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Site Seen: Marrakesh

For those short on pre-date cash, Marrakesh offers a two-for-one special on delicious traditional Moroccan food, as well as a mealtime belly-dancing show. Marrakesh, named after a city in southern Morocco, is located in downtown La Jolla, but once inside it feels as if you have been transported across the Atlantic. The windows and pointed arches are reminiscent of Muslim countries. And with low lighting and ceilings draped in cloth, the room feels like a tent in the Sahara desert.

Jaclyn Snow/Guardian

Before any food arrives, a server pours water over your hands in traditional preparation for the meal. The food served at Marrakesh rivals the quality and authenticity of actual Moroccan cuisine, with mixed-flavor dishes that infuse sweetness into vegetables and meat, creating food that our single flavor-oriented American palates can be surprised by, hopefully pleasantly so. The appetizer is a Moroccan salad that slaps cooked vegetables onto bread. Bastilla is a dish of either meat or vegetables – Moroccan food is vegetarian friendly – wrapped in bread and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar to create a crisp, sweet crust. Couscous, the Moroccan national dish, has a distinctly sweet flavor brought on by the boiled grapes that are sprinkled on top.

The cheapest meal, the vegetarian option, still costs upward of $20, but the price also includes the belly-dancing show. The dancer enters the dining room to the tune of Arabic music, completing the transformation of the restaurant into a performer’s stage. Wearing an outfit that does indeed show her belly, she plays finger cymbals to the music while diners eat fruit desserts. The MTS 30 bus conveniently drops off passengers right in front of Marrakesh, letting those without cars take part in the experience. The Moroccan-run restaurant offers a cultural experience along with fantastic food that P.F. Chang’s can only hope to rival.

634 Pearl St.

Jaclyn Snow/Guardian

San Diego, CA 92037

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