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Nov 29

Koutoubia (West LA)

Food 11: West LA

My friend and I went to this Moroccan restaurant on Westwood, which has a confusing entrance. There're two juxtapositioning doors, one saids Cafe Momo and the other saids Koutoubia. I think the former is the lounge, the later the restaurant. They shared the same kitchen anyway.
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The interior is dimly lit, quiet and romantic. Before the meal, the waiter brought out a giant sink for us to wash our hands (he pour the warm water from a kettle). Quite a showing just for washing hands.

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Appertizer: B'stia au poulet $11 Moroccan herb roasted chicken stew with egg and almonds, stuff to flaky pastry with sugar and cinnamon. It's multi-textural (light flaky pastry, crispy sugar, cruchy almond and chewy meat) and got the nice sweet vs savory contrast. Good but not wow. I prefer the duck bastilla at Chameau.

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Tagine d' Agneau M'Rouzia $22 Lamb shank cooked in a Tagine with onions, raisins, almonds and honey. The lamb is tender and the sauce is sweet, in fact a bit too sweet for my savory palette. It's not as multi-flavor as I expected.

My friend remember they used to have belly dancing performance (wrong nite?). It was a bit empty for a Friday night, an early night indeed. Pity that it's rare to get that 'everyone enjoying good wine & food' festive late night feeling in LA (compare to Asia and Europe).

Freda | November 29, 2007 03:43 PM


Comments:

I went there a few years ago and had just about an identical experience. There was belly dancing... but it didn't really make things much more exciting...

Nina | December 14, 2007 06:33 PM

YES! In Paris, New York~~ In fact I was watching this gourmet travel program on Spain, and also according to what my friend who was living in Barcelona, it's the same way in Spain too. People would still be eating (very crowded everywhere) at 1 in the morning (they sat there since 9 or 10). Everyone go out at night, eat at restaurant or night market (not pub food). What a good life! ^^;;;

Freda | December 1, 2007 05:58 AM

The interior and lighting make me dizzy just looking at the pictures. ^^;;;
You miss the nightlife in Paris?

seat | November 30, 2007 05:46 PM