You may have enjoyed the warm, earthy flavors of  Moroccan cuisine before.

But you’ve never experienced the likes of it at the Michelin-starred https://azizasf.com/Aziza in San Francisco, a short drive from the Laurel Inn San Francisco.

The flavors of saffron, tomatoes, preserved lemons, sumac, and za’atar remain hauntingly familiar here, but have been put to use in daringly creative, boldly contemporary ways.

As chefs around the world have elevated Korean and Spanish cuisines to a whole new level, Executive Chef-Proprietor Mourad Lahlou has done the same with his native cuisine. Indeed, I don’t know if there’s another Moroccan chef out there who’s pushing the envelope quite like this Marrakech-native is.

Lahlou immigrated to San Francisco in 1986 and earned a master’s degree in economics from San Francisco State University. He was planning on getting a PhD next, when his brother asked him to lend a hand at his Moroccan restaurant in San Rafael.

Luckily for us, Lahlou grew so enamored of cooking that he never looked back.

In 2001, he opened Aziza to great acclaim. Back then, it was a very traditional restaurant, complete with belly dancers and classic, rustic tagines.

The distinctive curved archways, and the saffron and cobalt blue hues remain in the warren of dimly-lit dining rooms. But the food has undergone a true metamorphosis. There’s such sophistication and refinement now. The dishes never disappoint; they often dazzle and surprise.

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