Dragging our bags across Marseille after our bus arrival the other day, we passed a cool Egyptian restaurant called La Cantine de Nour d'Égypte. We made a mental note. Tonight, Amira and I ate dinner there. (Click on the picture above to cycle through all the photos.) The decor of the place is pleasant, with all the furniture apparently cobbled together from wherever. About 1/4 of the interior is the kitchen, which is just out in the open and meticulously clean and orderly. Tables ranged from regular table-and-chairs to very low tables on the floor with diners sitting on cushions. We had something between the two extremes -- very low chairs and an even lower table. Everything was very good. Amira has a very nice, freshly blended cantaloupe drink and I had blended lemonade with mint. We started with a lovely plate of random Middle Eastern things -- falafel, hummus, olives, eggplant, yogurt stuff and other such foods. For dinner, Amira had a fish and I had a stuffed duck dish. It was delicious -- all of it. You don't come to France for the Egyptian food. But one of the joys of Marseille is the extensive North African, Arabic, Muslim and Berber presence, with attendant restaurants, shops, stores and markets. La Cantine de Nour d'Égypte is just one sample, and we loved it.
