Zoma

To celebrate Ann's birthday and give Katie a good send-off, Ann, Jamel, Katie and I went to Zoma, a new Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem. It was a cold walk there through Morningside Park, but the space inside was lit like a warm, white space-age womb. With little candles, low-lights and a minimalist-artifact decor, it was not your typical Harlem or Ethiopia, really.

I have only had Ethiopian food once or twice and am usually mystified by injera, the flat, spongy bread used to scoop and sop up the wat, or stew, dishes plopped colorfully on top of it. Injera has a slightly acidic taste and is not the type of bread to eat by itself. I've decided injera is not the end, but rather the means to a delicious food experience. I'm not sure what Ethiopia intended, however. Perhaps after my formal food education I will find out; for now I will use food sites on the internet.

We all shared a vegetarian combination platter, and along with it we had glasses of Tej, or honey-wine. Ahhh, tastes like a summery sweet nectar. I only wish I remember or knew exactly what was on the platter, but I can say it was several wats of lentils, carrots, cabbage, and collard greens and chickpeas. Spices were paprika, salt, ginger, onion, garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, pepper, coriander, and fenugreek, all typical of Ethiopia and together making up Berbere, the thick red paste. Some wats were made with Niter Kebbeh, a butter of onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg. What a nice grocery list of foods and spices...and a wonderful warm spectrum of reds, browns and yellows. I think the spices, and perhaps Tej, also have some storytelling properties, because we heard great character sketches and stories from Ann about the men who adore her (and for good reason).

We shared another platter for the main dish (pictured above) again on injera, this time also with lamb and chicken wats. To wind down the meal we drank a tea, which may not have been tea at all, but hot water infused with some spices that smelled much like Christmas-time.

Happy Birthday, Ann! And farewell (again) Katie ...

Zoma
2084 Frederick Douglass Blvd (at 113th St)
Harlem, New York
New York
212-662-0620