Early Bird Special: Aicha

Jen Siska

Aicha's kefta tagine (right).

Little Aicha (1303 Polk at Bush) showed up in Polk Gulch last June, in the space where De Afghanan Kabob House once ruled. SF Weekly restaurant critic showed up, too, working her way through a series of Moroccan dishes at the modest mom 'n' pop that busts out small (an medium-size) dishes, with prices to match. Vegetables shiny with olive oil. Cinnamon-y chicken baked in the phyllo-like pastry called warka. Tagines. Brody found the kitchen uneven, but capable of pulling out a brilliant - even unusual -- dish or two. Find out which ones later today at SFWeekly.com. Meantime, let the spices waft over you via the following excerpt (after the jump).

You'll overlook the decor when the food arrives , though you might still be sad to find there's no alcohol served -- Aisha is halal, which, among other things, prohibits pork and alcohol. Almost everything on the menu costs less than $10 except for a couscous royale with chicken, lamb, and merguez, which is ample enough for two at $13. Moroccan food combines elements of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cooking, with heady hints of turmeric, ginger, and coriander. At Aicha, despite the low prices, you'll find such sophisticated touches as freshly toasted almonds and sesame seeds. Among the more familiar tagines and kebabs, we found a few surprises, including particularly deep-flavored vegetarian dishes and a meatball-and-egg dish we'd never seen before.