Inside Leila, a Moroccan Tasting Menu Restaurant in Honolulu From a Pair of Celebrated Chefs
A famed San Francisco chef is bringing his culinary skills to Hawaii’s capital.
The James Beard Award nominee Mourad Lahlou has teamed up with the chef Chris Kajioka on Leila, a new Honolulu restaurant that spotlights Moroccan cuisine. (The name is a play on the Arabic word layla, or “night,” and the Hawaiian lei, a symbol of love, celebration, and friendship.) The spot just officially opened its doors after first soft-launching to the community.
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“We wanted to bring something fresh and soulful to Honolulu, inspired by the rich culinary heritage of Morocco while infusing Mediterranean vibrancy,” Lahlou said in a statement. “Together we created Leila—a celebration of spices, flavors, and techniques that transport diners to another world.”
The restaurant follows a family-style, tasting-menu format, priced at $85 per person, with an optional $40 wine pairing. Dinner begins with the Seven Salads, a play on traditional mezze starters. The opening version includes lebni with trout roe and dill, hearts of palm with harissa and mint, and olives with pickled almonds and citrus, among other small bites. For entrees, the table has the choice of lamb neck with kale shakshuka, branzino, Snake River Farms Wagyu with maitake mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower with harissa yogurt. Dessert is a date cake with burnt caramel and ice cream.
If opting for the wine pairing, the sommelier James Renshaw has crafted a selection that includes labels from France, Spain, Morocco, South Africa, and Portugal. There’s also cocktails from the mixologist Jason Diaz: The Sultan’s Touch combines vodka, za’atar dry vermouth, and Castelvetrano brine, while the Leila Negroni mixes gin with coconut pandan Campari and vermouth. The nonalcoholic Silk Road features lapsang souchong, pomegranate, and rooibos.
While Lahlou and Kajioka’s menu uses taste to transport you to Morocco, the design team is hoping to do the same visually. The interiors take inspiration from Chefchaouen, the Blue City of Morocco, with “YSL blue” used on everything from the walls to the velvet seating. Star of Morocco motifs are found throughout, alongside gold and copper textiles, wood and plaster artwork, and textured fabrics.
Outside, the vibe may clearly be Hawaiian tropical. But inside Leila, you’ll feel like you’re in the medieval city of Marrakesh.
Click here to see all the images of Leila.
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