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Friday, August 18, 2017, 12:58
Variety is the spice of Moroccan life
By Maggie Beale
Friday, August 18, 2017, 12:58 By Maggie Beale

Majorelle, a sweet cocktail treat, is dedicated to the designer Yves Saint Laurent. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

More ethnic-styled eateries are blossoming around town, in both far-flung, out-of-the-way locations as well as the city center. Lilya, a recent addition to the Dining Concepts portfolio of restaurants in Hong Kong, is one of these. 

They serve mainly Moroccan cuisine. Morocco in North Africa has over 3000 km of coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, so both fish and seafood are prominent on the menu. Morocco also shares borders with the Sahara desert in the south, the Algiers in the east and the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla in the north. It lies just across from British influenced Gibraltar.  Expectedly, Moroccan food is a mix of Arabic, Andalusian, Berber and Mediterranean cuisines, with European and sub-Saharan influence. 

Created by the head chef Ahmed Boulalam, the meats on the menu include goat, beef, mutton, lamb and chicken. Lemon pickle, argan oil, cold-pressed wonderfully unrefined olive oil and dry fruits add the generic flavor. Wheat bread and couscous — a crushed durum wheat semolina — make the staple food items. Grapes are eaten raw, as a dessert.

Mint and olives are imported from Meknes; oranges and lemons from Fez. Spices include the pricey saffron strands from Taliouine — a town that celebrates Festival du safran every year. There's also cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika and sesame seeds as well as coriander, mace and cloves, fennel, anise and nutmeg, along with zaâtar, which is most closely-linked to Morocco. All of these go into the 27 spices that go into the famous Moroccan spice mixture ras el hanout.

A display of traditional babouche slippers in flamboyant colors set the tone at the entrance of Lilya. 

Couscous served with lamb meat and argan oil is one of the signature items served at Lilya. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The welcome gesture is extended to a personalized show of hospitality. Our request to turn off the air-conditioning was heeded instantly. The windows were opened up to reveal a “hanging” garden of rich green shrubs.

And then just one bite of the zaalouk eggplant caviar with harissa was enough to conjure up images of gun-runner boats being chased across the Tangier Harbour by the (presumably Spanish) police a long time ago. The food served at Lilya reminds one of the hedonistic display of wealth by the super-rich in ancient Marrakech who seemed to have too much money and not enough sense.  

The dishes smell of fragrant, flavorful herbs and spices. Keeping in mind that spicy does not necessarily mean “chilli hot” but an intelligent, balanced mix of various spices, the chef produced an entree of zaalouk — a delicious eggplant caviar with tomato and harissa at HK$68. The range of main courses featured the traditional pastilla of chicken with almond and cinnamon at HK$158 along with couscous — semolina barley with lamb and argan oil, priced at HK$168. A black cod baked Tangeroise-style with peas and sweet potato and served on a bed of lemon pancakes, also offered for HK$168, was a sure winner at our table.

A range of custom-made cocktails featuring typical Moroccan ingredients, served in custom-made engraved glasses and traditional teapots, help the food go down smoothly. The cocktails have been crafted by award-wining mixologist Younes Ateyah and his signature concoctions include Oriental Fashion, containing the 27 Moroccan spices. Ali Baba, a smoking cocktail, is a homage to one of the ever-favorite stories from Moroccan legends. Majorelle, a sweet cocktail treat, is dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. The designer lived in Morocco for long and gifted the beautiful Le Jardin Majorelle gardens to the city of Marrakech. There’s also Bazaar, a house-infused Tito’s verbena drink. 

Like its exclusive menu and drinks list, this venue has a style of its own that surely bears visiting again.

If you go

Lilya

2/F, Wyndham Street, Central

www.facebook.com/Lilya.Moroccan/

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