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| - I was really excited to see a Moroccan place open in Madison. Unfortunately, this place did not live up to my expectations. The ambiance was a little uncomfortable, the food was mediocre, the service was slow, and the prices were steep.
We were seated at one of the tables against the wall, which is one long bench/booth adorned with cushions. The idea is cute, but in reality it is just uncomfortable. There is a reason food is served at a table with chairs that reach it adequately. Also, another group was seated at the same bench as us, and was sitting literally inches away from me when the restaurant was fairly empty and there were several open tables. Talk about awkward! The music was too quiet, and it felt like you couldn't talk openly at your table, as the whole room could hear you. Also, one of the waiters kept staring at our table, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.
We ordered the Lamb Tagine and the Chicken Couscous. The food took a long time to come. It was decently spiced, and the chicken was cooked really well. I was impressed with how juicy it was. The lamb, on the other hand, was dry and overcooked. Tagine usually has some dried apricot and lemon in it, both of which were lacking. Both dishes tasted almost the same, which is strange because they are very different dishes. The saffron rice that came with the tagine was a frightening bright yellow-orange color. Saffron does impart color on rice, but never that bright. It looked like they had put turmeric in it to make it even more colored. I've had some amazing Moroccan food at restaurants in Los Angeles, and sadly this food did not compare.
While our waitress was very nice, she simply didn't come by enough to check on our water, etc. Given that the restaurant was pretty empty, this was unexpected.
The dishes on the menu were all around $15-18, and the portions are pretty small. In my experience, Moroccan restaurants are on the more expensive side, but we're in Madison, people, come on! This city is supposed to be affordable! The BF was still hungry after dinner, and I was actually able to finish my whole meal and still felt dissatisfied. I almost never finish my meal when I eat out, so that's saying something.
I think I'll just wait till I'm back in LA to have Moroccan food again.
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