Mosmon Daily
BY EMMA PAGE
EVEN on a dark, rainy night you can see sail boats bobbing and twinkling lights from homes dotted on the hillside from inside Afous restaurant at The Spit.
The Moroccan-Spanish tapas eatery, which opened this year, entices guests to enter the magical world of North Africa.
From the old church door attached to the entry to bespoke decor, such as coloured glass lights and elaborate teapots from Morocco, the ambience was both romantic and exotic.
Owner Omar Majdi, who was born and bred in Morocco, blessed our hands with fragrant water and set out his ethos before we ate.
“The Afous symbol is a hand, every finger represents a sense – it’s reaching across from Morocco to Spain,” Majdi said.
“I want people to feel like they have walked into my home for dinner, to make it personal and meaningful.”
Spanish chef Eladio Jimenez, who enchanted us with stories about his love of seafood and his obsession with motorbike racing, has created a menu full of fragrant, delicate dishes.
We started with creamy chicken and caramelised leek croquettes with ras el hanout mayo matched with a spicy, fruity and airy Spanish red (Tintoralba Garnacha 2008).
The starters were light and moorish with a silky texture, not overspiced or stodgy.
Jimenez’ goat’s cheese and mint briwats with fine crisp pastry dissolved in the mouth and the scallops were seared so perfectly, the mango and seafood sauce was superfluous.
The most unusual treat was a sweet and savoury B’stilla Fassio – filo pastry filled with fragrant almond chicken, infused with rose water and cinnamon, and served with a delicate orange saffron sauce.
But the dish of the night was the succulent crisp-skinned barramundi with tomato, basil and capsicum sauce, which my partner described as “unbeatable”.
Majdi capped off our indulgent spread with a deconstructed, mousse-like cheesecake and traditional Moroccan green tea with fresh mint and sugar – a sweet ending to an exotic dining experience.
AFOUS MOROCCAN AND SPANISH TAPAS:
What: tapas plates from $6, entrees from $12, mains from $22 and desserts from $11
Where: Level 1, 81 Parriwi Rd, The Spit Mosman (located near Spit Bridge)
Open: Wednesday to Thursday dinner from 6pm, Friday to Sunday lunch from 12 noon and dinner from 6pm
Contact: 9969 8000
.
