I borrowed this photo from Tagine’s website.

Guys, I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to Balham before. Or maybe, if I have been to Balham, it was many years ago. Like in 2004? 2005? I really need to get south of the river more often. But, but, but…Central London is just so very, very convenient…everything you need is RIGHT HERE. I gave a talk to a bunch of University of Connecticut students last month about living in London and what it was like and tops on my list was CONVENIENCE. Everything I need is right outside my door or just a short tube ride away or a short phone call away! Everything I want can be delivered. I can even get Amazon delivered SAME DAY. Why would you ever live anywhere else? (Now if only there was a Trader Joe’s in London, my life would be complete.)

OK, Balham, not a short tube ride, but still a fairly convenient ride for me down the Northern Line.  I made the trip down south to have dinner with my “south of the river” friends Natasa and Olly. They are off the sauce which worked out well because I totally missed that Tagine is BYOB. Also, it was a Monday and who drinks on a Monday night anyhow? (Besides for British people…)

I like Tagine. I like the decor specifically. It’s beautiful. All soft Moroccan lighting and softer still scattered cushions. It makes me want to book a plane ticket to Morocco immediately so I can admire all the tilework. My dad has been itching to visit London to maybe I’ll convince him that we should hop over to Marrakech while he is in town. (It took me many years to discover that a great way to keep yourself from fighting with your parents when they visit is to KEEP THEM DISTRACTED. Go somewhere. Do something. Give them something else to focus on besides for why you never quite lived up to that graduate degree and aren’t making the millions you deserve.)

Our friendly servers suggested that we begin with an assortment of well, EVERYTHING. So we did. I tried to ignore my mother’s voice in my head, reminding me to not fill up on starters. Sorry mom, I filled up on starters. My downfall? Hummus. Always. Also heavily enjoyable? The beetroot. Known as “slata barda,” this was served with honey, cinnamon, olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar. I confess to eating all the Slata Barda. Sorry, Natasa and Olly. And not bad for a gal who never really used to like beetroot. Also, can we talk about how beautiful Moroccan plates are?? Another reason I want to go to Morocco…to buy all the plates.

We asked our servers for recommendations on mains and they steered us towards two lamb dishes. The first was Tagine Basla, or lamb shank with fried onion and potato. This was a a HUGELY generous portion that I got to take home with me and have for both lunch and dinner the next day. While it certainly wasn’t the most photogenic of dishes, it’ was simple and hearty and satisfying. (Although I wish I had plowed a field or run a marathon beforehand.) I’m a sucker for fried onions so this was probably my favorite dish of the evening.

Next up was “Lamb Barkouk Tagine,” slow cooked lamb shank with prunes, almonds, poached pear and sesame seeds. It was beautifully tender and the poached pear was an intriguingly delicate match to the hearty, flavorful lamb. This too was a very generous portion, and the remainder also came home with me. I ate a lot of lamb that week. A LOT of lamb.

We rounded out our festival of lamb with a slow cooked fish dish with potato and Moroccan tomato sauce. It provided a nice break from the lamb, which in hindsight, we probably ordered too much of.

At this point in the  meal, we were all so full, our eyes were crossed and all conversation had ceased. No dessert, no tea. Just a slow, lamb-filled walk back to the tube station for me and a slow walk home for Natasa and Olly.

I like Tagine. I like a good neighborhood restaurant that’s different and fun. Service was sweet and attentive throughout. Also, we gave high points to the loo, which was unique and different and very beautiful, in a way that loos usually aren’t anymore. Well done, Tagine. Well done.

The Verdict: I’d recommend Tagine if you’re in the mood for something different. The restaurant is about a 3 to 4 minute walk from Balham tube, which also makes it quite convenient. BYOB will keep your costs down, although the mains — most around £15 — certainly aren’t cheap.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Tagine. As always, we tipped on the full amount. 

The post Tagine, Balham first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Tuesday, December 2, 2009

The Damage: £24 plus an extra glass of wine = £30.

The Victim: Mainly, @leeturnerconn (Regular readers might also know her as the mysterious "Feathers.") But keep reading.

The Background: @leeturnerconn saw this tweet from @aforkful and before I knew it, we were booked in for a trip to Balham for some paella. I'd never been to Balham before. @leeturnerconn had sold it to me as a cooking class, so imagine my surprise when we walk into the venue–The Fat Delicatessen–and it's a delicatessen (surprise!), not a cooking school.

We're miserably early–we had this idea in our heads that Balham was MILES away (Sorry, South Londoners!)–so we settled in and ordered some wine while we waited for @aforkful and @R_McCormack.

At some point, we're handed a menu and I'm SURPRISED. Super-surprised. Firstly, because there IS a menu, and secondly, because we're only paying £24 quid for this. This is a nice amount of food–and wine–for just £24.

 
The event kicks off and the first arrival–lardo on olive crostini–is that perfect little snack. Simple. Served with a great Fino, it's that right combo of flavors and textures…the saltiness and the creaminess of the lardo, the crispness of the crostini, and dryness of the sherry all melded beautifully together. It was one of those things where you say, "Ah, now I understand wine and food matching."

 
Next up are unbelievably even cuts of manchego and quince, served on plain water biscuits. If I ever host a cocktail party, I'm going to serve these. Again, super-simple, but the flavor combination was outstanding. The salty, slightly-nutty and firm manchego with the sweet soft quince. Heaven, really. And I could not get over how perfectly all the pieces were cut. What did they use? A wire? A knife? Our chef just looked at me funny and said, "It's called being a chef for 20 years." Ahhh.

 
The fun didn't stop here. Next up, smoked mackerel with egg mayonnaise. I helped myself to a 2nd one of these. And then I accidentally dropped it on the floor. Sadness.

As we're enjoying all these nibbles, we're watching the guys behind the counter do all the heavy lifting. This is a cooking class by observation, not by doing. I'm not sad about this, because if I've already dropped the mackerel and egg mayo, you know what I could do with a whole pan of paella.

 
And then finally, the paella is done and we sit down and tuck in. It is–to my mind–an unusual sort of paella. They've used snails. I like snails. But I just have never experienced snails in my paella before. It's a comforting dish with some good textures, although part of me wants to add some sriracha to it. Or a splash of tabasco. All that being said, I still manage to clean my plate and make room for seconds. The seconds have the crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Heaven.

The Verdict: This was a great night out. Firstly, a new postcode. Secondly, the chance to meet some people from the "Internets." Thirdly, I have some new ideas for appetizers for that dinner party I'm going to have some day. And thirdly, I now have a vague idea as to how to go about making my own paella. If I ever buy one of those pans, of course. 

Hint: If you visit The Fat Delicatessen for one of their classes–check their Web site regularly for class updates—they aren't allowed to sell alcohol later in the evening. If you'd like some more wine to accompany your meal, it might be wise to buy some upfront and have it opened then and there.

The post The Fat Delicatessen, Balham first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.