Imane Moroccan Restaurant (Duluth)
I really wanted to like this place. The inside is just so charming with wall-to-wall Persian rugs, a hookah lounge, and authentic decor complete with what looks like hand-tooled Moroccan dining tables and chairs. Even the dinnerware is authentic. And they have live entertainment on weekend nights. I love how they make you feel like family on your first visit. Everyone is so attentive and hospitable — from the owners to the servers.
The best part of dining here is the tea service. You must, must get the Moroccan mint tea. Tea is poured from a beautiful Moroccan silver teapot served on an equally beautiful tray. A medium serving that equals to about 12 ounces will set you back $5 but it is worth every penny. The tea is steaming hot, minty, and sweetened with honey.
Harira soup: hearty, spicy, but under-salted
Chicken Tagine: flavorless meat but the saffron-based sauce became alive with a great bit of harissa
Beef Brouchette: skewered pieces of bland beef but the couscous and shlada are both decent
lunch buffet
Unfortunately, the food is not all that good. While the ingredients used are all top-notch and portion sizes are big, everything tastes bland. It is really baffling considering Moroccan food is known for bold flavors due to the limitless assortment of spices used in the cuisine. Everything here tastes flat — the soup, the sauces, the tagines, the meat skewers. And no amount of salt or harissa can seem to help improve the flavors. I came back a third time and still the same. They started a lunch buffet this week so I was able to taste a lot more dishes today. Still the same — bland. Sad.
Insider tip:
Weekday lunch buffet.
Sunday breakfast buffet.
Live entertainment including belly dancers on weekend nights.
The scoop:
Imane Moroccan Restaurant
3455 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(404) 429-4882
Hours:
Mon - Thurs:
11:30 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri - Sat:
11:30 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 3:00 am
Sun:
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Technorati Tags: Morrocan, lunch, buffet, hookah, Duluth, GA
