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Experience The Authentic Flavors Of Morocco 

Enjoy authentic Moroccan food, tea, henna tattoos, music, and even calligraphy! 

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Ching Dee

<p>Everyone’s invited to witness the enchanting beauty of Morocco through <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rustansph" target="_blank">Rustan’s</a> <strong>Morocco Kingdom of Light</strong> festival. </p><div><br/></div><p>This celebration of Moroccan charm and culture, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Philippines and the Moroccan National Tourism Office, takes place at Rustan&#x27;s flagship store at the Makati Commercial Center <strong>until October 3rd</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/5931d242-2f1d-4dbc-a86f-a2218a3fe46a_0.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An Oud musician playing at Cafe Casablanca<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Ching Dee   </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>The festival immerses visitors in the rich heritage and cultural diversity of Morocco through authentic Moroccan food prepared by Moroccan master chef <strong>Mohamed Idrissi Bencherif </strong>at <strong>Café Casablanca</strong>, Moroccan hand calligraphy by professional artist and teacher <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_house_of_calligraphy/" target="_blank">Hakim Darari</a> (who can do calligraphy in Latin letters, Arabic, and Hebrew), gorgeous henna tattoo by a Moroccan henna artist, traditional tea pouring, and even Moroccan live music. Aside from the food at Café Casablanca, all live attractions are free of charge and open to the public at the fifth level of Rustan’s Makati until October 3rd.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/8d0bb27b-43fc-4ef2-91ad-4656b99826a1_27.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Moroccan mint tea<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Rustan&#x27;s  </em></span></span></span></span></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/food/features/abs-cbn-pre-ball-afternoontea-makati-shangri-la-20/36360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Most Sumptuous Afternoon Tea In The Metro </a></div><p>Diners will get a choice between two Moroccan meal sets: the <strong>Chicken Tagine</strong> (₱950) and the <strong>Beef Tagine</strong> (₱1,250).</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b97660c6-43da-486b-b095-0e7a21181710_1.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">From left: the Beef Tagine and Chicken Tagine<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Ching Dee  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p> Each set comes three kinds of vegetable sides to be enjoyed with traditional Moroccan bread baked within the premises: traditional <strong>Moroccan Salad</strong> (chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, bell peppers, tossed in olive oil with lemon), <strong>Zaatouk</strong> (grilled eggplant mashed with tomato paste, sweet paprika, cumin, and ginger, topped with crispy fried eggplant skin to minimize waste), and <strong>Taktouka </strong>(charcoal-grilled bell pepper chopped and tossed with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, and white vinegar).</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/eacd0d08-3a7e-4f45-8552-22519bd8697d_34.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Zaatouk Salad <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Rustan&#x27;s  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>To prepare the Chicken Tagine, Chef Idrissi meticulously cleaned the chicken to remove any smells and brined it overnight before cooking sous vide to retain moisture. Before serving, the chicken is quickly fried to crisp the skin. It’s served on a bed of stew flavored with citrus and tomatoes in a Moroccan stoneware tagine. The chicken portion was generous, the meat tender and juicy, and the citrus flavors brightens the dish. A splash of orange blossom water before being covered gives the chicken a subtle floral aroma. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c6a793a8-0b20-4760-84f5-67f7a322c7da_36.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The fragrant Chicken Tagine <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Rustan&#x27;s  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>Meanwhile, the Beef Tagine was stewed for hours in a hearty broth with apricots, prunes, tomatoes, and spices brought all the way from Morocco’s famous spice markets. The beef (which would be lamb if served in Morocco) was extremely tender, needing very little prodding to fall apart. The gentle sweetness from the apricots and prunes accentuates the robust flavors of the spices. According to Chef Idrissi, these tagine dishes are usually eaten with fluffy couscous, but at Café Casablanca, a serving of steamed white rice is totally welcome.</p><div><br/></div><p>Each set comes with two desserts: <strong>Orange Salad</strong> (slices of fresh orange drizzled with orange blossom water and topped with grapes, blue pea flower, and powdered sugar).</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/1be0eaff-5cd9-4ede-8725-992cb69a0f39_orange salad dessert 1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Orange Salad <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Ching Dee  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>The second dessert is <strong>Jawhara</strong> (crispy layers of thin pastry with sweet cream in between, topped with blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and crushed walnuts). </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/f6483e65-3ff6-49d8-bc6b-e6eec578ea55_jawhara dessert.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jawhara<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Ching Dee  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>After the meal, warm mint tea is served in traditional Moroccan tea sets embellished with silver. Diners can enjoy it with traditional Moroccan sweets (mini pastries filled with crushed nuts and cooked ’til crispy).</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/24a77e75-096d-414f-8e8c-cb44a550cc4a_moroccan sweets eaten with mint tea.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Moroccan mint tea with traditional sweets<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Ching Dee  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>If you miss the live attractions and food (although we hope you won’t), don’t worry. You can still purchase a piece of Morocco <strong>until December 31, 2023</strong>. The entire fifth level of Rustan’s showcases authentic Moroccan artistry, including handmade tiles, brass lamps, camel bone jars, leather poufs, handwoven rugs, tableware, stoneware, clothing, skincare products, and so much more. In the spirit of giving back, 5% of the first month&#x27;s sales will be donated to earthquake victims in Morocco.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/ffeb3dcd-299a-4440-bf64-5a369ce42026_wooden table , ceramic tiers and service tray with tea set.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shop for Moroccan wares until December 31, 2023<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Rustan&#x27;s  </em></span></span></span></span></div><div><em>Visit the <strong>Morocco: Kingdom of Light</strong> festival at Level 5, Rustans’s Commercial Center, Makati City. </em></div><div><br/></div>