Baraka Moroccan Cuisine

We wandered into Baraka on a Saturday night around 8, and to our surprise, there was no one else in the restaurant. But no worry there, as the food and service were excellent!\r \r Though they were out of a few items we had wanted (the pastilla appetizer and the Casa Moroccan beer), the Chicken Tagine appetizer was a wonderful substitute--delicately seasoned chicken carmelized with apricots and raisins. We shared two entrees--a kafta dish and couscous with vegetables and chicken. Unfortunately, these didn't leave any room for dessert, but we're keeping it in mind for our next visit, which will definitely be soon.\r \r The sumptuous decor and low-lying tables with cushiony chairs are ideal for a romantic dinner, but it could just as easily accommodate a large group. Parking is a bit sparse, and the location probably doesn't get a lot of foot traffic, but that didn't detract from the dining experience at all! more

We had a great time there! A group of our 17 friends all converged on Bakara last Tuesday night and were delighted with the food! Excellent from start to finish! The service was excellent, the meal unhurried and relaxed and everything was freshing created just for us! The salmon was delicious as well as the chicken.... the pita to die for! The chef was surberb in all he prepared! And our entertainment was a wonderful bellydancer that truly charmed us! Thanks for a wonderful time. Pros: Great atmosphere, wonderful food, relaxed and unhurried Cons: Short on parking, but well worth it! more

Wonderful warm atmosphere, friendly service, excellent entertainment (bellydancers), and lets not forget the food was delicious and a great value! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to try something new and different. I really liked the apricot chicken and the hummus and pita bread was really good too. Pros: atmosphere, food, friendly service Cons: food took a while but worth the wait more

We had a little bit of trouble finding Baraka, as the signage outside was difficult to see coming from the east, but once located at the northeast corner of 32nd and SE Division, street parking was pretty easy to find, and this was on a Friday evening. As long as drivers are polite to the neighbors whose houses they are parking in front of, the free parking should continue for a while, which a nice change from downtown Portland. The place itself is pretty small, but wonderfully decorated inside, with the traditional cushions and couches one expects in a Moroccan restaurant, and the menu selections are comparable to the other Moroccan venues both downtown and in Vancouver. We ordered the 'Taste of Baraka', which included the lentil soup, humus with pita, entree and dessert, with mint tea and wine as extras. The portions are more than sufficient, as we found out after having overindulged on the amazing humus and hot, delicious bread. Hard to stop, so we didn't. Gorgeous belly dancers wound their ways around the tables, adding to the experience, and each dish was flavorful and filling. We ended up having to take our Moroccan flan (a very tasty, if odd looking sort of trifle concoction based on spiced carrot puree, layered with custard, coconut and cookies of some kind) home with us. This is not a place to go for fast food, but a great place to take a date to, a friend or if you are a belly dance teacher, to take your students to. A very friendly, casual atmosphere. You won't be treated like a queen with the usual hand washing, high tea pouring dramatics of Marrakesh, but you will be very well fed, and made to feel as welcome as one of the family. Only one suggestion, and that would be for Baraka to use rounded soup bowls, but if that's the only suggestion, that's pretty darned good. So is Baraka, and we will definitely be going back again. Pros: friendly service, good food, casual atmosphere Cons: takes a while, so it's difficult to bring wiggly kids to and not for the hurried people more