Dishes highlight surprising links between Moroccan and Indian cuisines
Dev Biswal, the owner-chef The Cook’s Tale (formerly The Ambrette), the renowned modern Anglo-Indian restaurant in Canterbury, has opened Café Marrakech in the city.
The new restaurant is a curated mixture of Moroccan elegance, authentic flavours, and traditional hospitality. with slow-cooked tagines, charcoal-grilled meats, hand-rolled couscous, vibrant salads, flaky pastries, freshly baked khobz, and sweet delights like semolina basbousa.
Each dish is prepared with authentic ingredients and bold spices, offering a rich, flavour-packed dining experience.
The space is flooded with warm light, vibrant colours, soft music, and spicy aromas, creating the heady atmosphere reminiscent of a Marrakech souk.
Biswal became inspired by north African cuisines after recruiting a Moroccan chef to join his brigade at The Cook’s Tale. He quickly added the destination to his destinations of his small group culinary tours operation, The Cooks Adventures.
“Visiting Morocco for the first time was a real eye-opener – I was amazed by the similarities in Moroccan and Indian cuisines; our food and cultures have more in common than I could have possibly imagined” said Biswal, adding,” I grew up thinking samosas were an Indian invention!”
The parathas, koftas, naans and sharbat and curries Biswal ate in in local restaurants as a child – all have their equivalent in Morrocco
Closer to home, Dev also runs Canterbury Experiences which offers tailored ‘culinary pilgrimages’, taking in the local area’s beautiful countryside, working closely with local partners and Visit Canterbury tourist office.
Dishes showcase much of the locality’s finest, sustainable local produce, mainly sourced from within 30 minutes of the kitchen.
Dev Biswal grew up in Orissa in India, was educated in Calcutta and trained at the Dubai Sheraton, before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and Eriki. He became a partner in The Indian Princess in Margate in December 2006, becoming patron in 2010. His restaurant is recommended by all the country’s top restaurant guides, including Michelin, AA, Good Food and Harden’s. Dev was the resident chef on Channel 4 TV’s ‘Superscrimpers’, showing how to prepare gourmet meals on a budget. Other awards have included. ‘Best Restaurant’ at the Taste of Kent Awards; ‘Best Indian Restaurant’ by Morrisons magazine; ‘Best Restaurant in the Southeast’ by the Cobra Good Curry Guide. He was named Asian Chef of the Year at the Asian Restaurant Awards.
The Cook’s Tale www.thecookstale.co.uk
The Cook’s Adventures www.thecooksadventures.com
Canterbury Experiences www.thecookstale.co.uk/experiences
Opening Hours:
Monday: 8:30am–11:30am (Tea & Coffee)
12:00pm–3:00pm (Lunch)
5:30pm–10:30pm (Dinner)
Tuesday & Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 8:30am–11:30am (Tea & Coffee) 12:00pm–3:00pm (Lunch)
5:30pm–10:30pm (Dinner)
Friday to Sunday: 8:30am–11:00pm (All-day service)
Café Marrakech, 13 Rosemary Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2PN
T: 01227 231104
Author: George Shaw
Former BBC journalist and founder and CEO of an award-winning London advertising and PR company for 20 years, providing restaurant consultancy services. Spent a decade as the director of communications of the Asian Catering Federation in the UK and lead judge for its various restaurant and chef awards programmes. Now returned to journalism, specialising in food and travel and currently the Editor-in-Chief for Taste London, Taste Asia, the Good Curry Guide and CEO of International Culinary Guides.