B'Stilla
14/20
Moroccan$$
Take a smart backstreet and chic indoor-outdoor space, add an authentic yet contemporary Moroccan menu, and you've got B'Stilla. This newcomer's savvy box-ticking should be no surprise given owner-chef Jason Jones also owns the hype-tastic Mamasita; he impresses equally with his easy way with Morocco's complex, subtle spicing. The namesake pigeon and duck pie is a flaky cinnamon-scented beauty studded with almond and saffron egg; aromatics also admirably serve the rgahaif - cakey fingers of orange-braised oxtail, onion and raisins, one of several dishes chasing the street-food zeitgeist. House-made harissa on each table adds fire but it's not all wham-bam. duck ham with grilled pear, crunchy swatches of skin and spiced honey dressing puts a modern face on a cuisine equally at home with the rustic - maybe grilled vine-wrapped sardines or goat tagine with quince. To finish, rosewater flan with dates and nougatine sums up B'Stilla's heady mix of old and new.
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Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/bstilla-20130827-32bw1.html