Now the owners hope to keep their dream alive. HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) - Safari opened in Harlem five years ago, giving New York City its only Somali restaurant. If I lived in NYC I would come here all the time.Safari opened in Harlem five years ago, giving New York City its only Somali restaurant. Service was warm, friendly, and efficient. But you come for the food and it is excellent, so don't let the other stuff get in the way. We were there on a hot day and I was dying from the heat when they saw me dripping away and finally turned on the AC. We started with the sambuzas (2 for $8) that were homemade and so flavorful and light, not at all greasy or heavy like so many at Indian restaurants. We were also given bananas to cut up and add to our dish, and it really brought an additional flavor level and balanced some of the heat. My mango chicken was sweet but also had some heat at the end, how interesting. I got the mango chicken ($16) and the wife ordered the goat ($18). When another place did not turn out we returned and had a very enjoyable lunch. The restaurant did not have posted hours so when we walked by the first time the sign said closed but they were really open, they just forgot to turn the sign around. We stopped here for lunch after finding it on Yelp. Had a great time here and would definitely come back if I'm in the area! – Slightly on the pricier side relative to serving size – First (and maybe still only?) Somalian restaurant in NYC There's a liquor/wine store around the corner with decent selection if you didn't happen to bring anything from home. One of the best parts of the place is that it's BYOB! Also with no silly corking fees that seem to plague this great city. It's served with this spicy green sauce on the side which was absolutely delicious (have no idea what was in it). It was very good, although the serving size was probably just a tad bit small given the price. I opted for the hilib ari which is a slow-cooked goat dish and served with rice. The hostess/server was incredibly friendly and stopped by to chat a couple times throughout the meal. The space itself is quite small and cozy. I've never had Somalian food before, so wasn't really sure what to expect. Someone ended up looking for an alternative on the Yelp app, and this place looked like it had pretty good reviews. We were originally trying to drop by Amy Ruth's, but the line there was beyond ridiculous. Either way, it's delicious and I was putting it on everything! The flavor is wonderful and reminds me of a slightly creamy salsa verde. You'll find the bisbaas sauce everywhere and although meant to be really spicy, it can be adjusted! We asked for mild and though I could have used a little more spice, it was really pleasant. The beef was tough and its flavor was completely shadowed by all the other amazing dishes. The white grapefruit was really tasty and it was carbonated! The only thing we didn't care about was the flank steak. A standout dish – it's easily one of the best things I've eaten ever. The meat and vegetables were aromatic and extremely flavorful. The food is phenomenal! The Hilib Ari/Roasted Goat was truly sensational. Hooyo Faduma's Mango Curry Chicken ($14): Slow-cooked mango curry sauce over grilled Berber Chicken served with vegan Biryanni.īusketti ($15): Flank steak marinated in house garlic ginger sauce, served with Pasta Saldata. Hilib Ari ($16): Roasted goat served with Somali Basmati rice and Bisbaas sauce. Sambuza Chicken ($5): Traditional Somali chicken with herbs, Somali seasoning, fried and served with Bisbaas sauce. Isbarmuuto ($4): Somali fresh white grapefruit juice.
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