Tanjia
4905 Telegraph Ave
(between 49th St & 51st St)
Oakland, CA 94609 (510) 653-8691
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
307 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"Bissap Baobab is an Afro-Caribbean love shack. The music is loud & unfamiliar just enough to seem exotic. The dancing is relentless. The…" read more »
61 Reviews for Tanjia
The atmosphere was fine, dancing was fine but the food bugged me. I ordered the chicken tagine and it ended up being a cornish game hen - which I would not have ordered and did not care for. Since the food took so long to get I did not complain or ask for a substitute because I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for a replacement.
Not returning.
The food is great and I love the atmosphere. Service does take a long time because of all the courses. Don't come here if you want to get in and out or if you have other plans in the evening.
First start with a little rose water to cleanse your hands and then let the fun begin....
This Moroccan restaurant makes for a great date or group event and if you time it right, you can even have belly dancers to watch while you eat, and they may even give you a free lesson!! More bang for your buck then!!
Definitely go here for a nice long, leisurely dinner which includes a plethora of foods ranging from chicken with almonds, couscous with lamb, and the SUPER YUMMY bastillas which are these awesome phyllo dough pies filled with chicken and spices and topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar!! I WANT ONE NOW! And be prepared to eat with your hands! The best is feeding your date, because what is hotter than forcing food into your loved one's mouth at your side?? ha ha no really, actually it is kinda fun and finger lickin' good!!
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Great decor, comfy banquettes..everything else was so-so.
We got plain water to wash our hands, so much for the lovely (non-existent) fragrance of rose water. Be forewarned that the promised "mint tea" is not free..as in, you pay $2 for each very tiny glass you drink. If you stick around for dessert, then you get the "complimentary mint tea" which comes in a shot glass - literally about one mouthful. Pretty lame considering Morocco's culture is built around offering gobs of mint tea as soon as a guest arrives, let alone being insulting enough to charge them an arm and a leg for it.
Food was ok, though if you're looking for lots of protein, just order the dishes that come without couscous and veggies. They seem to adjust portions - more couscous, you get less meat to accompany, which was a bit disappointing.
Service was a little surly at times, our waitstaff barely cracked a smile the whole night. The belly dancer was great fun, although some in our party didn't quite know how to react to her. Yes, it's ok to tip her - in fact, it's expected that you clap along with the music, maybe even try a few moves and express some appreciation. But please..don't just sit there in mute silence - or worse, turn your back while she's dancing nearby and pretend you're eating your food.
Been there, done that, don't need to go again. Had a better time at El-Mansour in SF.
Come in and be transported to Morocco!
The five course dinner is flavorful, and diverse in textures and tastes. I loved the lentil soup, seasoned salad, bastilla, and ESPECIALLY the main course, which was a whole chicken slow cooked in honey and prunes--it's all literally finger licking good. The delicate mint tea you get at the end is a suprisingly satisfying way to finish the dinner.
This is not an expensive dinner, considering how much food and entertainment you get. Be prepared for the belly dancer to trick you into taking lessons from her and be prepared for some rigorous hip shaking and chest popping.
3
Okay, this was a fun restaurant, and all in all a good experience, especially with equally adventurous people. However, I did have some qualms, which resulted in this less than "above 4 stars review" that I'm currently writing.
The first impression:
I was pleasantly surprised after walking in and being one of the first people in this joint, enjoying the exotic music and decorations, and scoring one of the best seats in the room. The special birthday yelper and I shared some nice quiet moments together before the rest of our party showed up, so that was definitely FIVE stars. :)
The Food:
I can't say that this tops my moroccan food list, as my favorite is still Aziza in the city; this place is more of a kitschy place where people go to feel like they're conniseurs of exotic foods. The food was not really a stunner for me, especially since I think its more of a general place for generic moroccan, and probably for people who haven't had this type of cuisine before. My favorite was the Brochette and Basteeya, but I've had better Basteeya before. I was not a fan of eating with my hands, but being the person I am, still had a blast attempting to eat couscous with my fingers; needless to say, I utilized the towel they gave me. And if you really can't stand it, they will graciously give you forks! My favorite was the rosewater at the end that they sprinkle on your hands which smells absolutely wonderful.
Minus two stars for conveniently "forgetting" to give us our dessert and our mint tea, the last two things from our five course meal. I know we brought our own cake, but don't try to skimp out on my meal which I rightly paid for!
The Service:
It was friendly, cordial and helpful , although the asian hostess looked like a cat peed her cheerios, the other ones were nice and helpful and VERY accomodating, not charging for us bringing a cake.
Other qualms include uncomfortable seating, at least for those unlucky enough to be sitting on the stools.
Overall, it made for a pretty fun night with friends' great for groups.
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Where to start? I've been here twice and have been 110% satisfied both times.
FOOD: The food here is great! I had the 4 course prix fixe menu and it was awesome. For starters they give you yummy lentil soup followed by warm bread with a variety of veggie appetizers. My favorite was the hummus. Next they have a cinnamon chicken pie/tart which is TO DIE FOR! Following, they have the main course complete with 2 different kinds of chicken (lemon/olive and date/sweet), seafood, lamb, and lamb skewers. To top it off they serve fried bananas with fresh fruit. And finally some mint tea to top it all off. With a party of 6, 2 bottles of wine, the meal, and tip came out to 40$ per person!! ONLY $40!! Doesn't get no better!
SERVICE: Others at my table found the service to be on the slow side, but with all that food I thought it was perfect timing between servings. The wait staff is very kind and attentive. After the meal they even come around with a second hand wash and perfume!
AMBIANCE: So I walk in here and immediately I'm blown away. This place looks great and it's so cozy. The one down side is that if you're sitting on one of the cushions, you're not going to be too comfortable, so fight it out for the booth side of the table! You eat with your hands, so if you don't think a warm water bath will wash all the filth off your hands then I recommend washing them with soap in the bathroom before sitting down.
OK, So the Belly Dancer may not be so hot, but what do you expect? This isn't a damn strip club! That aside, the dancing is very entertaining and it lightens the mood. Everyone's smiling and happy. This place is great for groups.
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We'd been to Tanjia before this excursion, and wondered if we enjoyed it as much as we remembered or whether it might have been the belly dancing...
Tanja is a Moroccan restaurant, and has basically 2 per-person price structure for a prie fixe meal. We like the more expensive side of the menu because of this crazy chicken pie that comes in the middle. If the thought of powdered chicken and sugar sounds vaguely frightening, you have to try this pie just to see if you can overcome your well-founded fears. But I'm skipping ahead.
What we ordered: The expensive side of the menu (this is like $2 more). First trip: chicken with prunes and lamb on skewers. Second trip: chicken on skewers and lamb with prunes. Moroccan white wine and a French beer.
What came in the service: fresh sweetish white bread, plate of Moroccan salads (various pickled and non-pickled veggies), lentil soup, bizarre phyllo dough minced chicken pie with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top, the main meat you ordered with couscous, mint tea, fruit and fried banana.
Service: in the theme of the place - traditional Moroccan. I guess. Neither I nor my PIC have been to Morocco, but let's just say the servers aren't inked twentysomething hipsters in low-rider jeans and a-symmetrical haircuts.
Atmo: Moroccan - tent, belly dancers and servers in ethnic garb
Crowd: mixed
Spent: around $50.00 (with tip)
Overall rating: 4 sporks, mostly for the chicken pie + being able to make lamb and chicken well + belly dancers.
The interesting: being inside Tanjia gives one the impression of being in a luxurious circus tent. It's also fun to sit on pillows and watch belly dancing, so overall the atmo is part of the Tanjia experience. The tapestries are a little tired these days, but somehow this didn't bother us.
The first thing they bring you is an groovy water urn and some towels. I wasn't sure what this was about, but somehow avoided embarrassment (rare) by resisting the urge to put my glass out when the dude started pouring. Turns out he was washing my hands for me. He then left us with fluffy white towels, which are nice to have during the meal seeing as how there's a complete lack of silverware. (Though they will bring it upon request.)
The courses build, and the very best thing about all of them is the chicken pie. You can also get other kinds of pies, but the chicken one was so good the first time we wouldn't dream of switching. Somehow the combo of phyllo, cinnamon, powdered sugar and chicken comes together to create a unique and utterly delicious combo. I was rather afeared of this pie on first glance - powdered sugar and chicken not being a mix that sounded appetizing - but one bite made me a convert. The bread is also surprisingly good - it's chewy and a little sweet, and they make it there.
These folks really know their meat. The first time I ordered chicken with prunes, and it was tender and just delicious. My PIC loved the lamb skewers; somehow Tanjia manages to do skewers without turning the lamb into dog food. Second trip, the lamb with prunes was of a cut that we'd never seen before (vertebrae?), but the meat was falling off the bones and PIC was having a little lambgasm. The chicken skewers were well-seasoned and great as well.
The cous cous was a little overcooked the second time we were there, but I'll forgive them. We were too late for belly dancing on this trip, but were entertained by the sudden, staggering appearance of a local bar patron who stumbled in and tried to steal a glass of water. (She was, as she made clear when the waitress tried to prevent this odd theft, very thirsty.) After some bellowing and a nice glass of water provided by the staff, she stumbled back out the door with and said "Thank you" in Chinese to our Asian waitress. Who isn't Chinese but appreciated the gesture.
In any case, we really like this place and only wish that we could just go in for the chicken pie. I'd also make sure to go in time to see the belly dancers again - that really adds to the whole experience.
(As reviewed in our blog eatinguptelegraph.blog...)
Once entering through the doors you are transported into a hidden part of Oakland. The decor transport you into a harem. As my friend and I were seated, we both fought for who doesn't gets to sit on the cushions, I lost. It wouldn't have been that bad but I worked out on my legs that day, so crossing was not a pleasant feeling.
The food here is good, but I've had better. As for what other reviews mentioned, it is leisurely, the entire meal service was over 2 hours. If you are hungry, coming from work, I would not advice coming here. As the meal is pre-fix, the first course, which was soup, didn't come out until 30 minutes after we ordered. I don't know if they cook everything when ordered, but come on, soup?
From the assorted Moroccan salad, course 2, the ones that I really enjoyed were the carrots and eggplant. It is served with the bread, course 3. The Bastilla, course 4, was okay. I think it could have been a little more sweet. My chicken with lemons and olives was tasty. While my friend's chicken with honey and prunes could have used more honey.
The meal comes with a dessert plate which comprise of watermelon, orange slices, and deep fried banana. As I cannot eat banana, my friend ate both servings. The banana was way to oily he said, as the batter was dense and soggy, drenched in the oil. Glad I can't eat banana's as I would have been disappointed. Bad deep fried anything is disappointing.
This is an awesome restaurant if you want to feel like you're worlds away from the Bay Area. The interior is draped with a tent so that you feel like you're somewhere in Morocco, sitting under a tent in an arid climate. The seats are low to the ground, with cushions and ottomans. Every night around 8 pm they have a bellydancer come in to entertain the diners. They always put on a good show. Please be sure to tip them well!
The food is great, too, so you don't have to come here just for the novelty aspect. Their chicken bastilla with cinnamon and raisins is to die for. The lamb with honey is amazing and I love the chicken with preserved lemons and olives. The salad and chicken bastilla are served family style and everyone gets their own entrees. You eat with your hands. Really really good food.
The one drawback is if you have people in your party that might not be comfortable sitting on the floor, you will want to dine elsewhere. I had wanted to have a birthday dinner here one year but my grandmother who is in her 80's would not have been able to sit on the cushions due to problems with her back. I still give this restaurant 5 stars because it's been a consistently great place to go the 3-4 times I have visited.
This and many more African restaurants listed under Priority Africa Network's "African Food in the Bay" site, check it out: http://www.priorityafr...
Nunu Kidane
PAN
It's my Sweet Bratty Niece's Birthday today!
We took her to dinner last Sunday since she lives a ways away. It was me, her Tio Gilberto, Gracie B, Bratty Niece and her Bestest Friend Forever aka Spazzy & Spazzier.
We walk in and are instantly in a foreign land, a tent with low lights, tables and seating.
Spazzy & Spazzier: It feels like we're at the circus!
Grown-ups: No, this is a restaurant.
We're given a table in the corner, fold our bodies and try to get comfy. The seating is all very low and it took some adjusting for Gracie and I to figure out where to put our legs. We ordered three Crown Royals and two regular dishes (chicken with almonds and lamb with eggplant). This way we could sample almost all of the menu. We arrived at 6:45 and that gave us plenty of time to get the soup and salad courses rolling before the belly dancing at 7:30.
Spazzy: (first course) What kind of soup is this? (lentil, she takes a sip) I LIKE IT!
Spazzier: (second course) Why do the vegetables look like this?
Grown-Ups: They're picked.
Spazzier: IT'S GOOD and I really like the bread! So for reals, we get to keep eating with our hands?
GUs: Yup.
The third course was a HUGE Chicken Bastilla covered in powdered sugar...YUM. Life would be so much sweeter if everything was sprinkled with powdered sugar!
Here comes the Belly Dancer...
Spazzier: Will she teach us some moves?
Me: I'm sure she will.
Spazzy & Spazzier: But we're SCARED!
Me: Of the Belly Dancer?
S & S: (Giggling)
Toward end of her performance, the dancer accepts tips from the diners. I mention to Gilberto that I forgot to bring dollar bills but he has a few.
Spazzier: OMG!!! We tip her like a STRIPPER???
Me: Just for that I'm gonna make you dance with her!
All the girls in our group got up and danced since the teenage girls were "scared" to go by themselves. It was clean fun for all!
The timing was great. At the end of the dance performance suddenly our table was filled with all sorts of delectable morsels of meats in various sauces. We were given forks so a eating utensil is provided but we preferred to continue eating with our hands.
The last course was fried bananas, orange slices and mint tea.
Overall it was a fun time with family and friends. The food was good and priced well. I recommend going for an occasion and be prepared for a LONG leisurely meal.
Spazzy & Spazzier: (in unison) Gracias for bringing us!
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I love the leisurely and luxurious feel of eating at Tanjia. Be prepared to stick around for a while! The cushioned, low seating; the colorful decor; the washing of your hands before (and after) the meal; using no utensils (except for the main course); the slow procession of courses; the entertainment...
I love prix fixe meals. Its a great opportunity to try new things...and I don't have to worry about making decisions on what to eat...awesome!
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I had dinner here last night with Tina Tamale, Gil, Tina's "bratty niece," and the "bratty niece"'s friend for the "bratty niece"'s birthday. I put "bratty niece" in quotes because you shouldn't believe Tina when she calls the niece that - seeing as she's a sweet, pretty mature - but definitely in that spazzy 17 year old phase - young lady...who may or may not be a bit ummmmm, indulged by the adults around her. But that's no reason to call her bratty. I say that because I pretty much fall in the same category and think that if people want to give me what I want most of the time then that's fine. So in solidarity, I'm renaming her Tina's Sweet niece.
Anyway - dinner was nice. It's definitely served at a leisurely pace. The food was yummy. We ordered a selection of different entrees and shared (yummmm). There were definitely some winners at the the table. But no real losers. A note on the royal crown combination - they give you a pretty large amount of some things (chicken) but very little of others (seafood). The soup was really really good. As was the Bastilla. And our general agreement is that more foods need to be served with powdered sugar (or any kind of sugar - for that matter).
The belly dancing was fun and the dancer was nice enough to teach us a few moves as well. The overall vibe here was much more laidback and friendly than my previous Moroccan food expedition at Marakesh in Philly. There were families with kids here and our 2 teenage girls found plenty of food that they liked and were able to comfortably giggle and try new things.
I think the sweet niece enjoyed having her birthday celebration here and I enjoyed joining her for it
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I gave Tanjia four stars only because I found a hair in my pie pastry thingy. Other than that the place was great and fun. Oh by the way I didn't care for the pie pastry thingy even if it didn't come with the hair. All the other dishes where great. I'm a fast eater so eating here gives me time to digest my food between dishes since it takes from 10mins to 1/2 hour for the courses to arrive at your table.
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I hated this place with a passion.
I got there at 9:30 and missed the belly dancing. There were only 2 other groups in the restaurant and although we ordered right away, we didn't start eating until an hour later. The dishes were terrible - why would you ever mix a curry dish with a sweet cinnamony filo cover? It made no sense and didn't go together well at all.
The dishes came out so painfully slowly that every time we would ask is that the last dish. We felt trapped and even before the last dish was served we just bailed. We couldn't stand it any longer.
Avoid this place at all costs!!!
To be blunt, if the decor and dancers weren't there, there would be no reason to go to Tanjia. None of the courses were worth remembering, but that's ok, because between the dancer, the escapist surroundings, the beer and fun friends, it's almost guaranteed to be a fun night out. Don't make the mistake I did by not eating lunch and expecting a gut busting meal, because the portions are small and served at an excruciatingly slow pace. Our dancer Jasmine was a treat. Super muscle isolation, man!
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love it.
love it.
love it.
yeah service can be slow and food is not always on par but there are so many wonderful things about Tanjia.
If you haven't been give it a try.
I never had Moroccan food until I came here last year with 4 of my girlfriends. I walked in and immediately the belly dancer was in full effect. Actually, it looked like she had been dancing for a while. We had a nice location in the corner, where we were sitting on top of gigantic pillows. I can't really remember the order of the food and all of the food, but the general consensus: yummy. There was this one chicken dish that had a crust on top of it and was sprinkled w/ powdered sugar. May sound weird but don't knock it till you've tried it. We ate it w/ our hands and it was surprisingly good. I'm a bit shy and hesitated a bit when the belly dancer approached me, but the restaurant is small and everyone was in good spirits. Kinda pricey, we each shelled out about $40, but that also included 2 bottles of wine. At the end of your meal, they provide you w/ sweet black tea served in these cute little shot-like type glasses. They also wash your hands for you. I would definitely go back.
Yum! Firstly, I'd really like to give this place five stars, but one point is lost for slooow service. Its not the hugest problem, because you can relax on the super comfy sofas and eat food and enjoy belly dancing--but we got in at 7:45pm on a Friday night and finally left at 10:30. Slow. At least its proportionately slow though--we waited about 15 minutes for the lentil soup appetizer, another 30 minutes for our salad appetizer, etc. But if you're there with someone special or a big group, its a great chance to talk and laugh and laugh at your friends forced to dance in the middle.
Oh, the awkward forced dancing is a thing of great beauty to watch. You sit there, and you know its the gimmick of watching friends and strangers wiggle their butts in strained concentration as friends and strangers friendly ridicule and giggle over stiff butt shakes. Gorgeous.
As mentioned, the atmosphere transports you to a faraway land--but be warned, its a little cold at night, and its right next door to a skeezy looking bar. When you stumble out at the end of your hugely delicious meal, you are disoriented and confused and a little too full. Where is my camel and oasis? Who knows. I'm just glad the food was awesome (seafood with sharmoula sauce is delicious, if a little skimpy on the seafood), and the ambiance charming. Sweet!
(btw, fixed price dinner is way affordable for the spread of food, in my opinion. ~30 each with tax and tip)
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This place is SOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!
Have you ever had one of those nights where you wanted to go out to eat and do something fun, but you really didn't feel like going to a bar or coffee or something afterwards? Well then check out Tanjia.
First of all you look outside and you see this plain, white building and you think, "Oh it must look like any other restaurant". You walk inside and immediately you feel like you just walked into a Moroccan Casbah!!
The place holds true to their roots and requires everyone wash their hands at the table. A waitress will come by with a pitcher and a bowl for you to use. You sit on either a low bench or huge pillows.
It's a 5 course meal!
Course1: Lentil Soup
Course2: Mixed veggies and dips with bread
Course3: Chicken baked in filo dough with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top (sounds like an unlikely combo, but sooo good)
Course4: Your entree
Course5: Moroccan style tea
AND every night they have live BELLY DANCERS!! How fun!!
You seriously will be there for a minimum of 2.5 to 3 hours.
But it's so much fun!! So please go!
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Pretty good food. Decent entertainment. Service was pretty slow for only having 5 other parties there.
We got to Tanjia at around 7pm (the time we had our reservation), but didn't get our food actually served to us until well past 8:30pm. Disappointing considering the fact that we saved our appetite all day for what we expected to be a good meal.
The meal itself wasn't too bad. Eating with our hands? Fine. Variety? Yup. It was ok... At least I can say I've tried Moroccan food at least once in my lifetime.
The entertainment was good. The belly dancer was talented... But there's just something weird to me about someone dancing around me while I'm trying to eat my meal. We were hungry... Are we supposed to be polite and watch the entertainment? Or can we eat our food before it gets cold?
All in all, it was a fun experience... probably would have been better if we went with friends, rather than family (older aunts and uncles, parents - you know that sort of lot)...
3.75 stars for a great experience! :)
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Tanjia was where I went for my B-day dinner last night. Overall I would say this place is very interesting and worthy of another visit. The first thing that struck me about this place was the transformation you go through just once you walk in. The decor on the inside imitates a tent or the iconic imagery of what Morocco is like. It feels like you are transported into another time and place. The seating and tables align the walls leaving the center open to a belly dancer. I was not sure what to expect but it was really cool to watch someone so talented dance while you eat. I had the dinner entree which was somewhat pricey at $22/per person. It included an appetizer, bread, vegis, soup, and a meat entree. Everything was really good and plentiful. I recommend this place to anyone interested in trying something new.
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RUMBLE IN MOROCCO
The night started innocently enough. My good friend's birthday dinner thrown by her new husband. First birthday being celebrated as husband and wife and the first birthday my friend has been able to celebrate in 2 years due to studying for the State Bar twice around her birthday. so it had to be a fabulous evening.
You walk directly from the street into the tent of darkness, incense and belly dancing. Not alot of time to adjust but our group headed back to the bar until our table was ready. At the bar, we couldn't get any help. No offer of drinks.
We sit down and are excited for our adventure. We waited for almost a half hour before a waitress takes our drink order. Another twenty minutes before bottles of wine appear but still no beers or water. another fifteen minutes and we have beer but no water. Another fifteen minutes and we get water - can we place our order now?
Understand that some may love the "leisurely pace" but the inattentiveness was RIDICULOUS! Time to order. No chicken kabob. No salad. Okay, trying to keep smiling - I'll take the chicken with vegetables.
We wait, we wait, we wait some more. Oh, finally, a basket of bread. We devour it in two seconds. Thank god for the fun atmosphere but the burrito shop next door may be worth a peek at this point.
At this point, two members of our party who were joining us AFTER dinner to go to the City dancing - arrive at the restaurant. They join us as we haven't even had our hands washed. Another group of women sits to our left. They have seven and made reservations on Wednesday. Okay, well we have 12 in our party and made reservations for 14 on Sunday. sunday trumps wednesday. Management intervenes. The little table belongs to our party and the adjacent party of seven will have to make do with one table right...wrong! The little dog looking woman who now belongs to the group of bitches...keeps bitching about the table, how rude, etc. Loudly to the point that my friend's cousin tells her to finally shut up. Well, she gets up to table level, yells a racial epithet and its on - RUMBLE IN MOROCCO. Girl fight ensues, glasses and bottles fly through the air and females are standing on tables. Other side of the restaurant clears out and the Austrailians to the right of us - stay put to be entertained by the "tussle".
Birthday girl is not happy. Bitches are thrown out to the curb. Cousin needs ice for the eew-wee knot rapidly appearing on her forehead. Should we stay or should we go now? Prospects for the burrito shop next door are now looking excellent.
We decide to sit back down since the birthday girl really wants us to enjoy the ambiance and food. We lose a couple and their young daughter as the wife is pregnant and they are concerned for their daughter's safety. Thirty minutes later our hands get washed. Very nice. CAN WE GET SOME FOOD????@@### Its coming. Have some wine on us - very sorry for the rude women who beat down the relatives of the birthday girl and scared off half the restaurant.
Bowls of cold lentil soup arrive. We are so hungry - we don't care and eat it. Twenty minutes later, we get a plate of cucumber and cauliflower. Thirty minutes later - a bastilla arrives. Things are looking up. Can't wait for dinner.
Its now 10:30 pm. We have been at the restaurant since 8 pm. At 11 pm, the husband gets up and wants to know where our dinner is. In the oven, ready momentarily. Could you please box it as we have table reservations for a club in the City for 11 pm? sure. At 11:30 pm, only half of us have little boxes of lukewarm food. At midnight the last box is distributed and we receive the bill. Never got dessert or fresh mint tea, didn't get the second hand washing, charged for food we didn't get, charged for food we didn't order, charged for the "complimentary wine". Husband is too nice. Pays the bill and we leave.
Zero stars if I could. Never again.
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i have a real weakness for moroccan restaurants...
i love the simple, but delicious foods, the decor, and the cushy, low seats. i love the leisurely pace of the meal, the amazing mint tea, and of course, the belly dancing.
tanjia has no shortage of these things, for which i am glad, but i also very much appreciated the prix fixe meal set up. it gave our party of four a chance to try a vast array of dishes, including items i might've never ventured to try, if left to my own leanings (especially the bastilla - YUM!)
dinner is about $22 a head, which, for the amount of food, was a great deal. tanjia, i will be back very soon!
note: this would be a great place for a dinner party!
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Great dining experience! As soon as you step through the threshold, you are immediately transported to a caravan far away in some exotic desert. You soon forget that you were just in a semi sketchy part of Oakland.
It was my first dining experience like this so it was a lot of fun. Definitely a night to remember. The tent decor, floor pillows, washing your hands with rosewater, moody lighting, great food, music, and the dancers really made this a complete experience of all the senses.
The food was really awesome and having a large party, we got to try so many different dishes. The price per person minus the bday boy was about $35. Not exactly cheap but it's something everyone should experience at least once.
The bellydancing portion was the highlight, with everyone getting up trying to mimic the bellydancer's physiologically impossible gyrations and belly rolls.
Highly recommended for large drunk ass parties!
I highly suggest stopping into the Silver Lion next door at lease 30 minutes prior to your reservation for a few pre dinner cocktails... Go all out and get the "tall" when the bartender asks.
This seems to make it feel less strange and awkward (though still incredibly surreal) walking through the doors of this restaurant.
Walking inside is a complete surprise.
You seriously forget that you are on Telegraph AVE, next door to the Silver Lion, and across from Connolly's
It is like magic
A meal here is a long drawn out event
Plan on staying at least 3 hours
The courses are brought at a leisurely pace
And- as you are eating with your hands- it is super casual
Seriously- sitting around on the floor talking with friends, laughing and having a good time while you eat with your hands and drink good beer
Definitely something to experience at least once.
The food is fantastic
The Casablanca lager is fantastic (but they ran out half way through our dinner, luckily they have bass in stock)
The belly dancer is fantastic
The service is fantastic- (our server made us feel like family)
they seriously wash your hands in rose water-
rose water which is poured from a silver pitcher
But the service is also incredibly slow
Like super crazy borderline aggravating slow
This didn't bother me until the end of the meal (which, as high strung as I am is really saying something- it took me 3 hours to get impatient with the relaxed pace)
I was ready to go home
We had been there for like 3 hours
It was after 11 PM
Some of out dining companions had to pick up people from the airport
We all had stuff to get to
(I had a nice comfy chair at home with a back to curl up in)
We eventually had to ask for the check- it still took a while longer to come out
There as only 1 other party in the place at this point, and they were still eating- so I don't know what the deal was.
Besides that- I don't understand why the vegetarian dinner is the same price as the meat dinner- when you clearly get one less course.
(although while my meat eating companions were eating their chicken donut cake i was eating the rest of the veggies, dips and bread- the veggie/dip/bread course was by far my favorite one- so it more than evens out- but I'm just saying)
These are not giant complaints- but they are the reasons that I am giving 4 stars instead of 5
All in all this is a super fun place to go with a group of friends...especially if you are celebrating something.
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My first time having Moroccan food was at Tanjia and what a great experience. A couple friends and I joined up in a dim-lit corner in the beautiful space. It definitely gave us a chance to calm ourselves and get out of the city mode. Yes, we were even entertained by a great belly dancer that seemed to draw us into her spell and had two of us trying some of her techniques.
Like the other reviews we had the full five course feast accompanied with the Kzar wine. This was all about family style dining.
For the main course we had:
The Royale Crown~ Moroccan Combination plate of lamb, chicken, seafood and brochette
This was the best combo plate I have ever had. We had two or three types of lamb (one was on skewers, yum) and two types of chicken. My only wish was that there was more seafood to go around.
I loved this place so much that I brought my family her to celebrate Father's Day. Surprisingly, the entire party enjoyed the food and were jazzed to try something completely new to them. The men in my family loved it so much that they too got their time to shine and shimmy with the belly dancer. Just the sight of Antones father trying to do a body roll would make your night complete.
Thanks Tanjia for two unforgettable evenings. I've gotta get some of that rose water too.
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This place ended up being superfun. I loved the food, and the mealtime rituals, especially the rosewater (yum!).
For eight of us to eat full five course meals and drink beers and wine, it was only about 45 a piece. Not bad in my book. Although, don't order any of their table wines. We got one and it was so gnarly and sour, none of us could drink it. We all enjoyed the Moroccan beer though.
The bellydance show was the right amount of time and interaction. She was sexy and friendly.
My only real complaint, besides the wine, is that those little stools are not very comfortable, as some people have already mentioned.
Hanging out with Jay H is always fun. We could have gone to a seagull swamped landfill to watch cars rust, and I would have been happy. But we didn't because Jay H is a Bay area guru -and of course the best know the best!
We went to Tanjia
Tanjia is a majalis style Moroccan restaurant with low seating, canopy like ceiling, and intrictate patterns throughout the long space. On busy nights, there is a belly dancer that charms dinner guests. Unfortunately the night that we came to Tajina, there was no hip swiveling dancer, but what entertainment we lacked, was compensated with the very fact that we had a whole exotic venue to ourselves.
Tanjia delighted. They brought out five courses of taste bud foreplay. --- all for about 23 dollars. Each course different, flavorful, and heavenly.
It played out perfectly.
Start scene: (Cheb Khaled - http://en.wikipedia.or... echoing through the sound system)
Wash hands.
First course: Tanjia's bread and lentil soup. Tajia's bread is incredible and is a key part of Moroccan cuisine. Hot moist doughy goodness, surrounded by a soft, thin crispy layer of heavenly crust.
Second course: A plate of spiced vegetables. Perfect for eating with the bread.
Third Course: An interesting powder sugared pastry known as a Bstilla. Bstilla is like a zeppole only full of sweetened spiced vegetables. Who would have thought that you can mix powdered sugar and legumes!
Fourth Course: The entree. A big plate of cous-cous coupled with delicious marinated vegetables. Divine.
Fifth Course: Ah dessert. My favorite. A plate of two fried bananas with fruit and sweet mint tea.
Scene over.
A lull came about us. Finishing a five course meal is no easy task. The server came around and washed our hands off with rose-water.
We leaned back. Happy and full.
The bread shifted uncomfortably in my stomach, making me think about a wise old Moroccan Proverb:
"The pumpkin gives birth and the fence has the trouble"
So true.
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So much fun!
Walking through the door is like taking a step into another world. The decorations recall a sumptuous pavillion tent, with round tables lined with pillows. The door itself is not your typical door - it is a heavy wooden door that recalls fanciful ideas of medieval north Africa...
But there's more. The experience opens with a ceremonial hand washing and proceds to a five course meal of Moroccan delights...spicy lentil soup, marinated veggie salad, chicken and walnut bastilla (all three of which you eat with your hands). For the fourth course you have a wide selection of succulent tangines and couscous dishes. I had the lamb and caramelized onions tangine...so good. I love eating lamb that has simmered for so long that the meat is falling off the bones. My wife had the lamb and vegetable couscous, which was also good (but mine was better!). The dinner ends with a fried banana, orange slices, and mint tea. All of this for $22!
Overall, the service was great. I was quite surprised when we received a second hand washing, complete with rose water, to finish the meal and leave us all smelling lovely... My only critique might have been that the server forgot to bring the harissa we had requested (the spicy north African condiment...their's is quite good), but he brought me an extra beer to compensate...can't beat that with a stick!
Of course, I haven't even mentioned the belly dancing...since we arrived early on a Sat. night, we got to watch two performances...so much fun...she even enticed me (and others) out on the floor. Guys, sit on the outside cushions to be a little more involved in the fun...just watch out for her sword!
Now, I have to admit that I have been jonesin for Moroccan food ever since we returned from our honeymoon in Paris and Spain where we indulged in north African cuisine for fear we would never find it again. So, although Tanjia is not quite a good at Paris and Spain (with their large north African populations), praise Allah that we found Tanjia and can now get our Moroccan fix close to home!
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The belly dancers are a wonderful charm.
The food is exciting; everything including the sweet mint tea
It's makes for a long evening of food and entertainment, so if you decide to bring along your kids, make sure you have other things to keep them entertained in between the courses and dancing... remember, it's a long evening between courses and dancing...
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A five-course meal for a little over twenty bucks? I'm down! The service was friendly and accommodating (vegetarians, you have nothing to worry about), the decor was totally cute and Morocco-romanticizing, the belly dancer was fun and lively, and the food was really good. First you get a lentil soup, then bread with salad. Then you get this really good pastry thing; normally it is made with chicken, but they made a vegetarian substitute, and it has powdered sugar on the outside which makes for a really interesting flavor. Then you get your entree, and finally fried bananas with a perfectly sweetened mint tea.
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Tanjia is truly a hidden gem in the Temescal neighboorhood. The second you enter the restaurant you feel like you've been transported to a whole new world. The restaurant is decorated like the inside of a Moroccan caidale tent. The food was tasty, though to be honest, I don't remember the exact names of the dishes I had. More than anything, it's a great place for group dining (I was there for a friend's birthday party), the service was friendly, and there are belly dancers to keep you entertained while you eat.
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Brought my mom here on mother's day.
It's a great restaurant if you want to pretend you're a tourist who doesn't know squat about where the hell you are. It's especially good if you want to drink a lot of beer (american - because they are out of the appropriate ones) and make the other diners cringe by dancing like Elaine on Seinfeld.
If you like a waitress who doesn't smile once
and plops the courses in front of you with no presentation or comments, then I recommend this place.
The soup came out barely tepid and tasted like it was out of a can.
The salad was bland; the bread dried within minutes.
The main entree was so f***ing salty I got high.
The dessert was a chunk of watermelon and some fried bananas that they must have swiped from some chinese fast food joint nearby.
The tepid mint tea tasted like goddamn Snapple.
Happy mother's day, sorry ma.
Good thing I took her to a kickass brunch at La Note this morning.
Oh, and if you're into watching little kids stuffing bills into some belly dancer's underwear, I guess that's kinda interesting, too.
The best part was having our hands rinsed - symbolizing, for us, washing our hands of this place.
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