Hayat Tazi, a longtime server at Carnival Restaurant in Sherman Oaks, draws on family recipes from her Marrakesh youth, bringing a rare Moroccan restaurant called Couscous Bowl to Valley Village.

Couscous Bowl started serving “authentic handmade Moroccan food” to start January in a strip mall just north of the Metro Orange line. The interior includes salmon- and peach-colored walls lined with art, wood and glass tables, and an overhead menu.

Couscous Bowls ($8.95 to $11.95) feature fluffy, well-spiced semolina beads piled with seven different veggies, including carrots, chickpeas, braised white cabbage, squash, zucchini, turnips and onions. “Couscous veggie” is as described. “Couscous meat” adds tender beef chunks.

Supplement with house-made merguez, cigar-sized beef and lamb sausages featuring “Moroccan seven spices” that consist of  black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, turmeric and ginger. Kafta are ground beef kebabs seasoned with parsley, cilantro, cumin and paprika.

Harira soup features a spicy tomato base, noodles, lentils and chickpeas. Couscous Bowl also serves a more basic lentil soup. Salads include a green house salad, couscous salad, Nicoise salad and Moroccan salad with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and house-made vinaigrette. Sandwiches come on baguettes with house-made harissa, tomatoes, green olives, bell pepper, grilled onions and key proteins like merguez, kafta, chicken breast or Moroccan-style tuna salad.

You won’t find any alcoholic beverages, but you will find Moroccan iced green tea with fresh mint, tangy yogurt drink, and both American and Arabic coffee preparations.

5424 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, 818-308-6961