by MATHILDE RABBAT

I remember reading somewhere that growth can only arise from conflict. Extend this idea from the political arena to the kitchen and you've got a winner. Spaniards and Moroccans, for example, have been at it for centuries, fighting over territorial rights and conflicting religious ideologies. Perhaps the silver lining of this rocky interaction can be found in joints like Taza Flores, a Mile-End tapas bar that fuses Spanish and Moroccan cuisines in a delicious cross-cultural experiment.

The Spanish word "tapas" generally refers to little dishes served between lunch and dinner in bars and taverns. Though taza is Spanish for cup, here it most likely points to the Arabic word for fresh, or to the name of a city in north-central Morocco, south of the Er Rif mountains. This joint thus functions as a tapas bar, but replaces typical tapas dishes with North African panache.

Before you sample your selection, you will be presented with four little portions of munchies: large fava beans with just a hint of cumin, warmed golden chickpeas, dark Moroccan olives and slices of carrot cooked with parsley, freshly ground pepper and garlic. It's a refreshing alternative to the bread basket, but sadly, the beans were on the dry side, in need of a little something to both jazz and juice them up a bit.

Now on to the menu card, where the prices range from $5.25 to $10.25 including taxes, so there'll be no nasty surprises come bill-time. For $9.75, you can get a tapas mix with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The oval platter showcases no less than nine selections to scoop up with pita wedges: grilled zucchini and grilled peppers; a couple of flavourful shrimps marinated in parsley, pepper and garlic; a Mexican style salsa with finely diced tomato, onion and cucumber; and lightly breaded, tiny deep fried fish.

Hummus and baba ghanoush were also featured, with the latter far outshining its bland counterpart. Additionally, these shared the platter with a type of eggplant salsa and another eggplant spread with a somewhat overpowering tomato paste reduction.

For starters, instead of the aforementioned, how about three adjoining slices of baguette topped with soft melted goat cheese, perched on a bed of assorted greens ($7)? Leafy greens (including arugula, dandelion leaves and I think I even tasted sorrel) are delectably dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh oregano. Simple, yes, but good.

Another interesting bet is the endive salad, intermingled with Roquefort - quality Roquefort, I might add - and generously doused with large walnuts ($7.75). Surprisingly, despite the lack of both salt and pepper, the concoction stood its ground rather nicely. The freshness of ingredients really stood out, as not a single speckled leaf, wilted green or bitter endive was to be found.

One of the best, if not the best, dish is the ceviche de tilapia ($10.25). This freshwater fish native to Africa is succulently bathed in fresh lemon juice along with sliced red onion and red pepper. The tart taste of fresh lemon juice, tasty parsley and refreshing cilantro that coats small chunks of white, tender, raw fish makes those taste buds tingle with pleasing gusto.

Taza Flores is a cozy little space, with a well-scuffed hardwood floor and mismatched vintage chairs, where tea lights and toothpicks are de rigueur at each tiled table, where limbs from actual trees coexist with fauna of the faux type to frame blackboards or form a mock canopy. When you're done noshing, you can kick back in this setting on a wicker sofa with a sweet caipirinha on the rocks ($7) in hand.

Taza Flores
ADDRESS: 5375 Parc
PHONE: 274-5516
HOURS: Tue–Sat 3 p.m.–11 p.m. (to 2 a.m. Fri– Sat)
BEST FEATURES: Titillating tilapia, fresh greens, a nice place to chill
ALCOHOL: Lots of it, happy hour specials, affordable overall
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: A couple of steps up to the entrance and the loo's too tight for a chair
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Smoke from the bar area occasionally floats over to tables.
PRICE: $30 per person including drinks, taxes & tip
RATING: *** out of ****