Zoma- Ethiopian Cuisine

Thanks to Groupon I got to try a really cool new place to eat again! I got a deal for Zoma, an Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem. For $29.99 you get an Ethiopian Combination Platter and Dessert with Wine for Two, but I got it for just $23.99 when they had their 20% off local deals sale. I was really excited to be having Ethiopian food because I was first introduced to it when I studied abroad in Italy. I lived right next to an Ethiopian restaurant there and the owner was super nice. He showed me a lot of different dishes and taught me about his culture. This time I was taking Joanna so she can have a taste of it too. Upon walking in, this place was bigger than I expected and the decor was beautiful. I ordered a Chardonnay and Joanna got "Tej" which is an Ethiopian honey wine. This wine was very sweet and uses honey as it's main ingredient. Before eating, our waitress brought us warm hand towels to clean our hands. I was so confused at first but then I remembered Ethiopian food is served with "injera". "Injera resembles a large, sourdough crepe and is ideal for soaking up the sauces and flavors of the dishes."- zomanyc.com. We decided on Combination Platter B which consisted of: Doro Wett- Chicken gently simmered onions, ginger, berbere and spices for hours to create a delightful stew (Spicy) Yebeg Alitcha- Tender lamb marinated in ginger, rosemary and spices; braised slowly in a mild sauce with a touch of turmeric. Bone-in Bozena Shiro- Shiro wett* cooked with morsels beef *Chickpeas, lentils and peas roasted, powdered and cooked in a berbere sauce with a multitude of spices (Spicy) We each picked up our injera, and dug right in! All of the meats were really good but our favorite was the lamb for sure. The spices and herbs used for the lamb were so good and the meat was just falling off the bone! It was also the least spicy of the 3. We ate as much as we could without any forks or knives and it was definitely a unique experience! Once our platter was off the table they brought the dessert, which I think was a rendition of Tiramisu. It was a cloud of delicious whipped cream, hidden lady fingers, and a crispy crust on the bottom--I loved it! Overall, if you want to taste Ethiopian food, definitely visit Zoma. I believe the Groupon deal is still up, but I will definitely be going back to try other things on the menu. Click here to learn more about Zoma- Essence of Abyssinia.