MLI: Restaurant Azalai
Trying two Malian and two Senegalese main courses!
"You went to Mali? Are you crazy?" was the question that many people raised in disbelief. Yes, I did, dragging my BFF along. Our time in the Western African country was short, and twice we actually had dinner at Restaurant Azalai inside Azalai Grand Hotel (4*) where we were staying at.
Besides African cuisine, the restaurant also serves French dishes. We didn't try any of the latter, except for dessert.
"You went to Mali? Are you crazy?" was the question that many people raised in disbelief. Yes, I did, dragging my BFF along. Our time in the Western African country was short, and twice we actually had dinner at Restaurant Azalai inside Azalai Grand Hotel (4*) where we were staying at.
Besides African cuisine, the restaurant also serves French dishes. We didn't try any of the latter, except for dessert.
Bread
The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft enough inside. Each came with a small block of salted butter.
Thieboudienne CFA 6,500 (~S$15.00)
Taste: 6/10
The very first dish that I tried was the Senegalese main course of fish filled in tomato-based sauce flavoured with peanut oil. It was a pity that it came to the table lukewarm, even though the gravy tasted quite nice. The fish, however, could be fresher. It was served with couscous.
Maafe CFA 6,500 (~S$15.00)
Taste: 7/10
A dish originally created by the Mandinka and Bambara people of Mali, maafe shouldn't taste too unfamiliar for those who've eaten Indonesian satay. The restaurant's version of the peanut stew was adequately creamy, but could be richer in terms of taste. The beef chunks, on the other hand, could be more succulent.
Poulet Yassa CFA 6,500 (~S$15.00)
Taste: 7.5/10
Hailing from Casamance in southern Senegal, the marinated poultry dish tasted the best among the rest. I really appreciated the sweetness of the caramelised onions that was balanced with some acidity of lemon juice. The reason why I couldn't give it a higher score was that the white meat wasn't tender enough for my liking.
Carpe Braisée a la Bamakoise CFA 7,000 (~S$16.20)
Taste: 6/10
The dish with the highest price tag out of the four wasn't the best. Just like the fish used in thieboudienne, the carp could be fresher. Also, it wasn't that moist, which shouldn't actually be the case for a braised item. I'm not too sure what the sauce was, but it tasted somewhat refreshing due to its sour taste. Pika's advice: For this particular dish, you can choose to have your fish with rice, couscous or potatoes.
Crème Caramel CFA 3,500 (~S$8.10)
Taste: 5.5/10
We had dessert only on the first evening there. Overall, it had the right degree of sweetness. Having said that, the custard wasn't particularly fluffy as it was rather overcooked. On top of that, its top layer was marred with burnt caramel, which resulted in a slightly bitter taste.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 6.5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Overall: 6.5/10
I recall the female servers were quite patient with me, although pretty much reserved, as I spoke with my rudimentary French. I didn't quite like the male manager though, who seemed to be communicating with the servers with an air of superiority. He also didn't have the courtesy to say anything before taking away our plates from the table when we were done eating.
Restaurant Azalai
Avenue Al Quds
1/F Azalai Grand Hotel
Bamako
Mali
(Daily: 12 noon - 3.00pm, 7.00pm - 11.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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