by Kysha Harris @schopgirl
Last night marked a Harlem beginning of a Brooklyn favorite. Madiba Harlem opened at MIST on 116th street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues after a week of soft openings and press events. Owner Mark Henegan was there pitching in to make sure guests were enjoying the South African fare, wines and hospitality.
Experience Harlem was invited to sample the menu and find our seat in the modern dining room, the bar and the re-imagined café and co-working space. A couple of glasses of South African red wine and a glide across the amply sized room, we were seated at a dark wood table adorned with Ball jars as water glasses, the best napkins ever and highly textured cushioned seats.
We started our tasting with Ujeque, a white paper bag of warm steambread served with the best peri peri sauce we’ve ever had, and farm-raised ostrich carpaccio with farm cheese and greens. For our entrees we sampled Mozambican prawns with yellow rice and Pap & Vleis, petite grilled lamb chops with a firm white cornmeal porridge. Servers were also sampling Mabida’s hot samosas and fried salmon cakes.
Our sweet ending had to be Jenny’s Malva pudding, a spongy Dutch apricot cake reminiscent of a sticky toffee pudding, served with banana ice cream. Our after dinner beverage, African Sunrise, made with Prosecco and guava juice will be the perfect addition to their future brunch menu.
Welcome to the neighborhood. We will see you soon!
Madiba Restaurant 46 W 116th St 212 828 MIST