Yemeni Cuisine

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

I only discovered the food maybe three years ago and was infatuated for awhile.
Then our local place became another chicken shack without warning.

Recently found another outlet that’s almost as good.
Had Akdah, Mendi, and Zurbian chicken tonight.
I’m not sure I know enough to say why I like each individually though.

We love Indian food with the base cumin, coriander, and turmeric but for me this just hits more for my palate.

Anybody else a big fan, or of something similar that I should be exploring?

Is there anything resembling a gold standard for the cuisine in the US, NYC or ?

2

If you find a Yemeni berserker lurking here, I’ll be impressed!

I would think your best bet is to talk to the patrons of the restaurant. That’s what I do when I visit an ethnic restaurant I don’t know much about. And that’s a hefty number in my area lol.

3

To be clear, it’s not imperative that one need to be actually From Yemen to input.
… but if anyone is lurking out there please step up!

Merely enjoying the cuisine will suffice :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

1 Like
4

I have precisely one data point for Yemeni restaurants in NYC, Yemen Cafe on Atlantic in Brooklyn. Don’t know much about Yemen food, but thought the Yemen Cafe was great food. Definitely would return.

5

There’s a yemen coffee place near Rutgers. My wife and I hung out there for a few hours one day. Amazing pastries and coffee.

Who knew

6

Used to enjoy it when we lived in the UAE, mostly Mandi with breads.

7

This is gonna get me off my butt to finally try our local mom & pop Yemeni place.

8

NYT: Why Do Yemeni Coffeehouses Seem to Be Everywhere Lately?

9

The new place I go to has a coffee bar and an elaborate juicer set up.

I didn’t know that was part of the culture.

I will ask next trip

1 Like
10

I recommend Dave Eggers’s non-fiction account The Monk of Mokha. Gives one a greater appreciation of Yemenis and Yemeni coffee (and coffee in general).

1 Like
11

There is a pretty sizable Yemeni population with quite a few restaurants up in the Bronx east of Bronx Park (the other side of the Parkway from the zoo). I’ve been to a few, but only for a quick lunch so haven’t really explored too much but I would think it would be the best bet for restaurant density in the city. I wouldn’t say that I’ve had anything better than the place on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn up there in my small sample though.