The exterior of Café Laurent hints towards the whole experience. This French café that has what feels like a Moroccan edge has a relaxed, Mediterranean vibe, a stand-alone building that is both impressing and unimposing. The staff are welcoming when you enter, and they bring water and bread with olive tapenade almost immediately. The bread is fresh and bouncy, and the tapenade is rich and vibrant.
We chose Tuesday’s lunch special, the Couscous Royale. The dish, when it arrives, doesn’t look particularly impressive, but that’s sort of the point. It feels like traditional Mediterranean fare cooked in a homely kitchen with whatever the chef has to hand. There’s something very refreshing about that.
The couscous has a cinnamon flavor (there’s that Moroccan thing again) that brings it to life and, combined with the seasonal veg, feels very comforting. The veg on this particular day is celery, zucchini, carrots, peas and chickpeas. The fact that we get whole and diced carrots side-by-side suggests that some of the vegetables are tinned, but that’s forgivable given the aforementioned “what’s available” vibe.
Sat between the veg and the couscous is the meat, and that’s really where the fun begins. There’s a small piece of chicken breast that, honestly, tastes like chicken breast. It’s cooked nicely – it’s not too dry – but there’s nothing special about it.
However, the merguez lamb sausage is fantastic. Bright red in color, the meat is spiced with cumin and coriander (we think), among other things. There’s a slight kick but not enough to put off people with who don’t like their food too spicy. It’s a small, tasty gem of a sausage, and almost worth the price of the whole dish alone.
The meatball, which also tastes like lamb, is a little bland after the sausage – there should be instructions telling you to eat the meatball first. But the meat is tender and juicy, and it works nicely with couscous also on the fork.
The dish also comes with a little jug of harissa, a chili sauce. We dipped in there a little, but that is for people that really do like their food on the spicy side. We were relieved that it was thoughtfully served on the side.
Overall, the food looks basic but generally tastes better than that. It does feel like you’re in a home in France, being served by friends. And that makes a visit worth it.
Café Laurent is located at 4243 Overland Ave., Culver City; 310-558-8622. Open every day, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit cafelaurent.com for more information.