Moroccan food comes with a French twist at the recently opened L’Aqua.
The interior of L’Aqua lacks the vibes of your typical French café. Instead, minimalist furniture and modern light fixtures give it an edgy feel, perhaps in accord with the rebellious fusion menu here. It’s not quite French food, but it can’t be called authentic Moroccan, either. L’Aqua’s food instead treads the hazy area between the two, with options like Moroccan shakshuka, French florentines and a lot in between.
Breakfast at L’Aqua spans the globe. Choose from a wide selection of Benedicts, omelets (Florentine or Spanish), steak and eggs, Belgium-style waffles or Mexican-style tacos. For a more Moroccan breakfast experience, ask for the shakshuka ($13), which means "mixture" and features a tomato-onion gravy topped with three eggs and a dollop of feta cheese. Get the dish loaded with meatballs for another $2.
The L’Aqua frittata ($13) is a classic French dish here. An egg-white base comes loaded with spinach, tomatoes and scallions and is topped with feta cheese and chives. The crepe Florentine ($13) is another popular option, with a creamy mushroom-mozzarella mixture stuffed into a thin crepe.
In case you can’t stop by for breakfast or early lunch, don’t fret. L’Aqua’s unique fusion concept carries over to the second half of the day. Get a plate of crispy harissa cauliflower ($9) for the table. The appetizer comes with florets of crispy batter-fried cauliflower served with a garlic yogurt dip.
Some interesting options from the sandwich menu include a traditional Moroccan merguez sandwich ($14) with sausage and a harissa sauce, and a lamb sandwich with garlic labneh sauce ($14).
There are also some American classics here like a fried chicken sandwich and a club with toasted white bread, avocado and American cheese with a harissa mayo.
Dinner specialties include steak, lamb chops and pescatarian dishes. The vegetarian Moroccan-spiced cauliflower steak ($17) is served with pesto and a creamy farro risotto. The steak was crispy and the sauces bright and flavorful.
L'Aqua also offers a catch of the day that's grilled, fried or stuffed then slathered in one of the house sauces: creamy white, tahini or Moroccan sharmoula.
If you’re feeling particularly full after your meal here, we don’t blame you. The food here is heavy — just like the Moroccans do it. Wash your meal down with a traditional Moroccan mint tea, which comes with a subtle sweetness and refreshing mint tones to cleanse the palette and calm the stomach.
Note that L'Aqua is closed on Mondays and open only for breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
L'Aqua, 8315 Preston Road, Plano. Tuesday – Wednesday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Thursday and Sunday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Closed Monday.