New Ivoire
“I had the Poisson Friet et Attieke avec which is fried Fish with Attieke – Cassava Couscous & Sweet Plantains.”
“The only thing I regret is that I didn't have enough appetite by the end of my Harlem/West African food crawl to eat more here.”
“You approach the counter and let them know if you're ordering for there or taking out.”
New Ivoire
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
2 reviews
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The only thing I regret is that I didn't have enough appetite by the end of my Harlem/West African food crawl to eat more here.
Everything about this place is the real deal. If you're like me and you live for authentic "ethnic" food (the more obscure, the better), New Ivoire will be a dream come true. It's raw, bare bones and populated with honest-to-goodness West Africans (Ivorians?) speaking honest-to-goodness West African French. I felt like I was actually in the Cote d'Ivoire, minus the shaky political landscape. It was divine.
The staff are friendly and welcoming, chatting easily in their native French with the locals/regulars, then switching to English for "outsiders" like me (though I actually do speak French, haha). No one bothers you, no one rushes you, food comes fast and fresh.
And the food! We got the Attieke with a (free) side of spicy fish sauce to share and wow! It was so many things I love in food. Light, fluffy couscous mixed with tangy, zesty marinated vegetables. A bizarre little spice cube that melted nowhere near as fast as it should and the fish sauce combined to make an incredibly savory dish, the likes of which I have never tasted, and I've had a lot of West African cuisine.
If you're not afraid to venture up to Harlem (and seriously, why would you be?), you MUST come here. Harlem offers a lot of West African cuisine, mostly Senegalese, but as far as I know, this is the only Ivory Coast restaurant in the city (or vicinity of the U.S. of A). Here's the unique Manhattan experience the guidebooks will never tell you. Don't miss it!
I work around the corner from this place and usually stop in when I am feeling in the mood for a little something different for my taste buds.
This place is usually packed with men sitting with friends and chatting, apparently having a good time. I think the clientele are mostly Ivoirian (I think that is the correct term) which adds to the authentic feel of the place. Overall, atmosphere is ehhh seeing as the place is pretty cramped with generally uncomfortable seating.
Food is pretty tasty with LARGE portions. I once ordered tuna with the rice pilaf, which was absolutely delicious. However, I made the mistake of eating the entire dish in one sitting which is a huge feat as anyone would know that has ever ordered a dinner entree here. The result: SALT OVERLOAD. I spent my night drinking water non-stop and immediately regretted my gluttony. It seems like the cook tends to season the food with TONS of salt and this is coming from someone that generally doesn't shy away from a little sodium.
Anyway, I've been back several times since and just make a point to control my inner fatty and never attempt to eat a whole dinner entree. Would recommend to anyone for a taste of food that is unique from what is typically available elsewhere around Manhattan.