mmm-yoso!!!

Paris - Jardin des Plantes de Paris and Lunch at Restaurant La Mosquée de Paris

As I mentioned in previous posts, spending two weeks in Paris meant that we'd have time to explore and spend more time enjoying the city. So far on this stay the Missus had Her hair done, we'd done our third (and most successful) visit to the Louvre, and even visited what is claimed to be the oldest pet cemetery in Europe. The Missus was really into getting me to "put in my steps", so I thought we'd take a nice stroll to the 5th Arrondissement and check out the Jardine des Plantes. Though we had passed by the area many times during our stays in Paris, we had never visited. We just thought it would be a nice place to take a walk and relax. The 70 acre park hosts an Alpine Garden, the Natural History Museum, and even a Zoo, right in the heart of the city. We would just be taking a pre-lunch stroll on this day though.

On the way to the garden, I made sure we took Rue du Temple. Why? Well, because of this.

Wondering what this is? Well, I'm going to make you click this link to find out!

It was a nice stroll to the garden. As we entered we saw that there was an exhibition going on. I found out that every year during the holiday season the Jardin has what they call their "festival of lights". During the evening I believe there's an admission fee, but it's free during the day.

The theme for this season (2022) was "Mini-Mondes", literally the little creatures.

And was quite fun and interesting to see; even during the day.

It was quite charming!

We walked down each path, watched families enjoying themselves, a group of folks were doing Tai-chi in one area. It was a very pleasant stroll.

Now the reason I decided to stop by was for our lunch destination. Across the street from the garden resides the Grand Mosque of Paris along with the prayer rooms and such, the Mosque has a cafe and restaurant. And the restaurant is located right across the street from the southwest exit of the garden.

I had checked out the menu online and it featured items we've enjoyed during our travels; like Brick we enjoyed in Tunisia and Mechouia, they even had Shakshuka on the menu. I was wondering if this would make the Missus tell me I needed to step up my Shakshuka game, like She did after having the dish in Jerusalem?

The place was pretty quiet when we arrived. It was around 11am in the morning. There was another couple who just arrived and several folks still working on their laptops and such.

The interior was quite nice! We were told that lunch was not served until 1130, but were given menus; including the one for Hammam as well! Just in case you want some waxing as a appetizer to your couscous.

The Missus got some mint tea and I got some coffee and we just sat and relaxed.

The mint tea was quite good.

Right around 1120 all the laptops were closed and folks started leaving. I guess it was now lunchtime?

We placed our order and then within 10 minutes the folks started coming in, viola!

'

Soon enough our food started arriving. We didn't go for any of the couscous or large dishes; mainly because we really wanted to see how our favorite dishes from previous trips were.

First to arrive was the Mechouia.

This was super bland and needed more tomato for some acidity. It had a greasy tongue feel and also would have done well with more salt. It hadn't been cooked long enough and the peppers and tomato hadn't broken down enough. It also needed more onion in our opinion as well.

This was delivered along with the Mechouia and we cracked up!

Well, this is Paris, right? No pita here! Actually, the baguettes were very yeasty and light. A bit more crisp-crustiness would have helped, but these were not bad. 

The Zaalouk (eggplant salad/dip) was up next.

The eggplant was fairly creamy, this really also needed more salt and spice. It could have used much more harissa, though the texture was good.

Finally, the Brik arrived.

  When this arrived, the Missus and I gave each other a "look". This didn't seem quite right. And yes, it was overcooked, lacking in flavor, the filo like pastry was hard instead of crisp. And that egg; that poor overcooked, unseasoned egg. 'Nuff said.

The final dish to arrive was the Chakchouka (Shashuka).

This was on the watery side and bland. Glad the egg wasn't cooked to death, though we'd have enjoyed it more runny. You can just tell by the look, can't you? It really lacked the tangy-sweet-acidity from having enough tomatoes. I don't think they used much Harissa in this as it lacked spice. Overly light in cumin tones. You get the picture, right? At least the Missus wouldn't be telling me I needed to up my Shashuka game.

Overall, a very disappointing meal. Though the place was packed when we left. Service was a bit slow, but the young folks working were nice. I'm sure there's better to be had in Paris; so hopefully on a future visit.

Restaurant La Mosquée de Paris
39 Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
75005 Paris, France

On the positive side, we'd enjoyed our time at the Jardin des Plantes.

And the day was young. We'd passed a patisserie on the way here that the Missus was interested in and we still had another place to visit on the docket for the afternoon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen

During the beginning of March I was driving up El Cajon Boulevard and noticed a little shop had opened right next to Barn Brewery. The name; Medina, caught my eye and memories of wandering the Medina in Kairouan and Tunis flashed though mi cabeza. A few days later I read the grand opening announcement on Eater. The name says "Moroccan-Baja Kitchen", something that seemed to scream  "con-fusion" to me. However, I took a quick look at the menu online and while it was small; basically two proteins and a vegetarian option served in tacos, a bowl, and a favorite of mine shakshouka. And while the Missus was somewhat hesitant at first, I managed to talk Her into visiting for two reasons. More on that shortly. So on a nice sunny day we headed on over.

We loved the décor of this wide open establishment. The drill is typical of this type of fast-casual "San Diegish" restaurant. You order at the counter, pay, and head on over to a table or stool at the front. The two young ladies who were working here on my visits were friendly and very nice.

The reason I managed to talk the Missus into visiting was the merguez which is made onsite, we really loved the merguez in Tunisia. And of course Shakshuka is a staple in our house. Just as an FYI; the "lamb" on the menu is actually merguez.

The Missus went with the Lamb Bowl ($13) topped with an Egg, which was a couple of bucks more.

First off; the egg was a perfect easy-over. The merguez was also very tasty, nice spices, with a good gamey, pasturey flavor. It was much better than other versions which we've gotten from various places in San Diego. The veggies were lightly and simply dressed, the roasted corn added sweetness, arugula bitterness, the pickled onions a nice palate cleansing sour-pungency. The couscous added bulk. As a whole, other than the merguez, this seemed like stuff we make at home. But still, it wasn't bad at all.

In the vein of stuff we make at home; the Shashouka ($7) with Merguez (+ $3.50), was decent as well.

A bit less spicy (I use quite a bit of Harissa) and tangy then the version I make at home, this wasn't bad at all. I like my shashouka a bit more broken down and with a bit more red peppers as well. Again the merguez was the star of the show for me and of course that luscious egg.

While the Missus enjoyed the meal, other than the merguez, She thought that the food wasn't much different from what I make at home.

Still, I wanted to return for another visit before doing a post. We'd had two of the three major items on the menu; the bowls and the shakshouka. So, that left some tacos, right?

But first, a Thorn Brewery Barrio Lager, light, clean, with a touch of sweetness.

I thought it would be nice on a bright and sunny afternoon. To go with dos tacos....

First up; the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Asado Taco ($4.50).

While I loved the look of this; it was the least favorite item I had at Medina. The chicken was dry and the seasoning, a combination of Coriander, Tumeric, and the like was too light and the tzatziki and arugula basically overshadowed instead of complimented the chicken. The rustic, thick tortilla looked wonderful, but quickly tore to pieces.

Of course I got the Lamb (merguez) Taco ($5.50).

Instead of being served in a tortilla, the taco was served on a tortilla sized pita. While the sausage seemed lost in all of the greens at times, the roasted corn and cucumber pico de gallo, along with a nice, but not too overpowering vinaigrette did well to compliment the sausage. The queso fresco added a pleasant milkiness to the spices and the "flavor of the pasture" of the merguez. My only complaint was that this was more of a salad - pita with some merguez than visa versa.

I was pleasantly surprised at the brightness and flavors of the food here; even though it's quite simple. I'm not sure I'll return anytime soon....though if they sold that merguez in bulk, I'd really be regular. Truthfully,  I don't find the food here particularly fusion-ny nor innovative.  Think swapping out pitas for tortillas; that shakshouka had nothing particularly "Baja" about it, but the ingredients were fresh, decently prepared, the colors pleasing to the eye, the staff very friendly, the hipsterish vibe is great for the area. Still, if you're not familiar with some of these flavors or wonder how well they'd work together definitely give them a try. And if you've never had merguez; this would a good place to try it!

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen
2850 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tuesday   5pm - 9pm
Wed - Sun 1130am - 9pm

San Francisco - Mourad

Much like our trip to Portland in 2015, part of reason was just to rest in air conditioned goodness....which is what we did after lunch at China Live. We awoke refreshed and decided on a short stroll before dinner. We decided to just take a stroll down Market to the Ferry Building.

It was a nice stroll, past the hustle and bustle, the street merchants were just closing up for the day.

We walked through the Ferry Building, giving the Missus a chance to check out various places as possibilities for tomorrow's lunch.

We  walked through and past various shops.....most were closed or closing for the day. And then headed out back to the Ferry Terminals and just basically sat and watched.

I guess this must seem just routine to folks who live in the Bay Area; but for us, it was just relaxing and fun.

A short time later we decided to head to our dinner destination. Our good friend Candice had recommended Mourad, a Michelin Star restaurant that serves Moroccan inspired cuisine with local ingredients and modern techniques. The location was a few blocks from our hotel on New Montgomery Street. We were a bit early for our reservation, so we had a seat at the bar. Our mixologist was quite the showman and very knowledgeable. I had, what might be the best and one of the most expensive ($24) cocktails I've had in recent memory. A magical concoction called "Legend of the Brave".

A blend of Scotch, ciociaro, jalapeno-pineapple shrub syrup, "Scotch mist", and blood orange, this had that nice combination of smokey-savory-bitter and not-too-sweet flavors I enjoy in a cocktail. The Missus had some Scotch and is now somewhat enamored with it.

Soon enough, we were notified that our table was ready. It was in the upstairs portion of the restaurant.

Mourad does have a tasting menu and what they call "la'acha" family sized meals....which based on what we saw on two other tables would be just too much for the Missus and I. We ordered a couple of dinner items and two sides, which turned out to be more than enough for us.

The first three dishes were brought out together.

Things started off with the Lamb Tartare ($18), which was topped with sliced green apple.

The tangy green apple added a nice crunch but really didn't add much to the overly salty tartare. Ditto the wheatberry. The sodium level just wiped out any flavor the tender lamb would have.

Next up; what they simply call "Eggplant" ($18) on the menu.

This dish featured a wonderful range of textures and flavors. From the tender earthy eggplant and oregano, the brightness of za'atar, the crunchy, very clean-brininess of the cucumber. On occasion you'd have the distinct, nutty, resinous of pine nuts mixed in. The bread was hot and wonderful. The puree was slightly smokey, mildly sweet, but also on the salty side. It was best used as a spread for the bread.

When the Foie Gras ($26) arrived....well, we weren't too sure about it. Wrapped with shredded and from what we could taste, pickled green papaya and topped with freeze dried strawberries (??), this was very good!

The crunch, mild sourness of the green papaya and the light sweetness of that trendy freeze dried strawberries to complement the richness of the creamy foie gras was nothing short of amazing. We could detect the slight fragrance of rose water as well. Add to that crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet brioche toast and this was easily my favorite dish of the evening.

In a display of almost flawless timing, our last dish and two sides were brought out seconds after we had finished our first three dishes and our table cleared. We both thought the service at Mourad was very professional and pleasant.

The Duck Basteeya ($25) was presented to us as Chef Lahlou's signature dish.

You really couldn't fault the presentation. The filo dough around the eggroll-chimichanga-ish basteeya was light and crisp; it had been put together perfectly. Unfortunately, while the duck confit was lovingly, we found this to be much too sweet for our taste.

I enjoyed the Heirloom Bean Shakshuka ($10); topped with a "ying-yang" of  bread crumbs and what tasted like a feta cream.

The beans had a wonderful texture; just enough of a bite and I enjoyed the blend of flavors in this one.

The Missus really loved the Kale ($10).

This was a wonderful braised kale dish; the Harissa, something I use quite often in my cooking adding some zip. It was a wonderful, hearty dish.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Mourad; there were some nice surprises and the meal ended with two comforting dishes. The service was excellent. And that cocktail! I think we'll be back...probably to eat at the bar.....some foie gras, eggplant, kale, and beans......and a couple of those cocktails!

Mourad Restaurant
140 New Montgomery St. #1
San Francisco, CA 94105
Hours:
Mon - Fri 1130am - 10pm
Sat - Sun 5pm - 10pm