Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.06.2019, Page 44

Eat The Kasbah
A chic new café brings Morocco to Reykjavík
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
Kasbah Café
Visit the restaurant at Geirsgata 7,
and follow them on Facebook
@KasbahCafeReykjavik
“These are marinated kalamata ol-
ives,’’ says Simo Mohammad Nadhir,
as his son Kristófer Karim sets down
a little tagine of purple-
black olives on the ta-
ble. One could be fooled
into thinking we’re in
faraway Morocco after
stepping into Kasbah
Cafe. “We want you to
travel a little,” smiles
Simo. “We are bringing
Morocco to you.’’
And bring Morocco
they do. The old Cafe
Haiti has embraced an
entirely new country and cuisine,
and transformed into a little oasis.
Chic without falling foul of cultural
clichés, it’s a promising new dining
spot based on looks alone.
When we visit, the restaurant is
just over a week old, and hasn’t had a
formal opening yet. Instead, they’ve
gone the quiet route, with diners
discovering the place by happen-
stance.
So what can one expect at Kas-
bah? “You can expect traditional Mo-
roccan food. It is a diverse cuisine,
and there is much to showcase,”
says Simo. As if on cue, Kristófer
brings in steaming bowls of harira
and tagines of chakchouka salad—
skinned, roasted peppers with their
sweetness heightened by the deli-
cate spices, and silky cumin-spiced
braised aubergine.
“We do it with
ou r f i ngers,” Si mo
demonstrates. “A little
squeeze of lemon, a little
salt to taste, and a pinch
of cumin.” A perfectly
delicious soup is now
customised to our lik-
ing. “In Iceland, the food
is usually seasoned, so
the guests don’t have
to do anything. But in
Morocco, we always season to our
liking—we want people to interact
with the food.”
I have to admit, it feels strangely
comforting to be able to salt my food
as I want, without fear of upsetting
the chef.
Sweet and Savoury
Moroccan cuisine is often men-
tioned under the blanket term of
“Middle-Eastern cuisine.” But un-
like Lebanese or Syrian food, it’s
distinctive both with its use of deli-
cate spices, in a sweet and savoury
fashion, and the absence of hum-
mus. The lines between pastry and
meat often blur, and meat dishes
are often finished with a sprinkle of
cinnamon sugar, like the pastilla—
a classic Moroccan dish of layered
warka dough stuffed with meat,
ground almonds, and sweet spices,
then baked to a crisp. “We use a lot of
spices, but it’s not spicy,” says Simo.
“You can taste a little heat in some
dishes, but it is not strong.”
When piping hot briouat are
placed in front of us, I can hardly
hold myself back, burning my
tongue on the crisp deep-fried ci-
gars of minced meat. Simo’s pride
at this house-made dish is apparent.
“We couldn’t find the exact kind of
‘brik‘ pastry, so we made our own.”
Tradition vs Fusion
It’s clear this is a passion project for
the family. “This has been in the
works for 20 years,” Simo says. He and
his wife, Harpa, hope that Kasbah will
be more than just a cafe. “It’s an all-
day place,” he says. “We want people
to stay as long as they want.’’
With a revolving menu with day-
specials, local wines and plans for a
Moroccan breakfast, it might shape
up just right. “This is traditional
Morrocan food—no fusion, no mix.
We think there is space for an au-
thentic Morrocan restaurant in Rek-
javík,” says Simo. We certainly think
so.
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Simo says you can stay as long as you want
“We think
there is
space for
authentic
Moroccan
food in
Reykjavík.”
FISH panS
icelandic "plokkfiskur"
Onion, garlic, potatoes,
celery, lime, white wine,
cream and butter
1,950 isk

arcTic cHar
Honey, almonds, cherry–
tomatoes, lemon and butter
2,200 isk
redfisH
Chili, celery root, sour cream,
corn, lemon and cream
2,200 isk
plaice
Tomatoes, capers, parsley,
lemon and butter
2,200 isk
salmon (lacTose–free)
Parsnip, broccoli, cashews,
coconut oil, chili and lemon
2,200 isk
our fisH pans are always served
wiTH buTTer–fried icelandic
poTaToes & fresH salad
any pans
for
luncH?
lækjargaTa 6b, 101 rvk · 546 0095 · messinn@messinn.com
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 9
ALSO BEST : 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
BEST GOD DAMM RESTAURANT 2011 TOP TEN : BEST RESTAURANTS IN ICELAND
DV. 17.06.11
banthai
R E S T A U R A N T
w w w . b a n t h a i . i s
r e a s o n a b l e p r i c e s
always been the best from the reviews in our local people and local newspaper.
there's a reason why we get an award every once a year
many famous people are regulars here
tel : 5522-444, 692-0564 banthai@banthai.is
Ban Thai is not “fast food” restaurant
food made fresh from scratch, it‘s not pre-made, every meal take some time to cook
L a u g a v e g u r 130 , R e y k j a v í k