Among El Wajh’s mouth-watering menu of North African delights, Chef Mohammad’s tajine d’agneau aux pruneaux et amandes (¥140) stands out. This succulent lamb stew infused with prunes, spices and almond slices is the kind of dish you can rely on to impress discriminating dinner companions. Cooked and served in a tajine, a traditional Moroccan ceramic cooker, the lamb melts in your mouth, slowly unleashing its flavors of dried fruits, cumin and cinnamon. El Wajh’s appetizers and couscous (¥107-136) leave similarly profound impressions. Don’t miss the spicy seafood briwates (¥66). The hummus (¥49), with loads of lemon and garlic, is a bit runny, but it’s packed with flavor and easily soaks into pita bread. The restaurant shares a dark, elegant dining room with Face’s Indian restaurant, Hazara. The dark antique wood and candlelight provide perfect ambiance for after-dinner chit-chat over a pot of sweet Moroccan mint tea (¥38).

Blake Stone-Banks

Find it: 26 Dong Cao Yuan, Gongti Nanlu, 工体南路东草园26号, Tel: 6551-6788