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Why did we dine here? – mourad is a One Michelin star restaurant from Mourad Lahlou and Aziza. Their description is:
“Mourad is a modern interpretation of a cuisine deeply rooted in the past. Our food pays homage to those roots, showcasing the rich and vibrant flavors of Morocco in new ways that harmonize with the fresh, local, artisanal ingredients, and the spirit of innovation of Northern California.”
We have always had this on our must dine list, and finally got the right excuse. Located at the old PacBell Building, this restaurant is defintely a dinner destination spot. Stylish tall ceiling, cool accent lights and textured leather booths.
Insider Tip – Dine with more people so you can order more. Eat at the bar to save. Go for Dinner.
Cuisine – Modern Moroccan
Location – San Francisco Downtown
Opened – 2016
Service – We sat upstairs and had a novice server. He was not very present and botched serveral times. Try not to sit upstairs. Luckily the food overshadowed the service. mourad has a 5% SF Mandated employee benefit surcharge
Verdict – mourad wowed us with the innovative cuisine, served in a beautiful atmosphere. The large dishes are so big, that we need to come back to try more of them. (Especially the Short Rib) We like this restaurant a lot more than Aziza.
Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Yes.
mourad Signature Dishes – Chicken La’acha, Basteeya, Octopus.
mourad’s Menu changes with the seasons but features several signature dishes and 5 large family style dishes. ($75-$145) They also have a $120 Tasting Menu. A couple options for vegetarians.
mourad Food Picks:
Mojito ($13) has strong and bold. Could have used more mint at the bottom of the glass.
Basteeya ($22) duck . asian pear . lemon verbena . crème fraîche . almond looks like a big egg roll. It was tender and flaky, willed with a variety of flavors. Wish it was bigger!
Octopus ($20) brussels sprouts . cauliflower . mustard . preserved lemon was ordered as an appetizer but came late with our entrees. Mishap #1. A decent dish with 5 large chunks of tender octopus. I like the sour-bitterness from the side of lemon. A good dish, but this was overshadowed by the others.
Chicken La’acha or Moroccan family style dinner ($75) preserved lemon . green olive . marash (serves two) is a must get signature dish. It can easily serve 3+! Crispy skin and tender meat made this great. The sides of couscous (very buttery), kale (fantastic), crisp potatoes (also great), and tomato feta heirloom beans were also stellar. Do not hesitate packing this to go. Give them 30 minutes to cook this, so order early.
Snapper La’acha or Moroccan family style dinner ($89) red charmoula . mushroom (serves two to three) was very impressive and huge. Again, it can serve 4+ people. Bold flavors, nice and deboned (We found a couple small bones) with excellent mushrooms.
Flatbread ($2 each) comes with the Eggplant appetizer, but it sounded so good, we had to order some. Warm, toasty, a must get. Goes well with the Chicken and Snapper.
Strawberry Dessert ($12) rhubarb . coriander . labneh was an interesting dessert. Crispy pastry shell topped with strawberry and a hint of spicy coriander. A modern dessert.
OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None
Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None
Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?
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