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| - I was invited to The Sultan's Tent for a triple date last week. I had never heard of the place (and neither had Yelp Toronto) so I consulted my other standby for online civilian restaurant reviews, the Chowhound forum.
As I read the reviews, I grew concerned. The predominating opinion was "avoid at all costs". I understood that I would be dining at an overpriced touristy gimmick of a restaurant with bad service and even worse food. Nobody had anything good to say about this place, but since I was an invitee and not the organizer of the gathering, there was nothing I could do.
I arrived expecting the worst. Straight off, I saw that the faux Moroccan decor of the Sultan's Tent is something special - the seating is on plush couches heaped with cushions, lengths of silk are draped overhead like tents. It is definitely gimmicky but I dug the romantic atmosphere. The tables in the tent areas were a little awkward to eat from, however.
The Sultan's Tent proper has a prix fixe menu: $40 for four courses (the Cafe Maroc at the front of the restaurant is a la carte). There are supplementary costs for some of the pricier selections, so you could end up spending $20 on top of the fixed menu. I had base price items for everything but dessert.
The first course is your choice of light starters like soup, salad or a dish of olives. I had the haria, a rustic tomato and chickpea soup which had been much maligned by the Chowhounders. It was delicious and spicy.
Next round, more appetizer-y selections like crab cakes, pastries, and such. My maftoul, Moroccan beef spring rolls, were beautifully presented. I loved them - awesome texture!
The entrée course is where the extra charges can get dangerous. Add $10 to your bill for the rack of lamb or seafood royale or $15 for the fillet mignon. I chose the Moroccan beef ribs: I was served two huge, tasty ribs cooked to perfect tenderness. The accompanying veggies were also excellent.
Once the main courses arrived, the lights dimmed and a bellydancer came out to gyrate and slink around the room. She danced well but her vacant eyes betrayed her disinterest in the spectacle. She did try to involve various diners in her shimmying and bouncing (birthday celebrants, bachelorettes and enthusiastic others). My problem with the dance segment of the evening was that the lighting was so low, I couldn't see to eat the luscious rib dinner in front of me!
I should mention that there was no sign of the poor service or the long waits between courses that the Chowhounds condemned. Our server was attentive and polite and the courses were well paced, the only area for improvement being that the next courses were delivered before the dishes were cleared from the previous one.
The basic price dessert was a dish of three Moroccan cookies, which were nothing interesting. I had chosen the pistachio creme brulee for $3 extra and I was happy I did.
After my meal, I was very confused as to why the Sultan's Tent has such a terrible reputation among Toronto foodies. Is my taste really so declasse? I mentioned this puzzle to a friend the next day and she had the answer: the Sultan's Tent is under brand new management. They must have made significant improvements because I enjoyed my meal very much and I recommend it for a special, fun outing.
(Gratitude goes to the founder of my feast, Rich S. Thank you!)
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