Street Food Favourite Expands in Fez

Local Fez Medina residents have welcomed the expansion of Thami's Restaurant at Bab Boujloud. While a few extra tables are usually not something newsworthy, Thami's is an exception. Finding a free table is often a problem due to his popularity and we are talking about a man who a few years ago started with a single table and four chairs 

The new seating also has the advantage of being indoors and out of the sun. There is also a new toilet facility, something in short supply in the medina.

Local identity Richard Lawson discovers the "new" Thami's Restaurant

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Shnoo?

The View from Fez reported a few days ago (Confounding the Guidebooks) that our favourite medina restaurant owner, Thami, had confused everyone by painting a new sign above his restaurant that read 'Tohami'.

Once we'd pointed it out to him (and helped some Dutch tourists who were trying to follow directions in their Lonely Planet guide), Thami promised to change the spelling. He did - and had the whole street laughing:


Sandy is definitely Thami's favourite customer, but we're sure the sign will be changed soon so that everyone can find the restaurant.

Reporting: Helen Ranger.
Photograph: Helen Ranger.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Confounding the guidebooks -Thami style!

Anyone familiar with the Fez Medina will know of Thami's Restaurant. This little street restaurant used to be called the best kept secret in Fez - that was until the guidebooks discovered Thami and his wonderful food. Thami's sense of humour and good natured personality ensured he was a hit with everyone.

"I can't see the sign if I close my eyes..."

With locals and clued-up visitors searching him out Thami's business increased to the point where, earlier this year, he did a complete renovation and upgrade of his kitchen. Then it was a new blue umbrella for shade and protection from the rain.

Tohami's restaurant.

His latest "improvement" has been to paint the restaurant's name above the kitchen. All of which is fine with one exception. Everyone of the guide books ( and The View from Fez) spell his name "Thami" - whereas Thami's sign-writer has it spelt "Tohami". Correct or not, confusing or not, we can report it has had no impact on his cooking... or his sense of humour.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Medina Gossip #3506

Once again it is time for a quick round-up of gossip from the Fez Medina. Our spies have been out and about and can report that despite the weather ( wet one day, fine the next) the streets are buzzing with tourists. Local shop keepers say that the economic woes in other places seem to have made little impact on tourist spending. However a couple of the guest house owners grumbled to us that numbers were slightly down.

The good news on the horizon is the reintroduction of flights from the UK. The new flights will be from Gatwick with Atlas Blue. The other good news is that unlike the Ryanair flights from Luton that used to require checking in before dawn, the new flights leave London at the very civilized hour of 11.50 and get in to Fez at 14.40. The return to London leaves at 15.30 and gets in at 18.20. We have managed to find some one way flights for as low as 150 Euro ( including taxes) with others up to 368.

The Halloween Bash

Decision time! Two of the local cafes are having Halloween parties - Cafe Clock staff have already tried their hands at carving up pumpkins and at Fez Lounge the free nibbles and decorations are the subject of intense speculation . At the Clock, Maestro Mike has returned from his search in Spain for a Halloween outfit while the rest of us search the souqs for suitable attire. A visit to both establishments seems like a good idea. And here's what our good friend Jillian York is writing on Global Voices: morocco -halloween not just for expats anymore.

Pasquotank folks know how to carve a pumpkin

The ever-resourceful Dominick (pictured above) decided that the perfect Halloween outfit would need a great deal of research and so has been scouring the internet for advice from the fashion mavens of Pasquotank, North Carolina ( Pasquotank pop, 16 ) - though a quick check of his computer showed us he had also browsed the job offers.

Dutch delights for Halloween?

Robyn, (pictured above) was unable to decide which party to go to and which frock to wear so has headed off to Amsterdam for some Dutch Trick or Treats.

Another rumour has it that the big boss Louis da Fez is back in town for a flying visit. It is hoped he will stick around for the Halloween parties - and add some Purple Circle class to the proceedings. Another Purple Circle member, Helen Ranger, is also flying in from working in South Africa in order to frock up and front up to any party that's happening.

And while talking of the Purple Circle, Suzanna Clarke's bestseller A House in Fez is due to be launched in the United States within the next couple of weeks.

The book, which sold out in Australia, has just been re released in time for Christmas in the antipodes. The British version, though disappointingly small in comparison to the Penguin edition from Australia, has been a big hit. Fortunately the American edition will have all the photographs of the original collectors hardback edition and will be larger format than the UK version. The launch will be in New York and rumour has it the Moroccan Tourist authorities there will hold a party for Suzanna. We wish her well for the launch.

Meanwhile, up in the area around Ban Boujeloud the restoration of the Medina is continuing to impress. Around the corner from the Batha post office a small area has been set aside and a brand new fountain is being constructed. It is tasteful, stylish and certainly an improvement. Our congratulations to the Medina authorities.

According to Thami ( of the famous street restaurant "Thami") - the Bab Boujeloud work and the paving in front of his street tables should be completed within the next few months. The sign outside the Medina suggests eight.

Thami (with the Queen of the warka) gives the new work the thumb's up.

The best warka (b'stilla pastry) maker in the Medina? We have seen the kitchen folk from the top Medina establishments come to her to purchase their supplies... and her enterprise is expanding. Until recently she had to use the scales in other shops. Yesterday we spotted she has her own set of scales.

And while we are talking of micro-enterprises, did you know that more than 600,000 out of a total of one million clients in the microfinance sector in 2007 were women? Yes, this according according to the National Federation of Microfinance Associations in Morocco who announced this during a meeting of the association in Casablanca.

FNAM statistics also show that more than 20 billion dirhams ($2.26 billion) have been distributed thus far, 13 billion dirhams, ($1.48 billion) of which is invested by women in productive projects, especially in poor rural area. The microcredit sector has been developing at fast pace since the 1990`s and it is now an essential instrument in the struggle against exclusion and poverty in Morocco

High illiteracy rates, particularly between women, about 60%, are a serious constraint for their participation and ownership of businesses because they have fewer and lower options to get a job, that’s why women are more interested in micro-loans than men.

In rural areas they resorted to microcredit so as to have enough liquidity to buy a small number of goats, which she uses to produce milk and cheese, or raise rabbits, thereby generating some income and achieving a degree of financial independence.

However, in urban areas, microloans have attracted the attention of unemployed young women seeking to establish small income-inducing projects in traditional industries or by opening shops.

The recipients receive more than just money; a representative from the microcredit agency put together a business plan with the entrepreneur. They pay monthly visits to collect repayments, but also provide administrative and legal support to help ensure the business is remaining on track. Approximately 2,500 people, in Morocco, work in the area of microcredit.

Although the loans granted are small, Studies have shown that access to such loans can improve the status of women within the family and the community. Women become more assertive and confident, they come to own assets, including land and housing, play a stronger role in decision-making and take on leadership roles in their communities moreover this kind of financing partially contributes to the fight against poverty and unemployment.

Reporting for Medina Gossip: Samir, Sandy, Madam K.
Photographs: Sandy McCutcheon
Send your gossip to fes.riad@gmail.com


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The best little restaurant in Fes - update

Thami's restaurant has been closed for the last week and at first it caused concern amongst his regular patrons who worried that he might have closed. Thankfully that was not the case and now Thami (pictured above) has reopened with brand new décor - all fresh and bright. The food? The food is as good as ever.

For a few years Thami's was a well kept secret among the Moroccans and expat locals. Slowly the word got out and he is now listed in the guide books. However, it still takes some skill to find his tiny kitchen and the three small tables.

Tourists visiting Fez are usually guided to "palace" restaurants where the menu is Moroccan salads, chicken or lamb tagine with couscous followed by fruit and mint tea. For the average visitor, street food is something they approach with undue caution. But we are here to tell you the street food is great.

So where do you go if you want to watch the crowds and enjoy a simple, delicious meal at very reasonable prices and no fuss? The answer is Thami's Restaurant.

At this point we should mention that in the context of Thami, the word "restaurant" should be taken to mean a simple table set on a street corner. In fact, the owner and chef, Thami, started off a few years ago with a single table and four chairs. The following year he expanded to six chairs with two tables covered with a single tablecloth and now he has managed to take over another small area of footpath and has a second table with two chairs - such is capitalism.

On our latest visit we noticed that Thami has two new round tables - now all he needs is extra chairs! At the first sign of an approaching tourist, Thami weaves his way through the crowds on the street and presents them with the card. This is hard work, as his strike rate is often as low as one in fifty. Yet when the restaurant is busy, people in the know, find themselves having to nip around to the Batha Hotel to assuage their thirst while waiting for a seat. Once you get a seat you could well find yourself chatting with some of the Medina's most colourful identities - poets, renovators, English teachers and photographers.

Thami is up against stiff competition. To one side of his small hole-in-the-wall kitchen are a row of smart cafes and several terrace restaurants with ambiance much more appealing than a simple table on a busy corner near the Baboujeloud. So why do so many of the expats and Moroccan's regularly visit Thami? The answer is simple. The food is simple, cheap and fresh - and in five years of eating there - nobody has had any need to rush for the immodium! The second reason is Thami himself. He is a really nice person who looks after his regular customers as if they were members of his family.

The one drawback to Thami's is the fact that being located in such a great spot for watching the passing throng some of the locals have taken up almost permanent residence on some of his chairs and often need prying away from them with a crowbar.

We suggest you try the tagine of kefta with egg, the melange and his fish.

Thami's Restaurant is at the very top of the Tala'a Sghira on the corner that turns right to the Baboujeloud and the Tala'a Kbira. He is open for lunch and in the evenings from about 7 onwards. The restaurant is the best kept secret in Fez, so don't tell anyone else, okay?



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Kiwis in Fez - exploring Moroccan cuisine

(From left) Helen, Bill, Peter & Lynde

One thing you can say about New Zealanders is that they are intrepid travellers. Usually shunning the large package tours they tend to tailor their travel to allow a great deal of flexibility. Two couples we met recently, not only plunged into the Fez Medina head first, but were game to try local cuisine at every level from the street to the fine restaurants.

Thami - Consistently the best street food in the Medina.

Peter and Lynde Evans from Fielding and Bill and Helen Cunningham from Auckland are seasoned travellers and this year, after a visit to Petra in Jordan and a stop over in Egypt, headed to Morocco, where we caught up with them having a quiet ale at the Hotel Batha.

Their first experience of street food was a meal at Thami's Restaurant - the tiny table on the street around the corner from the Bab Boujeloud. They pronounced the food "delicious" and (like all of us who dine there) loved the chaos of the street life that whirls around the location.

The "catch of the day"

Most New Zealanders love seafood and so it was little surprise the following night to find the party had navigated their way to La Trois Sources where they explored the menu and enjoyed a range of dishes as well as a couple of bottles of Moroccan wine.

By the contented smiles at the end of the meal, we suspect that this will not be the last time they visit Fez.



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The weather in Fez.

Storm clouds over the Medina

While those in the countryside must be welcoming the recent rain - for those doing renovation or construction work in the Medina, the black clouds on the horizon are not good news. Especially those working on the terraces.

At Riad Zany (home to The View from Fez) we have been doing a little work renovating a room with a carved cedar ceiling. This work required taking off the terrace floor and exposing everything to the elements. Of course we have it covered in plastic sheeting and so on, but rain and wind constantly conspire to create problems. And always in the middle of the night. When a deluge happens, why is it that the downpour of water always aims at the exposed electrical wiring?

The work at Riad Zany

Fortunately we have sustained no damage. The weather is predicted to improve in the next few days with sunshine and top temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius. Humdullilah!

But spare a thought for the poor tourists who have come for a sunny break in Africa - alas the first souvenir for many was the purchase of an umbrella or a warm coat. There are problems as well for the outdoor cafes - like Thami's. A sudden downpour not only means he has no customers, but as you can see in the photograph below... everything is drenched and the table clothes need replacing.

Anyone for a plate of rainwater?

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The best little restaurant in Fez

Thami - the best kept secret in Fez.

The View from Fez team were divided on whether or not to reveal our favourite eating spot in the Fez Medina, but after a lot of discussion a vote was held and those in favour won the day.

Tourists visiting Fez are usually guided to "palace" restaurants where the menu is Moroccan salads, chicken or lamb tagine with couscous followed by fruit and mint tea. For the average visitor, street food is something they approach with undue caution. But we are here to tell you the street food is great.

So where do you go if you want to watch the crowds and enjoy a simple, delicious meal at very reasonable prices and no fuss? The answer is Thami's Restaurant.

At this point we should mention that in the context of Thami, the word "restaurant" should be taken to mean a simple table set on a street corner. In fact, the owner and chef, Thami started off a few years ago with a single table and four chairs. The following year he expanded to six chairs with two tables covered with a single tablecloth and now he has managed to take over another small area of footpath and has a second table with two chairs - such is capitalism.

On our latest visit we noticed that Thami has a gorgeous new red tablecloth and even matching seat covers. A candle twinkled in the neck of a tagine lid - such opulence! There is also a smart new menu in French and English. At the first sign of an approaching tourist, Thami weaves his way through the crowds on the street and presents them with the card. This is hard work, as his strike rate is often as low as one in fifty. Yet when the restaurant is busy, people in the know, find themselves having to nip around to the Batha Hotel to assuage their thirst while waiting for a seat. Once you get a seat you could well find yourself chatting with some of the Medina's most colourful identities - poets, renovators, English teachers and photographers.

Thami is up against stiff competition. To one side of his small hole-in-the-wall kitchen are a row of smart cafes and several terrace restaurants with ambiance much more appealing than a simple table on a busy corner near the Baboujeloud. So why do so many of the expats and Moroccan's regularly visit Thami? The answer is simple. The food is simple, cheap and fresh - and in five years of eating there - nobody has had any need to rush for the immodium! The second reason is Thami himself. He is a really nice person who looks after his regular customers as if they were members of his family.

The one drawback to Thami's is the fact that being located in such a great spot for watching the passing throng some of the locals have taken up almost permanent residence on some of his chairs and often need prying away from them with a crowbar.

We suggest you try the tagine of kefta with egg, the melange and his fish.

Thami's Restaurant is at the very top of the Tala'a Sghira on the corner that turns right to the Baboujeloud and the Tala'a Kbira. He is open for lunch and in the evenings from about 7 onwards. The restaurant is the best kept secret in Fez, so don't tell anyone else, okay?

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news