Mourad Lahlou

Leila - Honolulu, HI

Considered by many as the pioneer of modern Moroccan cuisine, Mourad Lahlou has been recognized as one of the most dynamic and creative chefs in the country. He opened Aziza in San Francisco’s Richmond district, with the goal of creating a more modern and sophisticated Moroccan-inspired dining experience. In 2010, Aziza became the first Moroccan restaurant to receive a Michelin star. Lahlou has been a finalist for Best Chef West Coast and Best Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.

In January 2015, Lahlou unveiled Mourad, a restaurant that showcased a further evolution of his modern Moroccan cuisine. Shortly after winning Food Network’s Iron Chef America in 2009, he released his debut cookbook Mourad: New Moroccan, which Bon Appétit deemed one of 2011’s best cookbooks. Lahlou’s most recent concepts include, Moro, a fast-causal restaurant in Napa and Miro, Leila and Parkway 430 in Honolulu.

Mourad Lahlou is an advocate of many national food initiatives and policies. In 2012 he was tapped to become a Culinary Ambassador by the White House and the Department of State to be a member of the American Chef Corps whose goal was to have Chefs “become vehicles of diplomacy.”