San Francisco boasts a vibrant culinary scene, and among its many gems are restaurants that offer an authentic taste of Morocco. From traditional flavors to modern interpretations, these establishments provide a unique dining experience that transports you to the heart of North Africa.
Mourad: A Trailblazer in Cal-Moroccan Cuisine
Chef Mourad Lahlou's visionary Cal-Moroccan cuisine has been a trailblazer since he opened Mourad in San Francisco’s Richmond District in 2015. Dubbing Mourad one of the best restaurants of the year during my Zagat editor days when it opened in 2015, I’ve written about the restaurant numerous times over the years. The duo of Mourad and Aziza has remained my top Moroccan and among my all-time Middle Eastern/North African restaurants.
This is Morocco for the current day, with NorCal’s pristine ingredients, expert drink pairings, served in a lofty, industrial yet sparkling space separated by bar area and dining room, with a glowing private dining space upstairs gazing over a courtyard. The ancient Spice Route via North African spice blends are represented alongside elements like preserved lemon, buttery couscous, dates, pomegranate and a shining plethora of Moroccan flavors. But the forms are recreated, surprising, fresh.
As at Aziza, bastilla or basteeya (shredded meat, phyllo-encrusted, cinnamon-and-powdered sugar-dusted savory meat pie) get’s the Mourad treatment while remaining true to its classic meaty-sweet roots. A “fauxteeya” - mini-crispy roll of confit duck, persimmons and verjus for acid kick - was a playful basteeya twist. On a crisp, clear December night, Dan (“The Renaissance Man”) and I returned to Mourad for the first time since pandemic, though I had been over 7 times since it opened in 2015. We began with a round of three amuse bouche, including the fauxteeya, and a little berbere-spiced honey nut squash tartlette topped with golden oestra caviar, a fall-into-winter delight.
Our gracious server, Monte Har, made us feel at home, as did wine director/sommelier, José Delgado, alongside a team of assistant sommeliers (Montassar Harhouri and Salvador Ramos) and guest sommeliers. Delgado immediately brought out 2021 Hammerling Massa Vineyard “Always for Pleasure” sparkling Chenin Blanc (with 15% Chardonnay) from Carmel Valley to pair with our amuse bouche. Its vibrant stone fruit, pear and citrus notes were elegant and youthful. Delgado has visited the winery and has relationships with the winemakers, as he did with more than a few wines he poured.
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Raw scallops over beetroot and pear in mecalef (an Egyptian spice blend) cream and ponzu sauce paired with 2021 Daitengu Usake Fall Yiyaoroshi Junmai Ginjo sake (from gifted female sake brewer, Saori Kobari). We were off to a silky, bright start.
Lacking any gaminess, the clean lamb will appeal to beef tartare fans, playing - as the best dishes do - with contrasts. Sweet dates unfold over notes of smoked oysters with bright bitter bits of radicchio and aleppo pepper. Delgado paired this tartare with a 2021 Arzuaga Rosae Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, Spain. Another region and winery he recently visited, this rosé/rosado is tough to get in the States. It’s aromatic, floral, bright and lean, but still bursting with fresh red fruit.
Mourad’s eggshuka is another stroke of genius and a new dish. A riff inspired by a classic shakshuka dish, this unique dish is whipped jidori hen egg yolk, frothy with smoked potato foam, a vibrant shakshuka-esque melange and oil of tomatoes, olive oil, red peppers, onion and garlic with a fried alliums and skins crumble along the edge of the bowl. The moment’s Alba white truffles shaved on top (my favorite truffles in the world from Italy with their brief season only a couple weeks a year) turned this into glorious comfort, evoking but totally different from shakshuka. The rosy apple and pear freshness of Le Pére Jules Poire de Normandie Brut cider from Pays d’Auge, France, was one happy pairing.
Aforementioned Norwegian salmon is served the Mourad way: smoked and lacquered yet flaky and fresh, vs. the dryness typical with smoked salmon. The dish morphs with the seasons and this version was a winner: over sunchoke puree, accented with ribbons of fennel, mustard seeds, pickled pomegranate and a touch of anchovy broth. All the umami, sweet, pickled, savory, vegetal and earthy contrasts I could long for were there.
It’s easy to rave about these three courses and breeze over entrees, which likewise are inspiring mashups of flavor, starting with halibut marked by celery slivers, broccoli di ciccio and a whisper of spicy zhug (green Yemenite hot sauce), swimming in a lush oro blanco and mussel emulsion sauce, paired with 2017 Il Carpino Vis Uvae Ramato Pinot Grigio from Venezia Guilia, Italy.
Read also: Moroccan Cuisine Near You
Talented chef de cuisine Rasika Venkatesa shows her skill - and nods to childhood in Chennai, India - with the fall-apart tender-yet-robust beef cheek entree. Accents of coconut, chile de arbol, tamarind, yucca and pickled okra keep the meaty dish bright, even playful, while accompanying brown butter couscous seamlessly connects it back to Morocco.
Even a palate cleanser of frozen coconut, lavender, lemon verbena “snow” dusted in mint and lime zest is a blissful interlude when paired with a trou normand (meaning a pause between dishes - and a tribute to their closed neighboring restaurant, Trou Normand, which I still miss) of 15 year old El Dorado Demerara rum from Guyana, providing a yin-yang of earthy, chocolate, almond and vanilla notes.
While Mourad is in between bar managers, gracious director of operations, George Perezvelez, has turned out color-themed cocktails like the vibrant Goddess, a bright, vegetal mix of Hanger One makrut lime vodka, basil, Alma Tepec pasilla pepper liqueur, citrus, St. Germain, its “secret weapons” being herbaceous Dolin Genepy and nutty velvet falernum, served over crushed ice.
A berbere-spiced, chocolate brown butter mousse-like-dessert layered with textures of pineapple goes tart and earthy, but I prefer the dissolve-in-your-mouth perfection of “puffs”: donuts dipped in honey and chocolate caraway. They recall fritter-like Moroccan sfenj made from sticky, unsweetened leavened dough but with kinship to Portuguese and Brazilian bolinho. Desserts are brightly paired with an Il Coda cocktail: Yellow Chartreuse, Meletti Limoncello, velvet falernum, Eureka lemon juice.
Over the years, Mourad has assembled and grown a tight team. Service is familial, fun and the kitchen is turning out Cal-Moroccan dishes that feel both visionary and delicious. When I find myself still thinking about a few dishes and elements like butter days later - not to mention all-important drink pairings, here smartly weaving from wine to cider, sake cocktails and rum - I see a restaurant that has evolved into one even better than when it began.
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Address: 1516 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94109-2516
Mourad’s “eggshouka” (Photo Credit: Virginia Miller)
The Marrakech: A Traditional Moroccan Experience
The Marrakech is one of the first original Moroccan restaurants in California, offering a more traditional experience. The restaurant is furnished with cozy low couches and large decorative ornate pillows. The rooms are softened by tapestries covering the walls and ceilings.
Your full meal at Marrakech includes delicious Maghreb Salad, Harira (lentil soup), Bastilla (an amazing pastry-like dish, vegetarian or chicken), your choice of exquisite Moroccan entrees, freshly brewed sweetened mint tea, and Baklava pastry. Your Moroccan meal is best eaten Moroccan style - using delicious, freshly baked bread as the ideal all-purpose eating utensil.
Moroccan food always tastes better when eaten Moroccan style: using your three fingers (Thumb, Index and Middle) to dip or scoop with bread. The soft crusted Moroccan bread is highly absorbent and acts as a “fork” for conveying food when eating with one’s hand.
Marrakech Restaurant offers nightly belly dancing shows 7 days a week.
Belly dance at Marrakech Restaurant
Here’s a handy table summarizing some key aspects of these restaurants:
| Restaurant | Cuisine Style | Ambiance | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mourad | Modern Cal-Moroccan | Lofty and industrial, with a sparkling space | Expert drink pairings, private dining space, innovative dishes |
| The Marrakech | Traditional Moroccan | Cozy with low couches and tapestries | Belly dancing shows, traditional Moroccan dining style |
Authentic Moroccan food in San Francisco
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