Sadly, I wasn't able to join many of my girlfriends at Leeds
First Friday this weekend. A pity as it was exactly a year ago that I was
there. However, we London girls know how to keep ourselves entertained. It was
quite cold so I was glad of my favourite Nina Varese wool dress. After a short
fact-finding mission to the cosmetics emporia of Neal Street, I met up with
Joanne at Souk Medina, a Moroccan restaurant in Short's Gardens just off Seven Dials.
http://www.soukrestaurant.net/index.asp
I've never eaten there before but we were delighted with it.
We sat in the part with low tables and benches bestrewn with
cushions, overhung by maroon ceiling drapes giving the sensation of sitting in
a tent. They serve beautiful cocktails - as well as the usual kirs and bellinis
they have others I have never encountered before. We chose the mai camel (rum,
fruit juice and almonds) and the wonderful Sahara (rum, dates, ginger, lime
juice, brown sugar).
We chose the Marakkech menu which was wonderful: mixed meze
of beautifully smooth hummus, grilled halloumi cheese, prawns, chicken, lamb
and zaalouk (aubergines) with pitta bread, followed by tagines of tender
chicken, delicious lamb with prunes and almonds, chickpeas and couscous, with
delicate baklava and mint tea to finish. The staff were very welcoming and they
jingle as they walk because of the belts festooned with metal that they wear.
Truthfully, the low tables and benches are not so comfortable to sit and eat at
but that is a minor quibble. The ladies loos are beautiful with their
traditional tiles and basins in beaten brass. Not the cheapest dinner I've had,
but reasonable.
We decided to go to the cinema and see a random film. Just
as we left the bellydancer came in. Oh well, it means we'll just have to go
back another time to be entertained. I'm not sure I'll ever get my belly as
slim as hers, especially after all that food!
The random film, selected at random (well, OK, it was just
about to start), was "Beauty", mainly in Afrikaans with some English.
A slow-burning tale of a married man coming to terms with being gay. Not always
easy to follow, sexually explicit, and disturbing in a brutal rape scene,
without full resolution, it nevertheless did hold the attention. Still, after
all that sitting in the medina and in the cinema we agreed our bottoms were
rather sore (never mind fears of gay rape) so we were happy to stand outside
the Porcupine pub in the night air with a quick drink before plunging into the
tube to go home.
A good way to spend a Friday night when you can't make it to
the T scene in other cities.
Sue x
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