Why: For heavenly Moroccan cuisine (with a difference)
Where: Central Richmond, San Francisco
Who: Owned by Chef Mohrad Lahlou (the famed winner of Iron Chef America 2009), Aziza represents a modern twist on Morrocan classic with flavors influences from both the Mediterranean and Californian shores. Winner of a Michelin star and many other accolades, Aziza has often been deemed as the best Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco. The mouth-watering desserts by pastry chef Melissa Chou provide a sweet complement.
BayMonkey two cents: True to its name (Aziza means beloved, cherished), this restaurant fills you up with the sensous flavors of Morocco and leaves your thirsting for more. I've visited it twice and hope to go back again and again. So, without any further ado, lets move on to the food.
Morocco, due to its geographical location in Northern Africa, represents a confluence of Mediterranean as well as regional Berber cuisines. Chef Lahlou plays harmoniously with these influences and creates a divine, light creation which fills you up just right. Since the portions are not on the larger side, at least two appetizers are advised as starters before you move on to the entrées. We started out with the incredibly delicious "beet" and "squid" appetizer (the menu is very interestingly presented with every dish being named by its main ingredient with the complementing ones mentioned below it) and moved on to the "halibut" and "chicken" entrées.
The color, texture, tenderness, crispiness and taste of each and every culinary creation that came our way was absolutely spell binding! The food was the perfect amalgamation of several unusual ingredients creating the perfect harmony of visual and gastronomical desires-the meat and fish were tender yet crispy and the hidden flavors of the licorice or sinful marmalade seemed to catch us off guard by bursting in our mouths and catching us pleasantly off guard. Being a modern twist on traditional Moroccan cuisine, the expected desserts such as ("Gazelle's horn" or "snake pastry" as suggested by my friend) were not present on the menu, but we did end our memorable culinary sojourn with an amazingly crafted dessert (white chocolate mousse). Finally, came the Moroccan mint tea which provided us the perfect, adequate warmth to brave the chilly weather as we stepped outside.
MONKEY METER
Food:
Green quotient (vegetarian friendly): Absolutely! Several choices exist in both the appetizer and entrée section.
Interior/decor: Nice mysterious ambiance in terms of glowing lights , but as mentioned before, it does seem a bit dark in there.
Service: Good to very good/friendly (our server the second time, was really nice and attentive!)
Aziza is almost always packed to the "A". So reservations are a must! For all the little details to fill up your food life, there is always YELP.
