Back in October 2021, we visited Halifax as part of our
Annapolis Valley road trip and ended up having dinner one night at
Casablanca, the only restaurant in Atlantic Canada serving authentic Moroccan cuisine. Surprisingly, considering all of our travels, this was our first time eating Moroccan food and it was delicious. We ended up meeting Abdelmalek Saoudi and his wife, two of the restaurant owners. They told us some of their story and I thought they'd be a great fit for our Vast and Varied series. If you're ever in Halifax and looking to satisfy your tastebuds, pay them a visit!
Here is Abdelmalek Saoudi, one of the founders.
Where are you originally from and what inspired the move to Canada?
There are three founders of the restaurant Casablanca. I am from Casablanca, Morocco, but moved to Canada back in 2007 for school. After graduation, I got married to Houda Saoudi. My wife moved here in 2011 from Paris, France. Our Business partner, Simo Debbagh, moved to Canada back in 2009 for school and he is from Rabat, Morocco.
I believe you mentioned that Casablanca is the only Morrocan restaurant in Atlantic Canada, right? What inspired you to start the first one?
The idea came from my wife who has experience in the food industry as well as event organization and has always wanted to have her own business. When the opportunity came, we jumped on it and opened Casablanca. Moroccan Food is considered one of the best gastronomy in the world. When tourists visit Morocco, they fall in love with the flavours of the dishes, and since there are no Authentic Moroccan Restaurants nearby, we decided to open the first one and take on the challenge. So far, we have very satisfied clients.
From what we've seen, Casablanca has become one of the top restaurants in Halifax. I know we loved it. What do you think makes it popular?
We're quite new and opening during COVID made things very hard. However, our top priority is to use the best quality ingredients available in the market and make sure our patrons enjoy the experience, so top customer service and best quality food are what we strive to achieve.
Have you traveled much in Halifax or elsewhere in Canada? If so, what has stood out to you?
We have traveled around Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, and Toronto. People are friendly and curious to learn about other cultures and we actually found that a lot of people have been to Morocco or are planning to go. Most Canadians love supporting local businesses and looking for authentic experiences.
