the birthday boy really getting into it

Tonight was supposed to be the big baby-sitting night but by an odd twist of fate, my SIL got ill and couldn't go out with my brother and therefore didn't need my nanny services. And that worked out just fine because that meant I could make it to my friend, F's surprise birthday party - an event I would have missed if I had to baby-sit.

Tonight's festive place of choice is Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant filled with belly dancers, Moroccan food, plush pillows and lots of eating by hand. Those who have a phobia of sharing food with others by use of our own appendages should avoid this place because the staff gives out utensils very reluctantly unless you have a valid reason. I found this out because we requested a fork for my friend N, who was ill and we all didn't want his sweaty germy hands digging into our grub, and the waiter expressed that in their country, they don't eat with utensils for certain dishes. But I insisted that my friend was sick and we all *really* don't want to get ill as well. So he gave in. Finally.

i'm sure he does this all the time at home with his lovely E!

Incredibly, 19 people showed up with only 2 days notice of this event. That's pretty damn good if I do say so myself. We all arrived at 8pm and were escorted into the dining area, which consisted of very low tables surrounded by very low padded stools and small, narrow sofas along the wall. Fabric draped from above and the lighting was really too dark for me to capture any photos on the digicam. I'm not sure if you would call this a comfortable place to eat but it was certainly different and fun. Looking at the opulent interior decoration was interesting though because it really made you feel like you were in Morocco or something [not that I would know].

The menu at Marrakesh is comprised of 4 different meals and you get to choose 1 that you all share together. Of course, they make the meal enough for everyone in your group and you pretty much are well filled by the time you leave. Their drink menu has alcohol drinks under names like: belly dancer, Casablanca, and others all in the theme of Morocco and they taste pretty good too, as does their own Moroccan style non-alcohol iced tea. Yum!

Most of their menu has something lamb in it but they made it not gamey and was quite edible for those who are afraid of gamey tastes. They also have rabbit etc. as well. But we all opted for the shrimp, chicken and lamb kabobs with couscous for the main entree.

Dinner began with the communal hand washing where we all put our hands in the middle and they poured warm tea (?) over our hands to cleanse them. Of course there was a pan underneath to capture the liquid. And then we were all handed a nice thick towel to use as our napkin. After eating all those dishes that came afterwards, I now understand why a thick towel is needed - to wipe our hands with since we used them like spoons.

The first entree was a soup - a lentil bean soup with garbanzo. It was tasty and kind of reminded of a tomatoey, bean soup. No spoons used, drank it down like Miso Soup.

Second came the appetizer platter which had various cold dips/salads made from eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, beets and such that you use bread to eat with. We quickly learned how to use the bread as a scooper and the bread itself was very delicious.

Third course was a phylloh pie filled with ground chicken and perhaps lentil beans and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Very unique and an interesting blend of spices lent itself for a very distinctive fusion of flavors. Served with forks. Thank goodness.

Fourth was the main entree of chicken, shrimp and lamb kabobs over couscous and also served with some grilled vegetables. I'm not a huge couscous fan but it was ok. And the kabobs were moist and tender.

Fifth was dessert which consisted of very tasty and not too sweet Baklava (because we all know how sweet that Baklava stuff can be sometimes), fresh fruit that you peel yourself and a Moroccan mint tea.

Overall the food was good and very unusual as compared to what we normally eat but the only complaint is the price which came out to be around $50+ per person. I think normally, it would be somewhere in the vicinity of $40 per person but since we had a big $150 tip charge tagged onto the end of our bill due to the big group, it was much pricier than I expected.

altered to protect the innocent [muffled guffaw]

And let's not forget the entertainment. A belly dancer came out twice during our meal to pull some of the people into the middle of the room to dance. Of course that meant, having your dollar bills ready because you have to stick it into her very vibrating waistline. Luckily all the guys in my group were really good sports and shook their booties quite well on the dance floor. I was quite impressed by my friend A's ass shaking ability. Ah, no wonder he has a new girlfriend. :)

he's really trying to get his hand in there

Marrakesh
13003 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604-2237
(818)788-6354

So, will I go back? I think it's definitely worth it if you're willing to shell out the dough and the food is quite good and not too strange for most people's tastes. You really do have a fun time, especially if you've had a few drinks and are willing to belly dance as well. Bring a camera for those blackmail photos. :)

Read the next entry to find out what we did after dinner. Muhahaha.

I'm out.