Mourad is a large place with one Michelin star. You enter where there is a big bar which leads into tables and a few side booths. We got there for an early lunch and not many people were there but as prime time approached it filled in with a mostly young crowd, although the noise level never got uncomfortable. There is a cool tile floor, slowly rotating elaborate chandeliers and good separation between the tables. The staff was very friendly and quite articulate and knowledgeable about their menu. Everything we tried was full of flavor with lovely presentation and easily shared. I would go back without a second thought and highly recommend it if you are in the area.
We started with a couple of their snacks while trying to decide what to order. The Pecans were candied but also spicy. The pecans were fresh enough to have good flavor and cooked to a perfect crunch. Yum x2.
The Olives were the Castelvetrano variety and absolutely delicious. The texture was soft but meaty and they were mixed with peeled almonds. Seasoning was from the Turkish chili Marash and they were served warm. Another yummy dish.
The Beans were mixed with feta, spicy tomato sauce and crumble. The heirloom beans were large and cooked perfectly with the tomato sauce being a subtle part. The sauce around them was wonderful and the crunch added a perfect zest. These were really tasty – the flavor content was delightful.
The Chicken Wings were boneless pieces seasoned with burnt honey and mustard and served with celery, dill and something pickled. They had a nice amount of sweetness and herbiness and were absolutely delicious.
The Basteeya is a roll of confit duck in puff pastry served with Asian pear, almond, raisins and créme fraîche. It is marvelous – so many flavors in the tender flakey pastry with really flavorful, sweet pear pieces alongside. This was a winner.
The chicken roulade is served with carrot, sunflower seed, pickled blueberries and a fermented honey vinaigrette. The chicken is first cooked in a sous vide and then seared, to turn it into the tender, moist dish you get. Lots of flavor in herbs and the sauce. Another winner!
Dessert was Chocolate with urfa, tamarind and smoke. It sounded a little better than it was, or maybe I was just full at that point. The crisp shells contained a very mild chocolate and there were some tasty ‘branches’ of smoked dark chocolate served with it. It was pretty with nice textures but here I’d concentrate on the top part of the menu- you can’t beat it!