Mourad Brings Moroccan Flavors To San Francisco

Utilizing fresh Northern California vegetables, chef Mourad Lahlou serves classic Moroccan dishes with a twist at Mourad, his second restaurant in San Francisco.

Lahlou's follow up to his now-shuttered Richmond, Virginia restaurant, Aziza, is housed in the historic art deco Pac Bell building in the SOMA district.

Guests enter through the elegant lounge area filled with a long bar, steel accents, a huge wall art sculpture made out of antique tree roots, and a dramatic glass wine bridge at the top of the 19-foot-high space.

Mourad is segmented into several intimate dining areas. Past the grand entrance is the main dining room filled with Moroccan motifs and rugs, starburst chandeliers, a beautiful tiled floor, and dark wood tables and booths. Guests can also dine at the bar or on the patio.

Diners can order a la carte dishes from the menu including soft shell crab with tomatillo and avocado, octopus with chickpeas and artichokes, chicken with preserved lemon and green olives, and duck with dates and squash blossoms. Also offered is a 10-course tasting menu which includes salmon with cucumber, sumac, and roe; hen egg with chermoula, cumin, and quinoa; beef with beans, marrow, and tomato jam; and other California-infused Moroccan fare.

Desserts also reflect a North African-North California fusion with dishes like chocolate ginger jasmine cake, sugar puff donut holes with burnt honey and strawberry sauce, and a honey almond orange granite.