April | 2011 | A Whiff of Lemongrass

Dear Brendan*,

Thank you for visiting Casbah based on my blog review. I hope you enjoyed your meal. Did S mention to you that I was in Penang with him a couple of weeks ago? We had the loveliest durians while squatting by the side of the road in Teluk Bahang. Picture a strong breeze filling your lungs with the freshest air imaginable, the dark green leaves of the shady coastal trees dancing in the wind as you inhale not only the salty scent of the sea but the enticing, alluring perfume that can only come from the king of fruits.

The durians were from Balik Pulau, famous for its durian plantations, and we were able to sample quite a number of varieties. We agreed, Brendan, that the hor lor and kuning halia durians were our favourite based on their bitter sweet taste and firm, creamy texture, while the red-fleshed ang bak, despite being the most expensive at RM30 per kilogram, fell short of expectations, its soft flesh and one dimensional taste doing little to excite us.

Despite that, there is something orgasmic about eating durians…an uplifting of spirits, if you will, Brendan, from the moment the whiff of durian assaults your senses and fills you with stupendous joy.

Understandably, not everyone’s a fan, Brendan, and so we had to stop eating at some point, pile into the cars and burp our way down to the city. What a fabulous adventure!

Best wishes,

L. Lemongrass

*This letter is written, tongue-in-cheek, to Brendan, a blog reader whom I would love to meet one day.

Yoghurt sorbet and stewed apricots

I love storytelling. I remember being 7 years old, standing up in front of a fidgety audience of 7 to 9 year olds in school and giving them my best reading of Red Riding Hood. I was clueless as to why I was doing it; all that mattered was that I enjoyed being caught up in this world of make-believe. I’d write stories in brand new exercise books, fill them with my own illustrations, and hide them in my drawer far away from my parents’ prying eyes.

Samboussek – Shanklish cheese filled pastries

Spanakopita – layered phyllo pastry and spinach with feta cheese

I love storytelling. I get my best ideas for my blog when I’m doing my daily commute from home to office, soothed into a reverie by inspiring music stored in my iPhone. I discovered recently, among Bald Eagle’s stash, the soundtrack for Avenue Q, and I have been playing it twice daily, 7 days a week for several weeks now. The music’s uplifting, but unfortunately provides very little inspiration for my blog. With songs like I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today, Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist and The Internet Is For Porn, it’s hard to translate that to child-friendly posts on this child-friendly blog. And so I am hopelessly useless today, short of telling everyone that the internet is for porn…the internet is for porn…grab your dick and double click for porn, porn, porn…

On the other hand, there’s this thing called food porn….

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Queso – Manchego, idiazabal and valdeon cheese with quince jelly

Gazpacho – white with almonds, red with tomatoes and yellow with bell peppers

Casbah. To be honest, I loathed the idea of MO’s replacement of Pacifica with a restaurant that served mezze and tapas from the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and Spain. Pacifica was in a league of its own with its fresh seafood, luxuriant decor and sheer curtains offering privacy for the romantic and delectable seafood to the ravenous. It wasn’t so much my dislike for any particular cuisine, but more a case of my affinity to Pacifica for sentimental reasons.

Dukkah Spiced Baramundi – White beans, artichokes and clams

But I visited Casbah anyway upon the persuasion of a foodie friend and mostly because I had the MO Elite Club card with its 50% discount trappings. (However, as fate would have it, our friend, Cheryl, Director of Communications at MO, happened to be there and footed the entire bill. Thanks, Cheryl!)

I was told that the cocktails at Casbah were to die for, and ordered one called Magic Mo Kool Berry Bliss. Kool? Really? As it turned out, it was a theatrical masterpiece, a cocktail made of childhood memories and adult realities. The irony is strong here as the fluffy cotton candy floss dissolved right before my eyes in a harsh pool of vodka, cranberry and lemon. It was a good cocktail.

Tagine with Lamb Merges – Cous cous, almonds and dried apricot

The food is segregated into five broad categories: small plates (vegetarian) with prices ranging from RM12 to RM25, small plates (meat) – RM15 to RM39, small plates (fish and seafood) – RM25 to RM35, large plates – RM45 to RM248, and sweet treats – RM12 to RM18. Dining is meant to be communal and tables are small enough to offer intimacy.

Stirato Bread and Tomato – Grilled rosemary bread rubbed with fresh tomato, garlic and olive oil

Chicken Mougrabia – Stewed wtih Lebanese couscous

My moderate expectations of Casbah were quashed from the beginning when I tried the grilled stirato (literally meaning “to stretch”) bread, flavoured with rosemary and topped with tomato, garlic and olive oil. Somewhat like a pizza after being stretched, it was crisp and tasty, its flavour enhanced by nothing more than the simplest of ingredients.

Queso Fonduta – Melted manchego cheese fondue with home made chorizo

The Queso Fonduta (Cheese Fondue), at RM25, and an outright favourite with me, is worth ordering. The fondue is made with melted Manchego cheese. Pieces of bread and homemade chorizo are provided for dipping into the melted cheese. The chorizo is unfortunately not pork, but its absence will only be mildly felt.

Patata Harra

Chef Mustapha Benhadou

The freshly made baklava also stands out here. In fact, I could hardly fault any of the dishes that I tried that night. Even the most ordinary of the dishes, patata harra (fried potatoes with garlic, summac and labneh) was finger lickin’ good. Perhaps MO has found its groove after all.

Turrons – Spanish nougat