[Dec. 2025] After exploring medina of Assilah, a coastal town in Morocco, it was time for lunch.
We went to the restaurant recommended by our driver, Youssuf.
The restaurant, called Dar Al Maghrebia, is located on a lovely, colourful street outside the medina.
Moroccan interior tends to be either very stylish or too kitsch, and I thought this one leaned more towards the kitsch side.
Youssuf recommended a dish called pastilla.
It was only available from two people, so my husband and I shared one.
What came out was a flaky pastry filled with a filling.
Since we were by the sea, we ordered the seafood pastilla, which was filled with something like vermicelli, squid, and something else.
It was topped with a little cheese.
There were no strange flavourings and it was delicious.
In addition to seafood, there was also chicken pastilla.
We had mint tea for the drink again.
According to Youssuf, no Moroccans drink unsweetened mint tea.
We absolutely loved the sweet one.
By the way, here’s something that made me go “huh?”
It was the plate.
It had a strangely familiar pattern, which was exactly like the one my parents use at their house in Japan.
I had the opportunity to compare the Japanese plate with the Moroccan plate I had photographed, and they really did have the same pattern.
The Japanese plate had “Tachikichi” written on the back.
Just to be sure, I checked the Tachikichi website, but it appears they no longer make it.
I regret not checking the back of the Moroccan one.
By the way, I saw this plate again in another town later.
It seems to be a very common plate pattern in Morocco.
This lunch was also reasonably priced at 200 dirhams (about 18.50 euros).
Yousuf said that it’s common to leave a small tip in Moroccan restaurants.
