Dinner with Momo

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Downtown’s Momo at the Souks. A friend and I had dinner there earlier in the week. Thankfully, she’s one these vegematarians so, despite being a committed carnivore I was able to “enjoy” some herbivorous items from the menu.

The terrace, overlooking the souk

I’d been before but was a little reluctant to post about it for two reasons, firstly, it was during my hiatus from Brit in Beirut, secondly, the experience wasn’t all that (it was just after it opened, so I was willing to cut them a little slack).

This time however, everything was great.

Pastilla, essentially a pigeon pie, is one of my favourite dishes and Momo’s was second only to La Mamounia in Marrakech and possibly the Momo’s in London, so I was off to a good start. I followed that with a lamb tagine. I figure that the best baseline test for any Moroccan restaurant has to be their tagine and I wasn’t disappointed. This isn’t to say that it was the best, my wife’s tagine approximation is better, but it was pretty damn close.

Pastilla...

My poor little veggie friend, when she found the energy to express emotion, claimed that her aubergine starter and veggie tagine were both good. I can’t claim to the veracity of her statement regarding the aubergine dish, but the tagine certainly tasted vegetablely and thus, I presume, was satisfying enough to one unused to the taste of proper food.

And now we get to the real reason why Momo’s got a reprieve the first time around … they serve port. Port, for the uninitiated among you, is God’s drink. It’s a fortified wine originally from Portugal but also consumed in vast quantities by certain types of Brit. I am of that type. The list at Momo’s isn’t extensive, but it’s serviceable. I went out of my way to sample several varieties and was pleasantly pleased, and slightly inebriated.

Mmmmmm...... port........

All-in-all, a good night, good ambiance, good food and great staff. It was pretty reasonably priced, and without my port indulgence would have come to around 45 USD per head without wine, which is OK in my book. Plus, as my friend said, the wallpaper’s pretty.

My, look at the pretty pink walls

(Disclaimer: I am not a meat Fascist. I believe there’s a time and place for vegetarian options, when you’re too old to chew for example, or when you’re dead.)

Cucina casalinga

I recently had the pleasure of spending an evening with friends taking in a lesson on Italian home cooking. Hidden in the tangle of side streets that make up Jaitehwey, Italian Nina Betori invites you into the privacy of her own home to pass on the secrets of Italian food.

Nina Betori

Having bounced around Italy, including stints in Rome, Milan and Sicily, and having worked in restaurants in Italy and the UK, Betori’s a mine of information when it comes to doughs, pasta, breads and everything else in Italian cuisine. Full of culinary knowhow – for example, I discovered a new (to me) way of checking if an egg is fresh, you crack it and pour it into a bowl, if there’s a relatively thick area in the white, it’s fresh, if all of the white’s a little watery, it’s gone off – Betori passes on hints and tips while answering your questions with a smile.

Pasta, or at least it will be...

In our two hour session we sat and watched as pollo panna e funghi, focaccia with tomatoes, red peppers and mozzarella, Pan Molle, frittata and dolce supreme were prepared. Obviously, we did all the hard work by wolfing it all down as soon as it hit the table.

You can help as much, or as little, as you like, the only limiting factor appeared to be the size of the group. Sitting around the table was a wonderful experience, to be honest, any thought of rolling up my sleeves and kneading dough disappeared after ten minutes, it’s simply great fun to sit, drink, eat and chat as someone who’s genuinely enthusiastic about food cooks for you.

Dinner by candlelight

While we learnt about Italian fast food (essentially because my friends and I are a lazy lot), Betori offers courses on traditional Italian meals and a specialised session in which she teaches you to make your own pasta.

As if all this isn’t enough, Betori donates a proportion of her earnings to Alpha, a Lebanese NGO aiming to implement psychosocial and educational activities for children affected by war in Tibnine.

So, you’re eating and drinking for a good cause.

And, finally, some shameless

product placement...

Give it a try, I strongly recommend it. The ingredients are included in the price and aprons are provided. Though, if you’re soaks, like us, you’ll have to bring your own booze.

Email Nina at italiancookingworkshop@gmail.com or call her at 7 121 1891 to register for a class. Courses take placeTuesdays & Thursdays from 19:30 to 21:30 (“Italian Fast Food”)  and Saturdays from 16:30 to 18:30 (“The ItalianTraditional Twist”). Upon request catering for dinners for up to 15 people and children’s cooking classes can be organized.

You’ll soon have a chance to check out her skills in person when she performs a live cooking event at Zico House.