Algeria

Numidie

I’m assuming that the North African and Middle Eastern cuisine I experience on this challenge will be all pretty similar, so I picked a French influenced restaurant in Crystal Palace called Numidie for my Algerian experience. There’s actually another Algerian place called El Bled in Streatham, but it didn’t sound that tempting and I feel scared when I’m in Streatham. For those of you unaware of Ancient Rome and it’s Empire, Numidie is what the Romans called the area which is roughly now Algeria.

I went with the girlf, her brother and a couple of his friends and they were a lovely bunch. I always try to have the local drink with the meal, but knowing the Algeria is one of the stricter Moslem nations I‘m not sure they make such things. In any case, I was pleased to see Moroccan beer and wine on the menu, both of which were very drinkable if not quite award winning.

There’s a warm cosy feel to La Numidie, I like a restaurant busy with seemingly random souvenirs, object d’art and relics, it gives you something to look at while you wait for your food and something to talk about if the company’s dull. Which on this occasion, I should say, it wasn’t. I ended up ordering three courses, which is always a good sign a restaurant’s doing something right. I took the opportunity to eat the most Algerian sounding things on the menu. To be honest, I’ve completely forgotten what I started with and what I had for dessert, but the seafood tagine I had as my main was lovely. Actually, I can’t really remember what those around me ate either , but I do recall that they really enjoyed it. That may be the Moroccan liquids I imbibed on the evening, or it might be the delay between the visit and writing the blog. Perhaps I should increase my professionalism and take notes when I’m out, but then again I’m doing this for the enjoyment not the journalism.

I tend to find that the further away from central London a restaurant is, the better the service. This place proves my point. The staff were friendly, chatty and sharp, and made our dinner all the better. The bill came with a handwritten message thanking us for coming and wishing us a good evening, and though they probably do it for everyone, it finished off the evening nicely.

What did I learn about Algerian food? Well, they seem to eat food typical of the region – lamb, dried fruit, fish and cous cous. I have to say I didn’t eat anything that I wouldn’t have expected from either a North African or French cuisine, but the combination of the two was a very enjoyable experience and I’d recommend it.