African Cuisines
Brush Off The Ban, By Embracing NYC’s Middle Eastern (and African) Restaurants
It’s often said that food is love, which goes to show why New Yorkers have reliably come out in force against the so-called Muslim ban. Because when you’re constantly surrounded by the hospitable, culinary culture of international neighbors, it arouses solidarity, which is why it’s so important to show our support to the families that have fed us over the years — from Yemen Café in Brooklyn to Persepolis on the Upper East Side & more…
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Q & A with The Cecil’s JJ Johnson
Marcus Samuelsson may be considered the culinary king of Harlem, but The Cecil’s JJ Johnson isn’t that far behind. In addition to being included on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and receiving a James Beard Foundation nomination for “Rising Star,” the chef has made it his mission to educate the public about African food, by way of his critically acclaimed restaurant on W. 118th Street…
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Awesome Ethiopian Cooking At Bunna Cafe
Bunna Café is just about as “Brooklyn” as it gets nowadays. The restaurant started life a pop-up, in a series of grungy-chic East Williamsburg bars. They eventually added a Smorgasburg stand into the mix to increase visibility, and started a campaign on indigogo to help fund their new (now two-month-old) brick-and-mortar, Bushwick location. And oh yeah, they specialize in vegan Ethiopian food…
Read MoreBraai
It’s not dinner at the zoo. It’s dinner in Hell’s Kitchen. 329 W. 51st St., between Eighth and Ninth Aves., (212) 315-3315 Sun.-Wed., 5 p.m.-1a.m.; Thu.-Sat., 5 p.m.-3 a.m. Cuisine: African barbecue Vibe: Funky Hell’s Kitchen spot. Occasion: Casual date, group dinner. Don’t Miss Dish: Venison sosoties & chicken bobotie. Average Price: Appetizers, $12; entrees, $23; dessert, $8. Reservations: Recommended Do you ever read the menu online before you go to a restaurant? It’s a bad idea, at least at Braai. I skipped lunch and all of my mid-afternoon snacks because I planned to take down a barbecued ostrich that evening. And what did I get? I got one dainty skewer of overcooked ostrich, domestically raised. I didn’t want domestically raised. I had my heart set on ostrich right off the veldt. And where’s the antelope? I came for...
Read MoreKorhogo 126
A modest Brooklyn restaurant unleashes exotic African spices. 126 Union St., near Columbia St. Phone: (718) 855-4405 Dinner: Weds., Thurs., Sun., 5-10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 5.-11 p.m. Some restaurants lack soul. Not Korhogo 126. You can taste the soul of its owners on nearly every plate. This French West African eatery marries the culinary heritages of Parisian-born Emmanuelle Chiche and chef Abdhul Traore, who made his New York City debut at Les Enfants Terribles on the lower East Side. Traore hails from Korhogo, a small town in the Ivory Coast that’s become this prideful new restaurant’s namesake. The chef injects a rush of seasonings and flavors from his homeland into French bistro staples. This translates to a menu where African classics, like grilled prawns in a pili pili (chili pepper) sauce appear alongside steak frites. But here the...
Read MoreMerkato 55
A splashy and unlikely outpost for African cooking. 55 Gansevoort St., between Greenwich & Washington Sts. (212) 255-8555 Dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5:30 p.m.-midnight CUISINE Pan-African VIBE African chic brasserie OCCASION Trendy group dining; casual date. DON’T-MISS DISH Lamb tartar; octopus with cured beef; jerk pork belly. PRICE Small bites, $4-13; appetizers, $10-17; entrees, $18-30; desserts, $4-10. RESERVATIONS Recommended Opening a Pan-African restaurant in the Meatpacking District doesn’t exactly sound like a sure thing. After all, this is a part of Manhattan where the scene outshines food as a nocturnal crowd ricochets from one nightclub to the next. But chef Marcus Samuelsson has never been afraid to take chances. At Aquavit, he earned praise for a thoroughly innovative approach to Scandinavian fare. With his newest endeavor, Merkato 55, he strives to recast African cooking in an equally modern and prominent light....
Read MoreAzza
Address: 137 East 55th St., btwn. 3rd & Lexington Aves. Phone: 212.755.7055 Cuisine: French-Moroccan Vibe: Exotic Arabian escape Scene: Euro crowd Hours: Dinner, Mon – Sat, 5:30pm- 12am. Lounge hours, Mon – Fri, 5:30pm – 4AM, Sat. 10pm – 4am. Scoop: Multitask – shop while you imbibe in the downstairs store filled with Moroccan wares Price: Appetizers, $5-11. Entrees, $22-34. Reservations: Reservations accepted. www.azzanyc.com Ever wonder what happened to Fizz, that members-only supper club & lounge in midtown, which suddenly lifted its exclusionary policy to fill the swanky void within? Neither did I, but apparently it “fizzled” into the night, not shocking considering the allure of downtown Lotus, Marquee and Stereo. In its wake, Restaurateur Djamal Zoughbi and his partner Thierry Pomies have ambitiously revamped the space, unveiling French-Moroccan Azza. Gone are the moneyed namedroppers and impossible Fizz guest...
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