El Wajh

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by Clare McAndrew
on Monday, April 21, 2008 12:00 AM

Take an intimate dining space with low hanging tented drapes, a room like a painters palette bursting with vibrant reds greens blues and pinks, add low hanging lanterns for a warm and spicy lighting effect then sheikh with Arabian music and 'voila' you have the newest edition to the face bar family. El Wajh meaning face in Arabic is another classic of the namesake chain. It mixes good food with a warm and exotic atmosphere while presenting a unique experience from that of its siblings. The colourful interior and stone paved floor incites an authentic Moroccan feel similar of an Arabian souk (market) I found myself hoping it would hold the same promise of hidden treasures and was not disappointed- as these treasures were much easier to spot!
Choose from an array of Moroccan style starters. If dining with two or more and a new-comer to Moroccan cuisine the 'appetizer assortment' for RMB120 containing briwates (similar to samosa's) cheese cigars, fishcakes, hummus and mechovia (diced bell peppers and onions with Moroccan spices) is ideal. Try their Tagine, a Moroccan specialty, slowly cooked in a terracotta dish to infuse the flavours of ingredients. Olive lovers will appreciate the Tagine de poulet aux olives RMB90 mixing chicken, potatoes, artichokes and green olives with Moroccan spices where the strong flavour of olive wins out. The kefta tagine was also very tasty with a mix of lamb meat balls tomato sauce and egg. The nice selection of desserts makes it easy to satisfy a sweet tooth, but beware! The cheesecake in particular sparked a silent war at my table over who would obtain the biggest share.
The intimate environment makes it a perfect hideaway for a romantic evening or even a place simply to sample authentic Moroccan cuisine, however in El Wajh's case good food does come at a price but if you have the cash I suggest you splash.