Leila — Restaurant in Honolulu

The world food tour duo stopped in at Leila, in the old Angelo Pietro location in Kaimuki. A partnership between chefs Chris Kajioka and Mourad Lahlou, it offers dishes from Morocco. At the current time, they offer a three-course price fixe dinner for $85. The optional wine pairing was $40 or $48, depending on whether you wanted three or four glasses.

You start with The Seven Salads, seven small dishes filed with olives and pickled almonds, Zaalouk (eggplant, black olive, pine nuts and herbs), Muhammara (piquillo pepper and almonds), Lebni (trout roe and dill), Bissara (white bean hummus with smoked paprika), Tomato Jam (with ginger and citrus), and Bravo Radish (smoked Lebni, harissa and sesame). It’s served with two pieces of Za’atar flatbread and a dish of vegetables. A glass of 2022 Mourvèdre Rosé from Bandol (FR) from Bieler Père & Fils.

There were three specials … We opted for the Basteeya, phyllo dough wrapped around confit duck. It looked like dessert and was slightly sweet. The optional wine was a Norma Etna Rosso pinot noir; a very light-bodied wine.

You have your choice of main to share: Short Rib, Lamb Meshoul, Mediterranean Branzino and Roasted Cauliflower. We chose lamb. It’s a large piece on the bone with fried kale, sunchokes, and deep-fried Yama potatoes. It was served with a Syrah from Morocco, very dark in color, full of dark fruit. I liked this much more than the Norma pinot noir. The lamb was tender and flavorful but the highlight for me were the deep-fried pieces of Yama potato.

Dessert was a date cake with vanilla ice cream. I passed on the dessert, but I had the glass of New York Malmsey Madeira. Yumm, I haven’t had Madeira in ages … It did pair well with the cake. I had a cup of coffee … Alas, this was the sole disappointment of the evening … it was tepid and not up to the level of the meal that came beforehand.

What did we think? To us, the food is similar to the restaurant in Kaka’ako but we liked the flavors of the Seven Salads and our lamb more than food we’ve had at the other place. We enjoyed our time here … the place was packed with diners, and it was noisy. Rating: 4.5 stars from us … the disappointing coffee caused me to knock off...

Who knew that a Moroccan restaurant originated in San Francisco and based in Honolulu would remind me so deeply why I miss New York.

After Danny Myers’ Setting The Table, you know the fine dining label sets up expectations. You think of Eleven Madison Park, One if By Land, Gramercy Tavern - where service is over the top yet down to earth, staff is professional yet personal, food is sophisticated yet comforting, followed by a price tag that is assumed yet EARNed.

But many of the fine dining restaurants in San Francisco or Honolulu, appear to believe the price tag is not earned but bestowed upon the label of fine dinning, Michelin, or sorts. They fetch the price tag first, and then hope that the rest would follow.

Lelia fits right into that.

As we stepped in, a young lady at the front welcomed us in, and a well-dressed middle-aged gentleman eloquently introduced the menu, both of whom reminded me of real estate sales - friendly but not warm. Then the small details betrayed their polished fine-dining look. Whether it’s a 5-min wait at the door for the front lady to get off the phone, while a gentleman waiter made eye contact with us then ignored because the front wasn’t his job, or that guests at our table being stuck for a while because another gentleman waiter occupied the only narrow space between tables to get out while he took his time chatting with the adjacent table. All perfectly understandable for a regular restaurant, until you put on a fine dining label and price tag.

The food follows. The seven salads were certainly palatable and pita bread fluffy and warm. Lamb warmly spiced, brussel sprouts crispy and puree creamy. Date cake yields expectations but no surprise. All perfectly satisfying for a New York neighborhood restaurant in East village or Hell’s kitchen, until you put on a fine dining label and price tag.

As we settled the bill and headed out, Honolulu's evening outside was surprisingly chilly. At this moment, I yearn for the lost warm aloha once found in...

When out-of-town visitors asked for upscale food recommendations in San Francisco, Mourad was at the top of my short list, thanks to a rare mix of excellent food and cocktails, plus the luxury of scoring a last-minute reservation. So when the city’s standout Moroccan restaurant closed late last year, it was a genuine loss.

Fortunately around the same time, chef Mourad Lahlou quietly opened Leila across the Pacific in Honolulu, teaming up with chef Chris Kajioka. The chef duo behind the hit Japanese-French spot Miro Kaimuki is already making waves with their second act.

Familiar favorites from Mourad SF make a welcome return at Leila as supplements, like the flaky duck basteeya, build-your-own buttery uni brioche, and those heavenly, creamy oysters.

The restaurant currently offers a $75 four-course prix fixe menu, and I was impressed that I enjoyed this meal even more than its predecessor.

Naragi crudo slices arrived beautifully plated, with a harissa crunch reminiscent of chili crisp. A crispy skin salmon delivered, the crackling exterior giving way to delicate large flakes, all set in a refreshing warm broth of pea and asparagus.

But the unexpected standout? A modest-looking endive salad. Whipped goat cheese mousse, oregano vinaigrette, dukkah, and sweet date slivers came together harmoniously. Even my partner (a salad skeptic) named it his favorite dish of the night.

Dinner concluded with Strauss soft serve, layered with banana, caramel, and the same spiced candied nuts found in the basteeya. A nice echo to end the meal.

The ambiance is sleek, dimly lit, and much smaller and intimate than Mourad SF - great for date night. Note that there’s no bar, so cocktails are pre-batched. I enjoyed a za’atar martini and a spin on an old...