This venue is now closed.
Madina is a casual Moroccan restaurant in Jing’an serving up tagines, hearty soups, Moroccan-style pies, and pastries.
About Madina
The restaurant is located in the former Pho To Shop space, which closed suddenly due to issues with monies and management. The lot’s predecessors, Munchies, beloved back in the day for all-day breakfast and brunch, were called into play.
Munchies former co-owner Isis Lee didn’t want to redo brand, and instead landed on “Moroccan” as a diverse option for the neighborhood. After much recipe scouring and trial and error, as well as the greenlight from Moroccan friends, she opened Madina. Adjustments are still being made and more dishes are being added.
The Food
The food at Madina is home-style and comforting, as well as affordable. It isn’t certified halal, but they don’t serve any pork dishes.
Highlights include the Harira Soup, a hearty Moroccan tomato-based soup, usually with lentils and warm spices. Madina does a very tasty little bowl with bits of ground beef, carrots, chickpeas, and celery. It has deep flavors and is very comforting. Add a side of plain couscous and you’ve got yourself a meal.
Madina also has a few Moroccan-style pies, pocket-sized pastries stuffed with beef, chicken, and lamb. The Chicken Curry Pie is not bad. Nice flavors, less spicy more fragrant, and a good ratio of flaky pie crust.
There are three kinds of tagines, beef (¥88), lamb (¥98), and chicken (¥68).
The lamb tagine is stewed with a myriad of different spices, along with carrots, chickpeas, potatoes, and a ton of green olives. The olives are crucial and gives the chunky soup a desirable brininess.
The lamb is tender, albeit some pieces tend to be a bit dry as it is a leaner cut. It doesn’t taste “lamb-y” at all — I could have been told “beef” and I would have concurred. The portion size is generous. It’s homey and satisfying.
Moroccan Pastries
For desserts, there are several traditional Moroccan pastries. The sweetness level, as mentioned by Isis, has been toned down significantly.
First, there’s the Chebakia, flower-shaped sesame cookies that are fried and dipped in honey, traditionally seasoned with spices like anise, cinnamon, and citrus. Then there is Makrout, a pastry with dense date and nut filling.
Next, Briouats. These small triangular pastries are can be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings, and are fried and drenched in honey. Madina’s version is filled with almonds and topped with toasted sesame seeds. It’s a flaky filo pastry that crackles, giving way to smooth and nutty almond praline. My favorite of all the little desserts.
Then there’s Rugelach, a traditional Jewish dessert of tiny crescent pastries rolled with filling. Whether or not it fits the mold of Moroccan cuisine isn’t important, as these are tasty little treats! It’s a buttery and flaky pastry twisted with raspberry and chocolate.
Finally, Baklava, again with crispy filo pastry layered with pistachios and doused in honey. It’s not my favorite variation, as it lacked crisp.
There’s a peppermint tea set that comes with four kinds of cookies for ¥88.
In the end, Isis couldn’t help but include some remnants of the old Munchies menu, and serves items like the tuna sandwich, beef chili, reuben sandwich, and oatmeal cookies.
Soft drinks for ¥12 and beer for ¥22. Lunch sets and dinner combos available from ¥78.
In Summary
Madina is comforting and hearty, casual and easy-going, and good for delivery.
