Sahara -- Dinner at the oasis
Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta
I've read in some articles that lamb and mutton are the preferred meats in Morocco. I'm not usually a fan of lamb and mutton, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I actually enjoyed the Moroccan and Tunisian cuisine served at the Sahara restaurant, including its Lamb Tagine.
The moment you walk into the Sahara, you feel that you are somewhere in North Africa, with Arabian music blasting out a warm welcome and friendly waiters wearing Tunisian clothing. The Sahara is a cozy, refreshing oasis that serves authentic Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine - no fusion stuff whatsoever. Interiors are simple,adorned with some beautiful Tunisian hand-painted tiles murals, with dark blue and white as dominant colors. Personally, I feel Sahara is designed more as a home, with its soothing ambience, than as a restaurant.
Zaalouk (Rp 32,000, or about US$3.40) and Tunisian Brik (Rp35,000) were my appetizers. Zaalouk is actually steamed eggplant puree and garlic in Moroccan spices, seasoned with a touch of olive oil, and served with home-made flatbread. Tunisian Brik is crispy, paper-thin brik sheet stuffed with chopped tuna and eggs, deep fried in oil until golden crisp. One bite and I was hooked - simply delicious!
I had Couscous Beef Kebab (Rp 117,000), Lemon Chicken Tagine (Rp 79,000) and Lamb Tagine (Rp 117,000) as my main courses. The word tagine actually has two meanings. It refers to the earthenware pot, topped with a conical lid, where the tagine is cooked. But the word tagine also means stew, an intensely flavored stew (of meat, poultry or fish) -- slowly cooked with fruits, olives, lemons, herbs as well as aromatic spices and simmered to produce fragrant, luscious sauce while the flavors of the ingredients all meld together perfectly.
Among those three dishes, my favorite was the mouth-watering Lemon Chicken Tagine (probably because I am a chicken lover). How couldn't I love it? The aromatic chicken stew was tender, with preserved lemon, olives and baked potatoes -- yummy. It was cooked until tender enough to be pulled apart and eaten with your fingers, if you wished.
Lamb lovers shouldn't miss Lamb Tagine (flavored lamb stew). Served with peas, potatoes and artichokes, the lamb was juicy and beautifully tender. I'm not usually a fan of lamb, so for me to take more than just a bite means it must be good. Besides chicken and lamb, the Sahara also offers Fish Tagine (Rp 79,000).
Meanwhile, couscous is actually tiny grains of Moroccan style pasta made from semolina wheat with fluffy texture (although the taste is different, its form reminded me of rice). Couscous is the national dish of Maghreb countries (the North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria). Mine was Couscous Beef Kebab. Naturally the couscous came with Beef Kebab (skewers of chunks of charbroiled Australian beef fillet marinated in Moroccan spices) accompanied by Harissa, a hot sauce made from red peppers and Tunisian spices. Good news for vegetarians, the Sahara also offers Vegetarian Couscous (Rp 69,000).
As for dessert, try their Sweet Pastilla (fried Pastilla sheet with pastry cream and almonds). Priced at Rp 35,000, it's a hit with most patrons.
I finished up by sipping a glass of fragrant, hot Mint Tea -- their national drink. If you're in the mood for alcoholic drinks, you may order Algerian wines, like Coteaux de Mascara Rouge or Chateau Mansourah 98 Rouge (Rp 265,000). Thumbing through the wine list, you will also see wines from France, Chile, Australia, Italy and the US.
The Sahara also has a small, cozy and elegantly decorated lounge. The room is illuminated by a warm glow and you can dance your head off to the Arabian music that brings the room to life. You may see some people gather to drink tea or smoke shisha in this lounge. Shisha is tobacco mixed with molasses and fruit flavors that is smoked in a hookah (water pipe). The Sahara offers apple, strawberry as well as mint-flavored shisha, priced at Rp 60,000 each.
As the night heats up, a pretty belly dancer dances around the dining room and the lounge (two times every Friday and Saturday nights), adding zest to the night-at-the-oasis experience.
Right from the start, a lot of effort has made to prepare everything correctly and traditionally. The dishes are delicately spiced, with no overwhelming flavors, while the meat is perfectly tender. To bring a spice of excitement, the menu changes every two or three months.
Indeed, the Sahara is a magical blend of delicious, richly spiced exotic food, shisha (for some people), and soothing ambience - and don't forget the belly dancer - all good reasons to drop by sometime. Bon Appetite...or Chahia Taibah!
Sahara Authentic Tunisian & Moroccan Fine Cuisine
Belly Dancer Show every Friday and Saturday nights
(9 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.)
Please note that entertainment is subject to change.
Jl. Taman Kemang No. 29 Jakarta
Phone: 7183007 Fax: 7182834
Opening hours: 11 a.m. until late
(Closed on Mondays)