Over the summer, Murray got recommendations from two diplomats – one from Senegal and the other from Cote d'Ivoire – on the most authentic Senegalese and Ivoirian restaurants in New York. We reported on our visit to the Senegalese recommendation, Africa Kiné, about a month ago.
Well, those two diplomats were also in agreement on the restaurant serving cuisine most representative of Cote d'Ivoire, which we tried out last week. The restaurant? Zereoué, located in Murray Hill and named after its owner, Amos Zereoué, who is originally from Cote d'Ivoire but whom you might know as a former NFL running back (Steelers, Raiders, and Patriots).
The cuisine of Cote d'Ivoire is similar to that of nearby Senegal, although Africa Kiné and Zereoué definitely have differing interpretations of one dish that we enjoyed at both restaurants. "Dibi" at Africa Kiné is a sumptuous pile of grilled, very thinly sliced lamb chops with tomatoes, eggs, and onions (see photo from Africa Kiné and compare with photo below). "Dibby" at Zereoué is marinated lamb cubes, served with lettuce and alloco (fried plantains). Both are delicious, but I admit that I prefer the marinated flavor of Dibby at Zereoué.
The rest of our meal at Zereoué was quite good too. Murray and I were accompanied once again by our friends Carole and Wayne, and – as a group of four – we were able to sample nearly all of the items on the Zereoué menu marked with an icon that indicates an Ivoirian specialty. This is what we ate:
Appetizers
- Escargot, sautéed in African rum and served on a bed of greens
- Calamari, in a red pepper sauce and also served on a bed of greens
- Crab cakes, with a spicy harissa dressing
- Zereoué salad, which included tomatoes, onions, carrots, ginger, black olives and a delicious citrus vinaigrette
- ½ order of Moules a l'Ivoirien, mussels in a sweet tomato sauce
Entrees
- Kedjenou, a chicken stew traditionally cooked in a canari, or earthenware jar (although served to us in a small white casserole dish)
- Poisson braisé, which the menu touts as "the Ivory Coast's claim to fame"
- Peanut sauce chicken, slow-cooked chicken in a crushed peanut and Reisling sauce
- Dibby, as described and pictured above
When I asked about a wine list, the waiter told us that they change their collection frequently so do not print a list, but he recommended a South African white to accompany our order, which we ordered by the glass and found to be more than satisfactory.
When I asked about a dessert menu, I was relieved to hear that Zereoué does not print one of them either. Zereoué does serve a couple of desserts, but neither is authentic to Cote d'Ivoire, where dessert evidently is not traditional. This allowed us to finish our meal pleasantly sated, but not overly stuffed.
The ambience of Zereoué sealed the deal for me. African paintings decorate the walls, and steel-drum music plays quietly in the background. The restaurant is fairly small – certainly no more than 20 tables, and on the Saturday night we visited, it was busy but not filled, allowing our waiter ample time to be helpful and attentive. He truly seemed to enjoy our reactions to the cuisine.
And we did meet the proprietor. Amos Zereoué stopped by our table about halfway through our meal, introduced himself, and asked us if we were enjoying our food. We had a pleasant conversation with him, and when he returned right before our departure, we told him about our blog and gave him a card – something we do only when we really like an establishment and have a good rapport with the staff.
Our bill, including tip (but, remember, no dessert), totaled $300, making Zereoué a bit pricey, but we did eat a lot. And even a week later, I think that it was worth the money to try something new in an environment that was so friendly and calm. Zereoué might not be the best choice if you have a vegetarian in your group, but this is the kind of place where the staff will bend over backwards to make sure you are satisfied, and I suspect they would do whatever they can to accommodate.
All major credit cards are accepted, and there is a bar up front.
Where and When
Zereoué
13 East 37th Street (between Madison & Fifth)
New York, NY, 1001
(212) 679-9355
Monday - Friday
12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Saturday
5:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Sunday
Closed
Recent Comments