Amara

First Look: Mourad Lahlou’s Amara in San Francisco

"Amara, the mashup of Moroccan and Mexican cuisines in the works from Mourad Lahlou and Louis Maldonado, is one of the most anticipated openings this year in San Francisco. It’s replacing Aziza, which was not only one of the most loved restaurants in the city—and a national destination—but the first Moroccan restaurant in the United States to earn a Michelin star. Chef/owner Lahlou’s namesake restaurant Mourad also has a star. It’s a hard act to follow. Construction for Amara started last fall. Amara means “Moors” in Spanish. Way back in the eighth century, the Moors brought their cuisine with them when they invaded Spain. “They were kicked out in 1492, the same year that Columbus discovered America,” Lahlou explains. But the Spanish carried those culinary influences with them to Mexico, bringing pigs, as well as cilantro and cumin. There are similarities in the ingredients and cooking techniques of the two cultures that will inform the menu at Amara. “We want to shed light on the juncture when the two cultures collided,” he adds." - Beverly Stephen