Sahara -- Dinner at the oasis

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)