EAT&DRINK
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Easablca to Khartoum
Two new ventures in Edinburgh and Glasgow expand cultural and culinary borders, writes Barry Shelby.
arig .\lusa had wanted to
open a restaurant in
Iidinbtrr'gh for about eight years. In liye weeks towards IIlL' end of 2005. he turned the premises of a one-time neighbourhood Indian restaurant into his new east African restaurant. Magda. which opened two da} s before (‘hristmas.
Across in (ilasgow. A/mina Scott- AIi floated her‘ idea of a ‘muIticuItural social cafe. in autumn 2004. Iiight months after getting the keys It) the Old .\Ie//anote Italian tratt in (heat Western Road. she launched the north African-oriented A/i/a ('afe- Ba/aar in early December last year.
'I'arig and A/mina (they both prefer using first names) are immigrants. though neither arriyed particularly recently. He came from Sudan’s capital Khartoum as a student some l5 years ago. She was a refugee who fled w ith her parents from the notoriously ruthless .\Iobutu Sese Seko in '/.air'e (now the Republic of Congo).
Althotrgh Tar‘ig and A/mina came at their new Ventures from different
angles. both emphasise that eateries can be about more than simply eating. 'I'hese are gathering places
and communal spaces. with their
owners often meeting and greeting. Although one would haye to Use the word functional to describe the
principal dining room furnishings of
Magda. ’I‘arig has not crammed in too rrrany chairs and tables. He wants diners to wish to ‘linger' and relax rather to feel rushed to eat and moye on. The warm peach walls feature art from the .\Iusa family collection. Indeed. he would like guests to feel as if they are \ isiting a typical Sudanese house.
Because Strdan is a huge country
about I million square miles (compared with Scotland‘s meast 30.000) ~ its culinary tradition has absorbed a diyerse lot of influences. Recipes are generally free of cream and heayiness. In the north. where the country borders Libya and Iigypt. Vegetarian dishes such as fuul (broad beans with feta cheese. falafel and oIiye oil) or molokia (a spinach—like green cooked with onion. garlic and spices) are typical.
EATERIES CAN BE ABOUT MORE THAN SIMPLY EATING
In tracts of southern Sudan. barbecued meats are more the norm. The menu offers lamb chops
grilled with mixed \egetables or
grilled chicken breast with \egetables and pineapple. 'I'arig says the kitchens seasonings are imported from ('airo and Khartoum. while the fresh produce are similar to w hat the Sudanese eat (fresh-water riyer fish. for example. is sourced locally I.
At A/i/a in (ilasgow‘s West Iind. ingredients are normally fair trade and/or ethically sourced. Vegetables and herbs are w'heney er possible organic. and the meat is always halal. The tiny place (with seating for just oyer a dozen) lacks the planning permission for full-scale cookery. So. although the dishes are initially prepared off-site. they are deliyered fresh daily; whether north African lentil soup or a classic Moroccan Iarnb tagine lpictur'edl. which notwithstanding the kitchens limitations stiII arriyes to tables si/lling in the signature earthenware dish.
The ‘ba/aar” element comes from all the other things for sale under the billowing /ouk-like tented ceiling at A/i/a. whether fruit tobacco to
&
Aziza in Glasgow (left) and Magda in Edinburgh (below) are owned by Africans: Aziza celebrates Congolese cuisine, while Magda specialises in food from Sudan smoke in shisha pipes. the Arab perfume and incense made from Agarwood called otrdh. or (‘I)s of world music on the I’utumayo label. The mission statement on A/mina's business plan quotes an Arab pr‘oyerb: ‘When you go shopping for wisdom. \ isit ey cry tent in the ba/aar.‘
It also offers a north African totem: to paraphrase. open your door to any stranger and bestow hospitalin for three days before eyen asking why they've come. Bringing communitiestogether is at the forefront of A/mina‘s thinking. The premises include basement rooms that she erwisages using for anything from yoga laughing therapy sessions to Arabic poetry workshops. "I‘here is so much culture to share.‘ she says. ‘It's all about sharing experiences.‘
Magda, 6 Brougham Street, Edinburgh, 0131 229 0599; Aziza Café Bazaar, 517a Great Western Road, Glasgow, 0141 357 1 117.
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16 Feb—2 Mar 2006 THE LIST 99