Zoma: The Essence of Abyssinia
Zoma continues to get nods of approval from chowhounds who are seeking a little variety in their uptown dining experience. Most recently this new addition to the Harlem dining scene has been reviewed in The New York Times Dining & Wine section:
At Zoma, that well-spiced heap of lentil salad flecked through with onions and chilies ($4) isn’t served on injera flatbread as it is elsewhere. Instead, it arrives at the table cradled in leaves of endive, like a canapé you might poach from a passed platter at a cocktail party.
It’s one of the touches that give the food at Zoma a tonier, more citified treatment than it gets at other Ethiopian restaurants in New York.
Source: New York Times
Back in November Zoma was reviewed on the eGullet board by Steven A. Shaw:
The Ethiopian restaurant Zoma opened earlier this month (I think) on the corner of 113th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. (aka Central Park West, aka Eighth Ave.). It’s not what you think. This restaurant is fresh, young, stylish, sleek, intimate, modern — it’s the Ethiopian (actually they call it Abyssinian) equivalent of the new wave of Indian places that are popping up, or the smart nouvelle bistro-type places on the fringes of Harlem. Nice graphic design on the menu, business cards and — yes — website. Bar bottle display nicely illuminated from underneath.
I found the food to be categorically superior to what’s served at the standard Ethiopian places around town.
Zoma
2084 Frederick Douglass Boulevard @113th Street
212.662.0620
www.zomanyc.com
Related: Chowhound :: Harlem Fur ::
Filed under: Openings/New, Restaurants, Reviews
D. Bell
illoquentgent
narmer
Grace A
seeker4truth
Justin
anewlis
Stumble It!
Went there last week with my wife. Food was simply delicious, service was great, price was very (*very*) reasonable.
I’m a man of few words
Went there on Saturday night - very nice atmosphere - nice sitdown restaurant compared to some of the other Ethiopian/African restaurants in the area - prices are reasonable. Be prepared to eat with your fingers though. Service was very attentive - hot towels to clean you hands before eating. Looked like they had a full bar. Menu was a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. Nice addition to the neighborhood and a good partner to Society up the street. Now if we could just get a quiznos down here…
I can’t believe i didn’t catch this place when I went to Melba’s! Def gonna check it out this weekend. Menu looks delectable…hey has anyone checked out the Society Coffee place.It looks legitly hip. I tried to get in one night and it was packed which I’m guessin means it’s pretty cool.
Absolutely great food at afffordable prices! The service was a little slow but it was definitely worth it. 8th ave is turning into a really great place - I just hope that it doesn’t turn into the upper upper west side, if you knwo what I mean.
Hugo, I’ve been to Society but only during the day. Fun place.
I was just thinking about emailing uptown flavor about this place. I ate there a couple weeks ago and I only have good things to say. I’m glad they are getting some publicity.
I’m really loving how 8th Avenue is becoming central to some of the coolest new businesses in harlem! I really didn’t start piecing it together until i was reading a piece on harlem vintage which i just found out about today…i mean you got Melba, Society, Mocca, Harlem Vintage, Londrel…pretty sweet.
Psycho-zoma-tic Ethiopian Cuisine in Harlem’s Arsenal of New Restaurants…
First thing you’ll notice is the simplicity of the décor; the walls in soft pastels with very minimal decorations. This is indeed the soma-like quality of the place. It just eases you into the experience. The bar area was beautifully illuminated. Place really began to fill after 9pm.
The Food:
My first foray into ethiopian eats. We ordered a couple signature drinks. My brother ordered a Harlem Raging Bull ((Red Bull, tequila, vodka and lime) and I had the Blue Nile (Henessy and pure goodness). I personally felt mine was better. Plus, given the spicy-ness of what was to come, the sweetness of the drink made for a perfect marriage in gustatory heaven! Started off with toasted injera to give our taste buds a warm-up. We tried to cover all the basic meat groups. I had the lamb-based Yebeg Alitcha, my bro the beef-based Tibs Wett, and miss Maria the chicken-based Doro Wett. It was all served on a giant white platter on top of a big piece of injera. On the side, elegantly rolled pieces of injera to scoop the food with. Ah, the freedom of eating with just your hands. No dilution of pleasure with utensils! I cannot tell you how generous the portions were. And just when I thought I was out of injera, in came our waitress (almost psychic-like) with a fresh round of the good stuff. The chicken, lamb, and beef were all cooked to perfection. The only thing is that since the beef and chicken use the same seasonings (berbere) it can seem a bit redundant in terms of flavor. The lamb took care of that! We couldn’t finish the entire meal.
The Service:
Top notch. Our waitresses had infectious smiles. They were quite personable never shying away from innocent, flirtatious banter but instead offering smart comebacks. I appreciate humor. Prices were quite comfortable.