YPSILANTI TWP., MI — Mohammad Mohammad’s restaurant Casablanca is one of only a few Moroccan restaurant in Michigan. Mohammad takes pride in that.
“There is Tunisian (cuisine), there is Algerian (cuisine), there is other North African (cuisine), but not Moroccan-style (cuisine),” Mohammad said.
The restaurant located at 2333 Washtenaw Avenue in Ypsilanti Township aims to showcase the distinct Moroccan flavor. The cuisine is teeming with spices due to Morocco’s location at the crossroads of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Casablanca’s dishes have notes of European origin, hints of African and Middle Eastern cuisine and even South American flavors. It all creates a distinct Moroccan taste.
But Mohammad isn’t even Moroccan. Abdul Mani, a Moroccan, founded the restaurant in 2015, while Mohammad’s son, Hamza, worked as a waiter. When Mani wanted to sell the restaurant in 2017, Hamza told his dad it was an opportunity to take over Casablanca.
Mohammad agreed, and now his family runs the restaurant. His wife, Sana, cooks the food, while his other son, Omar, works as a waiter.
“We’ve been here for eight years, and this is a house,” Mohammad said. “I haven’t gone to culinary school. I haven’t done anything. It’s a hobby I like doing. I like doing this.”
Casablanca caters to the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College, Mohammad said. He also caters weddings and other events and offers delivery and carryout.
It has drawn regular, returning customers Mohammad prefers to call “friends.”
Many share high praise for what Casablanca has to offer.
“I have regulars that went to Morocco, and they say my food is compatible with Moroccan food in Morocco, if not quite there,” Mohammad said.
The offerings that have won approval include bistilla, an appetizer featuring baked phyllo dough with a layer of savory chicken, a layer of orange-blossom-flavored almond and one layer of eggs. The dish is garnished with powdered sugar and cinnamon, creating a distinct savory-sweet bite.
Casablanca also showcases Moroccan staples, like couscous and a rich slow-cooked lamb tagine on top of seasonal vegetables with a hearty helping over spices. Traditional Moroccan bread serves as a tool to dip and absorb the sauces that come with each dish.
One of the major spices found in Moroccan cooking is chermoula, a blend of tomato paste, vegetable paste, garlic, cumin and coriander, Mohammad said. But Moroccans also frequently use cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and many more, Mohammad said.
The spices populate the plates because many dishes are traditionally cooked in tagines, a ceramic pot. Meats, fish and vegetables are slow-cooked in the pot to create a rich flavor.
Casablanca does not cook food in tagines because health regulations advise against it, but the restaurant still offers rich dishes bearing the name, with fish, vegetable, chicken and lamb tagine.
The restaurant is also leaning into a familiar Middle Eastern dish by adding chicken shawarma to the menu. Further, it prepares falafel, lentil soup and shish tawook, a grilled chicken kabob.
But Casablanca doesn’t want to move too far away from Moroccan cuisine. After all, its offerings are hard to come by.
“It is a Moroccan restaurant and it will stay a Moroccan restaurant,” Mohammad said.
The only downside, Mohammad said, is the look of the building. The restaurant is housed in what was a Taco Bell 35 years ago, Mohammad said. Before Casablanca opened, two other Mediterranean restaurants operated there but only lasted a year, Mohammad said.
The secret to Casablanca sustaining is the quality food it serves, Mohammad said.
Casablanca is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Customers can call the restaurant at 734-961-7828 to request catering and carryout. Customers can also visit the website to view the menu and order carryout.
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