Lunch at Marrakesh

This caf? is owned and operated by Brett and Teri (Teresa) Bulling who first met when Brett was in the diplomatic corps in the British High Commission here where he met Teri. They fell in love, but when his tour of duty in Trinidad was over, Brett was assigned to Afghanistan.

Teri couldn't go to Afghanistan so Brett piled up the air miles as he flew back and forth from Kabul to Port-of-Spain as often as he was able. Then he decided that ten years in the diplomatic corps leading a gypsy life was enough. He resigned from the diplomatic corps, came back to Trinidad and with his wife, Teri, opened the Caf? Marrakesh and where she and helper, Amanda cook healthy food using organic vegetables.

The North African city of Marrakech in Morocco is the inspiration for the d?cor of this small caf? that seats no more than 20 people. There are divans for seating; tables, lights, drapes which all reflect the ambience of North Africa.

Caf? Marrakesh is open, mainly for lunches, from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.

My friend Mark and I dropped by for lunch last Thursday. Brett suggested I try the house special – Moroccan Lamb Salad – consisting of roast lamb, roast potatoes, olives and feta cheese, served on a bed of organic lettuce, tomato and cucumber with a side dressing. Soup, an apple and a home-made cookie are all I usually have for lunch so this large plate of salad was more than enough for me.

Mark is a vegetarian so he chose the Scottish Salmon – with baked potatoes. His Scottish smoked salmon was tucked inside the baked potatoes, topped with halved grapes, slices of red onion and a generous scattering of feta cheese – and, of course, a salad like mine, of organic lettuce, tomato, cucumber plus, if I mistake not, slivers of carrot. Mark, who has a healthy appetite, left not one crumb on his plate

Marrakesh doesn't have a liquor license (though it's not for want of trying) so Mark had coffee with his meal and I had a mango, banana and papaya smoothie – which was a new experience for me. On balance I think I prefer frapp?s but I have to say my drink at Marrakesh was very, very smooth and organic.

Looking down the menu I see I could have had soup with garlic bread or a tuna or shrimp or Mexican Chicken or Italian Sausage or Farmhouse or Garden salad with, if I wanted, an extra serving of healthy nuts or seeds.

On the other hand I might have had a wrap of chicken and corn, tuna mayo, shrimp and peppers, or perhaps a lasagna and a desert of chocolate brownies or home made ice cream. There's plenty to choose from on the Marrakesh menu.

So if good organic eating between 10 am and 6 pm (or 5 pm on Saturdays) is for you, you'll find Caf? Marrakesh tucked away inside and at the back of the Simplicity Mall (a nest of nail and hair speciality salons, small boutiques et al) that looks like a very large red house on Murray Street between Ariapita Avenue and Tragarete Road, opposite (I'm told) the old Post Office by the children's playground.

Or if you live or work in Woodbrook, Newtown or St Clair you could order your lunch to be delivered (only $5 extra charge) to your door, provided you do so before 11 am.