfortably full.

I’m feeling very mellow and cheerful this morning – perhaps that’s what a truly fine dining experience does for you.  We felt like we’d been welcomed into someone’s home, and spent the night with friends. I’m trying to think of an excuse to justify another meal there  in the near future!