North-African street food to savour
Unlike some neighbouring cities, York is not a street-food pioneer. True, at the food festival in September and the St Nicholas Fair at Christmas, Parliament Street sizzles to the sound of al fresco cuisine, but for a long time the only year-round offerings came from burger and kebab vans.
That is beginning to change, and Los Moros is leading the way. To find it, follow your nose … the spicy aromas will lead you to York’s market, just off historic Shambles. Here Los Moros serves up authentic North African and Levantine street-food to city workers, shoppers, and those visitors lucky enough to be in the know. The man doing the cooking is Tarik Abdeladim, an Algerian who has lived in York since 1997.
Info
Address Shambles Market, 5 Silver Street, York YO1 8RY, +44 (0)1904 551355, www.shamblesmarket.com | Public Transport Closest car parks: Shambles and Piccadilly. Closest bus stops: on Stonebow | Hours Los Moros: daily 11:30am–5pm| Tip Look out for the regular speciality markets held here, selling farmers’ produce, art, or antiques.
Moorish cuisine played a big role in Tarik’s childhood and is the inspiration for the booth’s name – Los Moros is Spanish for “Moorish people.” “We were a family of foodies. We made our own olive oil from olive trees in the mountains,” he says.
Tariq’s menu includes handmade merguez sausages, lamb tagines, and veggie couscous. And you get a complimentary cup of refreshing Moroccan mint tea with every main meal. Everything is about flavour. In the sausages alone, Tariq adds cumin, paprika, coriander, fennel, ginger, garlic, and mint. There are plenty of vegetarian options too, such as dolmas – cabbage leaves stuffed with mushrooms and onions and served warm on a bed of couscous. As one reviewer put it, “The food is filled with love and the flavours are awesome.”
Los Moros is found in one of the seven permanent kiosks installed when Shambles Market underwent a £1.6-million renovation in 2015. The ambition was to create an outdoor food court, and you can now sample hot and cold pies from the York Pie Company, cakes and cream teas at Flax & Twine, and jacket potatoes and wraps from Café M and Mr Tantuni, respectively.
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