The recommendation of the most authentic Senegalese restaurant in New York had two different sources – one, a diplomat from Senegal who happened to visit Murray’s office recently, and the other, a diplomat from nearby Cote d’Ivoire. Both agreed that the place to get the most authentic Senegalese food in New York City is Africa Kiné, on 116th Street in Harlem.
A quick geography lesson:
Senegal is in West Africa; in fact, its capital, Dakar, is the westernmost city
in Africa. Senegalese cuisine is
evidently quite similar to the foods of the rest of West Africa, but Senegal is
a former French colony and so its food also exhibits a strong French influence.
As an Islamic nation located on the Atlantic Ocean, Senegal enjoys fish and
also chicken, lamb and beef, but never pork. Rice, couscous, plantains and sweet potatoes are quite
common as well.
With some advice from our waitress at Africa Kiné, here’s what we decided to order:
- Dibi, grilled lamb with salad, tomatoes, eggs and onions
- Thiebu Guinaar, chicken with stewed vegetables and rice
- Poisson grillé, grilled tilapia served with fried plantains in a mustard sauce
The waitress also recommended Thiebu Djen, which is
Senegal’s national dish, a fish stewed in a rich tomato sauce with eggplant,
carrots, cassava, and cabbage.
This dish appears only on Africa Kiné’s lunch menu, but the night we
were there, some was left over for dinner. I’m sorry to say that we skipped this dish, already having
our hearts set on the items mentioned above, but I’ll definitely try it when we
return.
Africa Kiné does not serve alcohol. To drink, Murray ordered the beverage called “Ginger (homemade)” on the menu. It was a strong, ginger-flavored cold drink, which we found easier to enjoy once diluted by melted ice and additional water. Otherwise, we drank iced water.
Service was fairly slow even though the restaurant was hardly crowded. Fortunately we were not in any rush, and it was fun to take in the scene – African music videos and pictures of Senegal playing on the flat screen TVs at each end of the dining room, and mostly African clientele, some hosting Caucasian American guests.
Our bill totaled a whopping $60 for three of us, including tip, making this one of our least expensive diplomat dining adventures thus far. Major credit cards are accepted.
Africa Kiné is most definitely
not the place to bring your vegetarian friends, but a fun experience, good
food, and yet one more example of the diversity that is New York City.
Where and When
Africa Kiné
256 W. 116th Street (between Adam Clayton Powell
and Frederick Douglass Avenues)
New York, NY 10026
(877) 666-9400
Open 7 days a week
12:30 pm – 2:00 am
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