Restaurant Review: Casa La Femme

Last month, I had the distinct pleasure of attending my friend Jessica's 21st birthday dinner. In honor of her daughter's newfound interest in Arabic language and culture, Jessica's mom decided to forgo the usual "birthday" restaurants and surprise her daughter at an Egyptian restaurant called Casa La Femme. Located just a block away from Hudson River Park at Pier 46 in the West Village, this beautiful space was not only luxurious, but also had some of the best food that I have tasted in a very long time. 

From the moment I walked in, I was immediately entranced by the decor. There were many similarities between this restaurant and many of the ones I had visited in Morocco, including carved moldings, mosaic tiles, and colorful carpets. I smiled inside, excited for the possibility of a memorable culinary experience. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. 

View from the lounge

The birthday girl was running a little bit late by the time I arrived, so I decided to relax and chat with her family at the bar. At their recommendation (not to mention that of our waiter, Ciprian), I ordered "The Lemonada," a sort of lemonade mojito. Having just turned 21 myself, I was curious to see what this drink tasted like, especially since I'm not very fond of the taste of alcohol. But to my surprise, it was delicious! Made of fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice, muddled mint, a simple syrup, Russian vodka, and topped off with champagne, the Lemonada tasted far more like a sweet summer refreshment than an "adult beverage." 

The Lemonada

I was making a mental note to remember the ingredients when Jessica arrived! She seemed very excited to see everyone, and once all of us were accounted for, we made our way to the table. Our waiter was very attentive and gave us our options right away. We could either order individually or through the $55.00 prix fixe menu, however, the decision had to be unanimous. Considering that we were given the option of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, we decided to order from the prix fixe menu. 

The first thing that came out was a warm flatbread and dip platter that we all shared. The dip trio consisted of a fava bean puree (fuul medames), hummus, and baba ganoush. I was familiar with the latter two and hesitant to try the fava bean puree, but surprisingly, it was the overwhelming favorite for all of us. Light, yet robust, and topped with spicy harissa, it was the perfect accompaniment to the flatbread. 

Mazzas Trio (l-r: baba ganoush, hummus, fava bean puree)

From there, we had the option of ordering individual appetizers. Jessica had the crab kofta, which was a sweeter, less dense version of the traditional crabcake. The kofta, although small, was very good. We all tried to guess the ingredients and ended up supposing that the "secret ingredient" that gave this appetizer its surprising sweetness and soft texture was either shrimp or lobster. Perhaps the world will never know. I, on the other hand, had the Ekhatboot Mashway, which consisted of grilled octopus slices under cherry tomatoes and arugula lettuce. Light, zesty and bursting with flavor, the salad was the perfect starter. 

Crab Kofta

Ekhatboot Mashway (Squid salad)

After that was the main course. It took us a long time to decide what to order, so Jessica and I decided to share our dishes with each other. She ordered the tagine Alexandria, a special that day, and I ordered the grilled branzino. The tagine was a bit different than I expected. "Tagines" are usually stews or braises, named after the terra cotta device in which they are cooked. In Morocco, where they can be bought on the side of the road as well as in the local shops, tagines are traditionally volcano-shaped. The shallow bottom dish holds the food and the large conical lid has a small hole at or near the top to release steam. But to my surprise, the tagine that this dish arrived in was completely different! Instead, the bottom dish was a deep container, reminiscent of a regular pot (although I am sure that the lid was still triangular). 

Tagine Alexandria

While I was initially disappointed that the tagine was shaped in that fashion, I quickly changed my mind when I saw what was in it. Huge prawns, potatoes, octopus rings, carrots, and more were swimming in a cumin spiked tomato-based sauce. Although it came with a side of Roz bil Saydeya (rice sauteed with caramelized onions), what I really wished for was more flatbread from earlier to sop up the leftover sauce. Although I was pretty full and had my own dish to eat, I was glad that Jessica offered to share her meal with me.

My meal was much more simple. "A whole grilled Branzino," our waiter explained over the music and finger-cymbals of the belly dancer (who had just arrived), was like "a Mediterranean sea bass." Perfectly cooked, sweet and meaty, seasoned simply and garnished with rosemary, it was a light and satisfying main course.

Whole Branzino

All in all, we were pretty pleased with the meal. But it wasn't over yet! The waiters brought out tiny rugelach-shaped pieces of baklava, which were delicately flavored and drizzled with honey, for the table, while the birthday girl had her own special dessert. I don't remember the name, but I could still see and taste it in my mind's eye: a singular round cake, crumbly and moist, with shredded coconut inside and scented with orange or rosewater and honey, this cake was absolutely worth eating slowly and savoring. 

The birthday girl and her birthday "cake."

Finally, the end of the meal had arrived. Everyone stood up, all smiles, glad that Mrs. Culler had chosen such a different location to host her daughter's birthday party. It was exotic and refreshing to have such an unexpected culinary adventure, and I know that every single person was content with the wonderful evening. I know that I was, and I will definitely return to Casa La Femme in the near future. 

Jessica and the belly dancer at Casa La Femme