El Morocco

El Morocco may be located on an ordinary shopping strip in Pleasant Hill, but once you step inside the restaurant, it will feel like you’ve left the country. Flowing fabrics, rug-covered walls, candlelight, and dimly-lit brass lanterns set the scene. El Morocco will feel almost circular in dimension – as though you’ve entered a beautiful desert tent.

Your communal table settings will place you directly into the Moroccan theme – you will either sit on an oversized floor cushion or a wraparound sofa facing a low table. Soon after you find your place, your server will bring your party a big kettle filled with warm water. This water is not for drinking, but for pouring over your hands. A brass pan will be placed beneath your hands, catching the water for this traditional ceremony, which takes place before and after your meal.

The service at El Morocco is friendly, and you will enjoy six courses that include soup, salad, an additional appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a nice mint tea. The lentil soup is comforting and flavorful, and you will scoop up your tomato, pepper, parsley, and eggplant puree salad with generous helpings of bread. The flaky Bastilla, a dough pie filled with meat, egg, and almonds, sweetened with powdered sugar and cinnamon, is a delectable appetizer.

Entrees include Chicken Tangene with Vegetables, Beef Shish Kabobs, and Cornish Hen with Lemons and Olives. The rich, smoky flavors accented with lemon, olives and Moroccan spices make the meal an exotic treat. And you can’t go wrong with Baklava for dessert. In addition to the full-course menu, a la carte options are also available.

But we haven’t even gotten to one of the best parts of your meal – the entertainment, which starts soon after your main course arrives on the table. The bellydancer completes several graceful numbers, using a variety of props like scarves, cymbals, and a sword. Dinner guests of all ages will be invited to shake and shimmy along with the dancer, as she takes volunteers from each table to pick up some new moves. This could evolve into a few mini-routines or even a family-friendly line dance, depending on the guests and the evening. This is definitely an enjoyable cultural experience built into a good meal.

HelloSanFrancisco Tip: Bellydancing occurs nightly Tuesday through Sunday with variable showtimes, and Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 p.m.

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.