This glamorous outpost at the base of the PacBell building introduces the unique soul and spirit of Chef/owner Mourad Lahlou’s eponymous restaurant. The neighborhood's food-obsessed techies along with a host of tourists flock to this boldly designed space, replete with soaring ceilings, glowing central columns and a superb (suspended) wine cellar. The crowd is contented and lively, and while the servers fit the bill, the sommelier is especially impressive.
Chef Lahlou's expression of Moroccan cuisine is peppered with local and contemporary influences like maple and brown butter, as well as more traditional inflections such as charmoula and preserved lemon.
Diners may commence with the likes of basteeya, which is typically a traditional Moroccan pastry made modern with finely shredded duck and then enhanced with verjus crème fraîche, compressed pear, edible flowers, as well as a rich cocoa paste.
Couscous may then be presented all jazzed-up with savory brown butter and a parade of vegetables, before it is hit with spicy harissa for a slight kick—and delightful send-off.