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Delicious! The staff is very attentive and enthusiastic about the menu. The decor and atmosphere is cozy and sexy.....portions are plentiful and bursting with flavor. Not too thrilling from the outside, but you step underground and settle in to a small Moroccan haven.
Two dinners (Beef Tagine and mixed Saffron seafood), one appetizer, and a bottle of wine was $100.
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Everything about this restaurant was just amazing! As soon as you walk in you have the feeling of being in some cozy, far away exotic space. It just looks like a place you would love to hang out at all night- and that is easy to do, there are so many delicious courses and small plates to choose from and the wine was just perfect! There was so much flavor in everything we tried and the lamb was the best meal i think i have ever had. The owner was there talking to everyone to make sure everything was just right, and was just really friendly and interesting to talk to. It is a little difficult to notice if you don't any better, but man is it worth searching out!!
Thanks to Yelp.com, I suggested my co-worker and I to have dinner at Kous Kous after our first day of training in San Diego. Neither of us have had Moroccan food before, and we were up for something new.
The restaurant was fairly easy to find on 4th st. Since the restaurant is located downstairs, the "Kous Kous" sign, from what I remember, is posted at ground level in a neon sign.
As soon as you walk inside the restaurant, the interior decoration will absorb you into the Morocco of San Diego. The lights were dim, traditional Moroccan wardrobe and artworks hanging from the walls, beautiful stained glass ceiling lamps surrounded us, and the lounge area was lit by natural light.
Anyway, the server knew the menu inside and out. He described almost everything on the menu with a lot of enthusiasm. It made me smile. Okay, maybe I wanted to giggle, because I couldn't believe how energetic he was about Moroccan food.
I ordered the Vegetarian Stuffed Tomato Tagine. We were getting a little impatient, because it took around 45 minutes for our food to arrive. HOWEVER, once we took our first bite, that irritable mood turned into mouth-watering euphoria. IT WAS SO FLAVORFUL/DELICIOUS/AMAZING!! It also came with couscous topped with caramelized garbanzo beans. THAT was also tasty and the couscous was perfectly fluffy.
The mystery of the server's enthusiasm was solved then. San Diego's Moroccan food is EUPHORIA IN THE MOUTH.
With no exaggeration and complete honesty: I haven't had such a delicious meal in a very long time. This place is HIGHLY recommended.
Even with the long wait (my co-worker and I were the only ones in the restaurant at the time) and the price of $20-$21 for a meal (including tip), I still give it 5 solid stars.
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After drifting past this place many many many times (and in many many many states of sobriety and the lack there of ...) I dropped in to try it this week.
Dropped in is the opperative phrase ... as it is somehow creepily located in the level that is sunken about 1/2 story below street level. This has always made me think twice about it ... somehow this location seems to scream bugs and vermin (though it is just an association with a house my family rented in Leeds, England when I was a little kid).
To my delight the restraunt was very very cool.
The decor is pleasant and the vibe mellow. The service was tremendous. Not overly attentive, but certainly caring for the needs of the clients. Somehow 3 of the tables around us all had Birthdays, so aside from the series of terrible renditions of Happy Birthday to You from drunk friends, the ambiance rocked.
The food was delicious.
Our party had the Appetizer sampler (all vegetables) and the spices in each were just awesome. My favorite was the Cumin Carrots. YUM.
I had the roasted vegetables and they were cooked quite well, and seasoned deliciously. Next time in I am going to work on some of the meat entrees, but so far so good.
A pleasant suprise and a cool place.
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I went on a Saturday night at 9PM and they were still open.
We ordered several appetizers, a bottle of wine, and the main course. The appetizers were excellent, and the staff friendly and welcoming. The owner even came out after the meal was served to greet us.
The atmosphere is more formal and quiet, and the decorations were elegant. One nice feature of the restaurant was that a classic movie was playing on the projector on the back wall of the restaurant without sound.
It's a good choice for groups, and would also be nice as a romantic dinner for two. Try it out sometime!
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I adore this place! The service is lovely, the food is to die for and the half off bottles of wine on Mondays and Wednesdays are such a treat!
My husband treated my sister and me to dinner for my birthday on Monday and it was the perfect end to a rough birthday!! We had two bottles of the Viognier (they were half off so you have to get two, right?!) and the sampler dips to start... my favorite was the corn relish and they loved the carrot dip.
I had the halibut and cous cous, which was good... my sis had the stuffed tomatoes, which were delish and the hubby had the lamb shank... AMAZING! i highly recommend that to any carnivores!
can't wait to go back and now i'm itching for a trip to morocco even more!
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We had a nice birthday gathering with our friends here. The ambiance was quite warm and dimmed with candlelight. Service was great. The chocolate dessert was very good. The rest of the food I thought was ok, but I'm glad we tried something new.
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This was my first time trying Moroccan and it was absolutely fantastic. I think I'm a fan, and I'm already planning my next trip to this delightful restaurant. Phenomenal food, friendly and attentive service, beautiful ambiance and great wine selection (and 1/2 off a bottle on Mon/Wed!). I cannot do justice to this experience in a review, enough cannot be said about how wonderful it was.
I love the way the place was decorated. My first impression of it was walking down the steps past beautiful lanterns with candles burning in them, then you walk into the restaurant and find yourself surrounded by soft and shimmering fabrics, silver curtains hanging from the ceiling, tables with crisp white linen and benches covered in silky patterns with dozens of throw pillows. It's all dimly lit by candle light and lanterns. French music was playing softly in the background (and Audrey Hepburn's "Roman Holiday" was playing on the screen in the restaurant). If I'm not mistaken, a lot of the French music were songs you would know in English, though maybe slowed down and sung by a man rather than a woman in some instances, it was fun to try and figure out the song (I think I heard "I will Survive" play once, but it may have just been a song with the same intro music).
The dishes we tried were all savory and a little sweet and cooked to absolute perfection. Moumen really knows what he's doing in the kitchen and he has a passion for his cooking that really comes through. His dishes seem very well thought out and everything blends so well together, it's like a piece of art.
We tried the Merguez which was really savory, it's a combination of beef and lamb topped with a delicious buttery garlic and ginger sauce. Nothing was overpowering, it was nicely balanced and flavorful still. It was served with homemade pita bread that even evidenced the attention to detail (it was cut then grilled so the edges were even crispy, but it was still so soft and moist and delicious). A really fantastically prepared dish.
Next up was the B'stila, this combined savory chicken with the sweetness of cinnamon and honey. It reminded me of Baklava without being too sweet or dessert like, the saffron in the chicken really helped to balance out the sweetness and there was a soft crunch to it from the flaky phylo dough and almonds.
This was followed up with the lamb shank tagine which I cannot recommend highly enough. The lamb so moist and tender and falling off the bone, the honey sauce was delicious and brought out the flavor of the lamb without being too sweet or altering the taste, it just enhanced it. It was served with cous cous that was topped with honey caramelized raisins and garbanzo beans. These flavorful combinations again treaded the line between savory and sweet and created a beautiful dish that was truly mouthwatering.
With all of this delicious food we had a bottle of Blockhead red Zinfandel. We couldn't decide on a wine (just that we wanted a red), so Moumen came to our table to help us decide and brought us some to try (a pinot noir and the red zin). I must say, while the pinot noir was fantastic in it's own right, I have never in my life had anything as aromatic or flavorful as that Blockhead red zinfandel. It smelled like spices, maybe the best way to describe it would be the scent of worcestershire or some kind of steak sauce? Just this bold scent/flavor that really brought out the flavors in our food. It also had a sweetness to it which balanced it out more. It was so smooth as well, and the wine really opened up quickly and had a lasting flavor. I couldn't have dreamt up a better wine pairing for what we ate. It matched the balance of sweetness and savory in the dishes and wasn't too dry or overpowering. Moumen knows his wine!
To finish it all off we had the Crème brulée which was to die for. I love crème brulée but often times the brulée part is a major turn off for me. When the top just tastes like burnt sugar it runs the whole custard for me. This was done to perfection. The brulée part was still that hard crust to the custard, but once it was cracked it revealed a granulated texture that was amazing and somehow managed to keep a flavor that is better described as caramelized rather than burnt. The custard itself was spectacular, light and delicious, flavored with orange blossom. It was the perfect end to the meal.
Overall, this place is a hidden gem. Do not be fooled by it's modest locale, it is food fit for gods and kings. It's worth at least one trip, but probably more like a dozen or more. Words really cannot do justice to the experience for the palate that comes from a visit to this restaurant.
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Moumen is the man.
The man with the plan for this wonderful place.
I went with a friend on a weeknight and was charmed by his casual demeanor. We were seated in a cozy table and Moumen walked us through nearly the entire menu.
We got small plates of carmelized carrots and chicken brochettes, both of which were elegantly prepared and simply delicious. For the entree I decided on the Beef Tagine while a friend tried the seafood special.
The beef was wonderfully tender and juicy and the couscous was warm exotic and mmm just perfect.
Keep up the good work Moumen, you'll have to expand soon!
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Bliss...
This was my first time eating there, I've never had moraccon food before. I didn't realize what I was missing out on!
First the decor is absolutely beautiful-I really felt as if I was no longer in San Diego and instead was off at some exotic locatoin.
My friend and I sat in the corner on the booth-enveloped in beautiful pillows, perfect candle lighting, and beautiful drapes!
I had the chicen brochetts with kous kous and my friend had the beef tangine with mashed potatoes. Both of our meals were absolutely delicious!!!
They have happy hour on Monday and Wednesday nights-half off bottle of wines. I will definately return with a few girlfriends to have some wine in their blissful ambiance!
Ahhh...It was Bliss
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Driving down Fourth Avenue, there is a red neon sign that if you aren't looking hard enough you might just miss. I happened to miss it because it's not that high up, and there was an SUV parked out front that almost completely obscured it from view, I'd image it's just as difficult to see during that day.
Signage aside, Kous Kous is a great little restaurant. It's located below street level, which I think is wonderful. it's difficult to let yourself be taken to another place via food when you're constantly watching Explorers and Civics driving by.
Parking on First Ave- because i hate to pay for parking, and parking in hillcrest is almost all meters, i walked over to Fourth Ave, where from the sidewalk, the red neon "Kous Kous Restaurant" sign is very easy to spot- as it is eye level.
The entrance to the Kous Kous is down a flight of stairs, which opens into a lounge with a small fountain, Moroccan style seats and lanterns, and (i'm assuming) Moroccan music playing.
A few of my friends were seated already, we greeted each other with hugs and hand shakes, and i sat down. we were still waiting for more of our group to arrive. I had hoped our group would all be there on time, but since that wasn't the case i ordered the Spinach "Khoubbiza", which i shared with friends at the table, it was a great light way to start the meal.
Kous Kous has a happy hour on monday's and wednesday's i believe where bottles of wine are half price. i ended up ordering one of each of the Moroccan Reds. It's rare that i drink when i'm out, it's even more rare that i'll order a bottle of wine, let alone two. When shared with friends, however, it makes the experience all that much better.
Through a tasty twist of fate we all got to try the small appetizers (Brania, Khizzou, Shak-Shoka, Sh'lada T'rouz- all servered with Pita bread), which the Brania (Roasted Eggplant) was the star.
For an Entree, i Ordered the Lamb Shank Tagine with cous cous (the other side option being garlic mashed potatoes) and it was amazing. I didn't finish it all because it was a lot of food- and i wanted to save room for desserts.
Typically, for me, if i order an appetizer, there's never room for a dessert, but tonight i think i paced myself well, and managed to save room for not one, but two desserts. The Dates were first and are served with a small glass of what tastes like cinnamon/honey/orange blossom milk, which combines with the dates for a delicious flavor. Following that was the Creme Brulee which was almost as amazing as the dates.
The owner, Moumen, is a gracious host and made time to speak with me about the restaurant, even though it was well past their closing time, and i was probably well past when i should have stopped pouring another glass of wine. Our table was served by Jason, who was very personable, friendly, and knowledgeable.
The comfortable atmosphere of Kous Kous truly added to my enjoyment, and i definitely plan to return. highly recommended.
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Great place to go for Moroccan food. The sights and wonderful smells that great you prep you for the delicious food they serve. I have primarily stuck to their small plates (trying to reduce a big tummy) and have yet to eat anything I didn't enjoy. I really like their B'stila (which is enough to share with someone), the shrimp brochette, and the Brania. The place is a little hard to spot the first time but well worth the search.
The experience started when Moumen greeted us warmly and sat us in a cozy back corner. From reading the menu through finishing our dessert, it was a great evening and perfect for a date. Moumen spent time with us to discuss the menu, explain how things are prepared and even made some recommendations for us based on our conversation.
Overall, the food, the ambience, the location, the service...phenomenal.
Kous Kous has officially been added to my restaurant repertoire.
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I took my dinner club here which was around 20~ people. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Overall, I had a good dining experience.
The ambiance and decor is really nice, soft lighting, good use of Moroccan accessories to decorate made this place feel really cool.
Food was great. We started off with a sampler of assorted tapas (more on this later) and it was all very good. I had the beef croquettes and cous cous. It was really good.
Only complaint I had was that there was some miscommunication on whether we ordered the sampler tapas or not (we didn't, but the manager assumed we wanted it). We ended up paying 50% for the samplers, which is fine.
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This place really is awesome. My boyfriends and I cam here for our one year anniversary and it was the best food I've had in a really long time for a reasonable price. We got the roasted carrot appetizer, two of the vegetarian entrees (stuffed bell pepper and tomato and the other mix of veggies), a bottle of wine (half price on Mondays and Wednesdays), and creme brulee for dessert for under $60. not to mention each item was absolutely amazing. I will be taking all of my friends back here to enjoy the Delicious food.
As said previously, the waiters are awesome and super helpful, the food is magnificent, and the decor is cozy and eclectic. Really a prized find for San Diego.
Keeping it short and sweet - like me.
This was our second trip to Kous Kous, the first one was back in January. As soon as we walked in Moumen remembered us! Good sign of a attentive owner.
Again - the food was just perfect. The outstanding reviews on the food, service, and ambiance at Kous Kous will be repeated time and again by very happy patrons.
One thing I will add - I REALLY dislike lamb but we got the dinner for 2 special (which I would recommend) and it includes lamb shank which I was anticipating giving to my bf but I could not stop "tasting" it!! That in itself is amazing!!
Kous Kous you!
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Came here two more times, and each visit has impressed me more and more. I ordered the halibut and lamb tagine, respectively, and both were prepared so well that you can taste the care the chefs put into their food.
My new must order on all future visits from here on out will be the B'Stila. I never thought that savory chicken could pair so beautifully with orange blossom water and honey.
Again, each time Moumen and our waiters made sure that we were always well taken care of. Always a great experience dining here.
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04/12/2008
I came here last night after reading all the many positive reviews about this place.
The food was…
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This jewel is tucked away in the basement level of a gaudy 80's style building in Hillcrest. This is one case where the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" has never rung truer.
Why does this establishment earn the coveted 5-stars? Simply put, it gets everything right. The owner, Moumen (like "Newman") is friendly, ambitious, creative, passionate, and knows how to cook great Moroccan food.
The decor was authentic and intimate without being obnoxious.
We began with a few appetizers, and my friend ordered the "Menu II" tasting, a five course meal.
The soup was tasty (I find vegetarian soups usually lacking in flavor; not the case here).
Then on to an eggplant dish, some skewers, and the b'stila. Oh the b'stila. It's a savory pastry made with chicken, phyllo dough, spices and sugar and cinnamon. When I recounted my experience at Marrakesh (I took the pic of the bastilla with the camel on it in the Yelp review), Moumen proceeded to explain the intricacies of making b'stila. The time he spent chatting with us and the other customers was another demonstration of his dedication to his craft and to his restaurant.
For the entree, I ate the fish special, a halibut and shrimp dish served in a savory sauce which was perfectly spiced and seasoned. Listening to Moumen explain the subtleties of using the right amount of exotic spices just added to the experience, even though by then I had already licked my plate clean. My friend had the lamb shank which melted off the bone.
What I appreciate about Kous Kous is how they are taking a different, more modern approach than traditional Moroccan restaurants. No cheesy overwrought music. No belly dancers (not that there's anything wrong with that). Just really good food in a fine dining atmosphere. The tapas menu is also something Kous Kous is innovating (as it's not traditionally done with Moroccan cuisine). On subsequent visits I will be sure to order from that menu.
While I agree with other reviewers that it is a bit on the pricey side, Moumen pointed out (and was obvious after eating the meal) that this type of cuisine is very labor intensive. And it was worth every penny.
Oh, and free parking.
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I love this place! The ambiance, decor, location..
The first time we ate here it was for Dining Out For Life. I was thoroughly impressed, but never made it back. Never until last night, that is. We were treated once again to amazing foods.. The appetizer sampler was delicious. My chicken tangine was amazing!
Amazing food could only be made better by great service, and this place has that as well. Personable, knowledgeable servers both times, as well as the obvious presence of the owner at all times, making sure everything was top-notch.
I am so glad we discovered this place!
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I was so impressed by the variety of flavors found in each part of the meal at Kous Kous. My boyfriend and I each got a different tasting menu and were able to sample 10 different dishes! They were all amazing, though the carrots and olives were my favorite, followed closely by the lamb. I am not normally a lamb fan because I always find it to be a bit bland, but this lamb was slow cooked for 10 hours with dates and almonds and this amazing honey flavor. Mmmm! Delicious!!
A great date place. The service was wonderful, the owner stopped by and chatted for a bit.
An amazing meal and a great atmosphere, though I wish that there had been more sitting on the floor...
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I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Went here right after it opened. The service was amazing. The food was fantastic! The owner even greeted us and gave a round of drinks b/c my friends were getting married that week.
The chicken is great! I want to go back sooooooooo bad! Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy.
I'm pretty much convinced that if there is a heaven, and they've got food... it's all Moroccan. B'stilla... Lamb Tagine... sweet jesus, this food is amazing.
Moroccan food is just plain good.
Kous Kous is just plain awesome.
And the service is fantastic.
Oh, and while it's not exactly authentic, the orange creme brulee had my friends and I talking for days about a repeat visit.
We've eaten here several times and have never been disappointed. Have taken friends there and they too enjoyed it. Great food and wine - wonderful host/owner; good informed wait-staff. My only compliant might be the length of time for service...tends to be a bit slow but in the end that's ok cause the food is well worth any wait.
After hearing many raves about Kous Kous, I decided to try it out. Neither of us had been to this restaurant before, so we were trusting people blindly and hoping that we would not be led astray. The restaurant has such a nice feel to it. The staff could not be any nicer or more informed about the menu. Upon the waiter's suggestion, we tried the B'stila for an appetizer. This dish was amazing. So many tastes going on inside of this little creation! Big enough for two to share! For our entrees, we had the seafood special of the day, which was a fillet of halibut in a sharmoula sauce. Our other entree was the chicken brochettes. Both entrees were wonderful. 5 stars for both! Very unique tastes to all three dishes....unlike anything we have ever had before. Wonderful dining experience from start to finish!
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When I was down in the San Diego area I wanted to go on a bit of a tasty tour and adventure. My tour of the San Diego food scene concluded with Kous Kous as one in the finale. Kous Kous is located in the nice part of town which reminded me of the Bay Area (chill and friendly). The eats is located downstairs, and as you walk in you are greeted with the savory aromas of food and spices in the air, as well as a classy but homey environment.
The place is a great setup for romance, the lower but just enough illumination in the room allows the eyes to dilate allowing the body to adjust and relax. The decor, environment, and bathrooms were clean and classy but not too snobby. I judge many places by their bathrooms and cleanliness...and this place kicked lamb shank (super clean, no stink). I could tell the owners put in serious heart and soul into their pad, it felt warm and welcoming.
Moumen (owner) greeted our party of three and walked us through the food choices, I felt that I was educated well on the choices that I made with help from him. We ordered a lot...i mean a lot! So much that we had to take a break from eating between the apps and after part of the main course.
The apps and soups were off the hook! There was such a subtle yet sensual flavor in all the foods. Trust me...smell the food and chew slowly. The trick to the Harira soup is take a small bite from the date (no not your human date!...hmmm...no comment) smell the soup and then take a spoon full, awesome! (reminds me of moms home cooking..and im not Moroccan! The food just captures the essence of home so well!) We enjoyed all the dips/spreads with the pita. The Bastilla was off the hook! (it felt like we had dessert before the main...but there was chicken in it...such is this Moroccan delicacy). The Merguez (sausage) was good but not my favorite.
Ohh the Tajine and Brochette mains were soooo fulfilling, meat juicy, the lamb/chicken/beef was roasted so well that a little jiggle and the meat just fell off!(lamb). My brother hates raisins...but loved the raisins in the cous cous (thats a miracle). Sangria was not as fruity...but it was real...had some punch (but im more into the fruity sangrias...but was not disappointed).
Finishing off dinner was a light fruit dish that composed of strawberries, oranges, orange blossom water, mint leaf, simple syrup, liquor, and topped off with cinnamon and conf sugar. What a sensual blend that is light and flavorful! Eat the strawberry and orange together after you take a quick waft of the mint leaf.
I would have to say that this spot is up on my list because of the service, decor, food, and mood setting. So its a combo of things and Moumen really made me feel like a welcomed guest in his house and that is worth a whole lot! I would rate this at a 4-4.5 but the great hospitality really does wonders.
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While this isn't my favorite moroccan food place, it was pretty good.
We came here for father's day to try it out and decided on their set menus.
Their carrots were wonderful (though we were hoping for that wonderful moroccan bread whose name I can't remember, instead we got pita). The soup was undercooked and watery, though the flavor was good. I was disappointed with their Bastilla (which is my absolute favorite moroccan dish). However, the brochettes were melt in your mouth delicious. The filet mignon was prepared very well. We could barely make it to the lamb tagine which was also great (though I'd recommend asking for a bit more sauce or the flavor gets a bit bland). The cous cous wasn't bad either. The strawberries were the perfect dessert (flavored with rosewater). I wouldn't have been able to handle anything other than fruit.
To drink I ordered their sangria which I found a bit too perfumy (sp?). I wouldn't recommend that. But their mint tea (which they can actually make cold, though I recomment you order it hot) is fantastic.
Overall it was a good experience. The restaurant was quiet and the staff was very friendly. I'd come back and would recommend for people to try it. Warning though, it can be a bit pricey.
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Consistently fantastic. This is my favorite morrocan restaurant due to the friendly owner and wonderful food. I'm surprised how many of my restaurant-loving friends didn't know about it until I mentioned it. My girlfriend gets all the credit for finding this wonderful place.
The owner is a wonderful guy, and very attentive to his food. Get the appetizer sampler and you will not be disappointed. I love the tajines of any sort, vegetarian or meat-lovers. The desserts feature winners with the orange-water creme brulee and the rose-water fresh fruit. His space is very nice looking, and I understand he decorated with most items brought back from Morocco. This place can be great for a romantic dinner for two or a group gathering of any sort. If you ask nicely, the owner might even hook your group up with something special just for you!
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Our waiter, Jason, was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu. He was super enthusiastic about the food which I found just slightly creepy, but the service was great and you will get all your questions answered. I think the owner was there acting as a host and occasionally refilling water. He came by and we chatted about this other Moroccan restaurant we had been to. He was pretty cool and seemed to be having relatively non-cliched conversations with many of the patrons, though he seemed sensitive to the tables that wanted their privacy.
They had a bunch of tapa-like dishes at $4 each. You could probably make a light meal out of their tapas without shelling out the big bucks for entrees. We had the eggplant salad which came out with pita slices. Both the salad and the pitas were very good. We also got a complimentary dish of black olives and carrots in a tasty sauce. I don't usually like black olives, but these were exceptional. My friend, a long time olive hater, tried them, and with a horrible contorted and grimaced face proclaimed (sincerely) that they were the best olives she had ever eaten.
After getting over the fact that I was about shell out some real cash for food I opted for the lamb shank ( $22 ) which the waiter had informed me was slow cooked in a honey glaze for over 4 hours. The lamb was definitely very tasty, but it didn't blow me as I was expecting after the waiter's mesmerizing description. The honey sauce reminded me of a chocolaty mole (the mexican dish not he animal). Next time, I might opt for the 10 hour cooked lamb entree.
My friend, a vegetarian, had a stuffed pepper of some kind which she said was quite good. We both opted for couscous as a side. It came topped with some kind of beans and a fantastic cinnamony sauce.
Too bad they didn't have that really strong gritty middle eastern coffee, it would have made the perfect dessert.
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In setup, execution, and finally reflection--an all-around fantasmic experience!!
It may have been the illicit delight of a last-minute food splurge, occasionally undertaken at the end of a long week.
It may have been the free (validated) parking.
It may have been the prompt wait staff: amiable and knowledgeable without being pushy.
Or the owner, with his infectious enthusiasm for his restaurant, and justified pride for its culinary creations.
Or perhaps the place itself--a romantic, exotic genie-bottle bubble hovering just below the surface of the heart of Hillcrest.
But of all the gin joints in all the world... I'm decidedly glad I ended up here for my first taste of Moroccan cuisine.
Not-so-pros (but not quite cons):
- Price = place to have a Nice night out. But it will be a worthwhile night.
- Seating: I don't recollect how many tables were oriented like mine, but I was angled straight towards the silent movie. Luckily it was some old B&W of Audrey Hepburn getting in and out of bed every five minutes, and none too distracting. Had it been Casablanca, my date may have struggled to hold my attention (through no fault of his own--I just tend to get mesmerized easily :-p).
- Size: If this place gets any busier, it may be difficult to get seating, though I believe they do accept reservations.
Pros:
- The food. Oh my gustatory goodness, the food. Since I mentioned most of the other pros above, we'll stick to that.
- Fresh herbs and spices, not garlic and salt. I can't remember the last time I had fresh cilantro in a dish and it wasn't a) overpowering, or b) completely disguised. The cuisine is not naturally spicy-hot, but more sultry--I especially enjoyed how the seasonings were artfully combined so no item had too much of one flavor.
- Meats slowed cooked for 4+ hours. Fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth, insert-tantalizing-metaphor-here amazingness.
- These people put a lot of work and love into their food...And it shows.
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Since I don't travel to San Diego often, I had an immense urge to try something out of the ordinary. I opted to try Morrocan food, and after thoroughly researching on Yelp.com, I decided to try Kous Kous. I am so thankful that I decided to!
The food is delicious, in every sense of the word. I am not talented in describing my culinary adventures, but I do recommend this place for anyone who enjoys trying out different cuisines. Kous Kous does not disappoint. We experienced wonderful service, including a waiter that was willing to converse with us, and explain, in detail, about the food and our options. The owner was extremely personable, and made us feel right at home. I'm definitely going to be a regular at Kous Kous whenever I go to San Diego. In fact, I think I'll go to San Diego JUST to go to Kous Kous.
Everyone says that it's hard to find this place because it's underground. If you go at night you can't miss the big red neon lights that say KOUS KOUS and parking is literally right next door. Get a parking ticket when you enter the restaurant. Our waiter even ran next door to validate the parking spot for us.
I was impressed the moment we stepped into the restaurant. Everything from the sweet aromas dancing though the room to the well-chosen decorations blew me away. I was in another world and I loved it.
Don't be fooled by the carrots and olives they serve in the beginning. It was pretty bad, but then again, I'm not a fan of those items. Portions are small which gives you room to try appetizers AND desserts. I went with 5 other people and here's what we had:
appetizers:
we had the full sampler which comes with 4 items that you eat with warm pita bread (the best I've ever had in my life! we asked for extras!)
my favorite was the Khizzou (caramelized carrots with roasted garlic and ginger) which was deliciously sweet in a natural way. I hate carrots but i LOVED this dish... it reminded me of sweet yam.
if it's your first time at KOUS KOUS i recommend trying the full sampler. all four taste different.
main dishes:
served with cous cous or mashed potatoes. both are amazing. one of my friends ordered the cous cous but decided she liked the mash potatoes more so the waiter gave her both at no extra cost! if you've never had cous cous, it's like broken rice. the texture makes it fun to play with in your mouth. the mashed potatoes were smooth and flavored with something delicious... thyme and ginger. i hate ginger but i LOVED the mash potatoes here.
chicken brochette: my biggest fear is dry meat. this chicken was tender and moist! the marinade is ginger, garlic, and fresh herb... it was so tasty and yet you don't feel overwhelmed by it.
chicken tagine: everyone loved this dish. the sauce (garlic, ginger, saffron) was just perfect. i heated up leftovers and it was still good the next day!
lamb shank tagine: don't get this if you're not a fan of lamb. if you are a fan, then it's amazing. the meat falls right off the bones and it's so tasty!
marrakesh lamb tanjia: has less of that pungent lamb flavor. great if you like lamb.
shrimp brochettes: big pieces of shrimp with a tomato "sharmoula" sauce. the sauce was too salty for my taste. but you can scrap it off the shrimp and it's still good.
for dessert we had the fruit (orange and strawberries) soaked in rose water and some syrup. it was so light and refreshing! such a simple dessert is hard to find these days. i can't wait to go back for more!
note: if you're on a date, don't have your date sit facing the back of the restaurant where the silent movie is playing. it's distracting!
overall, great experience. definitely want to go back because i found some new favorite dishes! it's great for dates and big groups. now go and impress your friends!
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Came here with the BF , before we went to see Casablanca at Cinema Under the Stars. We had to get a taste of moroccan food before we go.
It was very quiet and dim, my first thought was hmmm I am going to enjoy good food, wine, and a relaxing evening after a long day at work, we were the first evening customers to come in, the waitress came by and talked about the menu, and gave us suggestions on what we should try. I liked that then I wouldn't have to spend forever staring at the menu deciding.
But unfortunately my mood was broken when, a handful of other guests walked in very loud, I mean obnoxious loud, I pictured myself ducking taping one of the guys to a chair and stuffing pita bread down his throat, and they looked like guests of the owner because they were being catered to and the waitress took forever! To come back to us and take our order.
I was disappointed, I don't like being rushed eating, if I have to catch a movie or other plans. You can pretty much see it in my face. No wonder why after we got our food they kept coming over to the table.
So, the best thing I liked is the eggplant spread thats all.
We ordered the beef tagine I tastes like beef stew
And some other thing a chicken pie sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon sounds crazy, but goes well together in a wierd way.
Over the food was something different, and tasty. If only the other guests had some common courtesy for other people eating that would have been an enjoyable dinner.
Very nice setting, had a great feel, the host/owner(?) was very nice and we were well taken care of. The food was delicious (it was a large party and we were able to taste a little of everything). I'm also a big fan of moroccan food in general, but all the others were newbies and I saw nothing but clean plates in the end!
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Kous Kous has potential and I'd like to see them attract enough business to survive and improve. Their location really works against them-- they're on a basement level down a flight of stairs and very easy to miss. It's too bad because the decor is actually very warm and inviting, with a lot of cushions, rugs, and Moroccan craftwork on display in a generously sized space.
Service was impeccably friendly on both of our visits, more so than one would expect for a restaurant at this moderate price point. The staff clearly care about their customers' satisfaction with the experience. That said they made a pretty big hiccup last time, getting my main dish order entirely wrong. (They did comp it unasked even though I kept and ate nearly the whole thing, which I appreciated).
Nothing I've tried here has been bad, but some things are better than others. The Marakesh lamb and fish tagine on special were delicious-- tender, flavorful, and gently spiced. However, the beef tagine was bland and dry, with too much meat in proportion to the vegetables.
They offer either couscous or herbed mashed potatoes to accompany the dishes, a nice touch for the wheat-intolerant.
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One of the better meals I have had in San Diego! First off the service was wonderful, even though it was a little slow. There are only 2 people running the restaurant, so its not a place to go if you are in a hurry. That being said, it was very quaint and relaxing, and we didnt mind the wait seeing as how we brought 2 bottles
