KOFI BEANS AND HARIRA SOUP AT CROYDON

Yesterday, was Dentist Day and I was in Croydon. It is becoming something of habit to pop into Kofi Beans after my appointment to recover from all that drilling and poking before setting off full of (well not really - much diminished) anaesthetic to drive home.

Kofi's signage is not well seen from a distance.  If you come down Mount Dandenong Road and turn left into Main Street and look for the better signed Red Cargo, you will find  Kofi's next door on the northern side.

You will see Kofi's footpath dining area.

The weather has not been conducive to outdoor dining lately

and, while yesterday was sunny, it was still quite cold.

However, I haven't been in Kofi's during the lunching hours

when the indoors has not been packed. 

On the right as you walk in, there are comfy couches for curling up with friends and coffee.  Well, it wouldn't be Moroccan would it if there were not space and comfort for curling, reclining, slouching?  And then there are the homewares - stacks and stacks of Moroccan homewares.  Everything you can think of - almost - is there for the browsing and buying.

While coffee is the specialty of the house, I have to admit that I haven't got that far.  I get stuck on the hot chocolate.  Yesterday, I ordered orange and cinnamon.  It was a delight to warm the cockles of my heart and pour comfort into a body which had suffered the vicissitudes of the dentist, lovely though Andrew is.  The chocolate was so thick I am sure if I had put the teaspoon into it, it would have remained vertical.

 

Above is the menu board for the day, 

but the menu at Kofi's is quite extensive 

and has thoughtful menu markings 

for dairy, vegetarian, and gluten free.  

I ordered Harira Soup.  Find out more about this traditional Moroccan dish here.  There is a link to a recipe which includes meat - but Kofi's soup did not include meat and I think a really good rich vegetable stock would suffice well to provide a strong base for the chick peas, lentils, tomatoes, celery, and coriander.  The Harira was served with Phillippa's Bread which will always be my favourite.

The cake cabinet is a veritable assortment of culinary jewels.  But I have never ordered from there.  You see, atop the cake cabinet are trays of cholates - all sorts: champagne, caramel, lavender, tia maria and on and on.  I select three to take on my way.  And I leave well satisfied.

BTW, on Friday nights Kofi's opens their courtyard - covered and heated - for dinner.