The tastes of Morocco are exquisitely created with local Northern Californian ingredients at Mourad, which is the signature of chef Mourad Lahlou. Before establishing himself as a notable, he was raised in Medina of Marrakesh and came to the United States when he was twenty years old. He has since attained many accomplishments, such as winning Iron Chef America in 2009 and earning a Michelin star at his restaurant Aziza in 2010, the first time this designation was given to Moroccan cuisine. My lunch experience at Mourad left me with a clear appreciation for his skills.
Balanced. Beautiful balance was my experience at this venue. I only regret that it was just for lunch as I can only imagine the possibilities that a dinner could present based on the tastes that I had whilst sitting at the bar.
The bartender provided thorough descriptions and displayed endless patience as I asked multiple questions and weighed my options. My slow arrival at a decision was partially due to that being my predisposition and in part because I had viewed a menu prior to my arrival that had been the dinner options, limiting my choices considerably at the noon hour. Nonetheless, I experienced no disappointments when the food arrived.
Toast with smoked avocado, lightly pickled albacore, grapefruit, and marash ash.
The toast was simple and provided a conduit for the delivery of the toppings that took avocado toast to the next level. The avocado was smoked and generously slathered across the bread and topped with a thick slice of albacore tuna that was characterized by a mild vinegar flavor, as it was slightly pickled. This was nicely accompanied by the tart grapefruit. Overall, it was a surprisingly fresh take to the often predictable and ever popular avocado toast that is offered on so many menus currently.
Warm smoked salmon with fennel, olives, blood orange sauce and fresh z'hug. Z'hug is a Moroccan spice mix with cardamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, caraway, parsley, red pepper flake, and cilantro.The plating was beautiful and the first bite I took was characterized by the taste of smoke that was heightened by the aroma that wafted across the room as the plate was presented. The bartender reported that the scent even turns heads in a busy restaurant. However, it was not overpowering as the sweet and citrus of the blood orange provided a staunch contrast. The olive was a mild green olive that added primarily texture in it's minced like consistency. Further, the dish was decorated delicately with curls of fennel, another layer of flavor. The sauce was thick enough to cling to the components of the dish from its position laying under and alongside the fish rather than being too thin, sufficiently adding it's flavor to each forkful.
I was won over by the complexity of flavors and unique spices complimenting the perfectly cooked food! Chef Mourad Lahlou has a new fan!
