REVIEW: Moroccan Soup Bar — Vibewire.net

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REVIEW: Moroccan Soup Bar

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submitted by Cate Blake — last modified 2008-07-20 12:31

This ethically-driven, cheap and cheerful restaurant is taking Melbourne by storm. Packed to the rafters every night, it can be hard to get in, but the wait is certainly worth it, as CATE BLAKE discovers.

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Moroccan Soup Bar had become a bit like the end of the rainbow to me, that far-off fantasy place that I could never quite get to. A string of rave reviews has sent the popularity of this small Fitzroy restaurant soaring, and their policy of not taking bookings for groups under six people makes it close to impossible to get a table.

With my Vibewire reviewing cap on, however, owner Hana Assafiri has guaranteed me a table for two, and I swaggered in confidently. Others were not so fortunate - when they humbly requested a table, Assafiri would let them know how long the wait would be and, if they were willing (and most of them were), she'd scribble their name on a napkin as they trundled off to one of St Georges Road's many accommodating bars or coffee shops to sit out the interim.

Watching all of this happen, we hadn't even sat down before we saw that this was not like other restaurants. The ordering experience consolidated this opinion. Assafiri, a smiling, commanding presence who seems to thrive on the frenetic energy of the buzzing dining room, comes to our table empty-handed - there are no menus here. She asks us if we want to hear a list of possible dishes, or if we're willing to put ourselves in her hands for a banquet (we most certainly are). She then asks us to gauge our hunger on a scale of one to ten and checks to see if we have any allergies, before heading back into the kitchen to prepare this mystery feast. It makes it all a bit more exciting, not knowing what to expect.

The first thing to appear was a super-sweet glass of mint tea, with a fresh mint leaf sunk into the bottom of the small glass. It was followed quickly by a platter of dips and marinated vegetables and a big pile of flat bread. The dips are sensational, especially the cauliflower dip that still makes my dining companion's eyes glaze over in memory. The marinated carrots too, are a particular favourite of mine. The plate is soon wiped clean, the final piece of bread going into the final dollop of yoghurt dip. I hope that I haven't eaten too much, because I know mains are still coming, but we just couldn't resist finishing it all.

While we wait for the next course, we notice another of the admirable quirks of Moroccan Soup Bar. Take away here does not come in disposable plastic containers; rather, you turn up with containers of your own, give a number of people and rank your hunger for Assafiri, and she fills them up with whatever's cooking that night. People come streaming in with tupperware and other containers, and a couple of girls who must live nearby bring in two big ceramic bowls. I love this practice - aside from the big tick it gets in the environmentally friendly box, it also adds to the warm, homely feeling of the restaurant.

The mains do not disappoint, and, despite gorging ourselves just a little on the bread and dips, we make a fair dent in this course too. We're given three dishes, on colourfully mismatched crockery, and a deep bowl and a spoon each to eat with. I don't know the true "names" of any of the dishes (no menu, remember?), so descriptions are the best I can do. One is a kind of vegetable stew served with couscous, full of all kinds of glorious vegetables, hearty and warming on a cold winter night. There's also a plate of saffron rice topped with the best eggplant I've ever tasted. And then there was the chickpea bake.

This chickpea bake is the stuff of legend in Melbourne, the highlight of many reviews and the subject of many cravings. It consists of perfectly cooked chickpeas, slivers of almonds, a heaping of yoghurt and toasted pita chips. It's gooey and crunchy and delicious - the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, perhaps?

Dessert is thankfully brief after this feast, being two simple, delicious biscuits. We take in the atmosphere as we sip our sweet, strong coffee – the room is painted bright colours and decorated with an assortment of striking photography and Moroccan knick-knacks. Someone else is no doubt waiting earnestly for us to give up our table, however, so we make a point of not lingering.

And, if all of this tempting food doesn't draw you in, Hana Assafiri's "generosity philosophy" certainly should. Assafiri refers to the restaurant as "a snapshot into a vision of the world that I hold dear". Coming from a "women-centred perspective", Assafiri hires only female employees, particularly disenfranchised Muslim and immigrant women, to help them overcome the barriers that they're facing in life and employment. Profits are capped, and despite the temptations that she has faced to make a lot more money out of this popular business, including the option of franchising it, Assafiri stands by her philosophy. The food is so fantastic because it is "labour-intensive", the simple truth being that "we don't serve what we don't eat", according to the proprietor. It's hard not to admire the ethics behind Moroccan Soup Bar, and hopefully Hana Assafiri's deep-seated beliefs will be a bit of an inspiration to her patrons to "rethink [their] own sense of integrity".

This banquet, being three courses plus coffee, costs a mere $18, a price which surely adds to the increasing popularity of Moroccan Soup Bar. Assafiri also has a policy of giving away free meals randomly each night to unsuspecting patrons, so it could be even cheaper. There's no doubt we'll be back - if we can get in, that is.

Moroccan Soup Bar - 183 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North. Phone: (03) 9482 4240
Image byjohncarney licensed by creative commons.