La Marmite

My favorite West African restaurant is still not back in business. In late winter, when they pulled down the shutters on Eighth Ave., the owners posted a sign saying that they'd moved to 172 East 118th St., formerly the site of a 24-hour West African joint called Tchaloco. When I finally stopped by, however, I found the same notices on the windows, a sheriff's order on the front door, and no sign that La Marmite had ever resumed operations. Later I read that in fact, they'd moved to 2269 Seventh Ave., near 134th, but in early July I found only what you see here. A gentleman who noted my interest told me that recently, when the gates were raised, he'd seen that La Marmite still needed to do a lot of construction, and a woman inside the premises wasn't able to give him any information about when it might open. Too bad; folks were waiting for tables at the IHOP across the street. Here's hoping La Marmite reopens soon.

A couple of years ago I'd tried thiebou djenne at this Senegalese-leaning restaurant, prompted by Robert Sietsema's review in the Village Voice; reportedly he's also very fond of their peanut-butter stew called mafe. On a return visit for lunch, I ordered the soupe kandia ($9), "diced lamb in okra palm oil sauce" and fish stock, served with rice. Sietsema had mourned the disappearance of palm oil from African cooking in the U.S.; I'm less than sure this is a counterexample, given the brownish rather than orange color of the sauce.

"Diced" hardly described the on-bone hunks of lamb, either. Not that I'm complaining: My helpful and friendly server also brought me a second-half bowl of sauce, including a marrow bone, on the house. Seconds just lasted through my platter of white rice, dotted with peas, carrots, and corn, flanked by cucumbers and a slice of tomato. I also had a Vimto (12 fl. oz. can; $1), a lightly carbonated raspberry and black currant-flavored drink (originally made in Manchester, England!).

From another visit, here's that theibou djenne ($9), on this occasion prepared with a fat wedge of red snapper. I usually begin such dishes by picking away at the individual components, but "CHEH-boo-Jen" — often called "cheb," for short — is better enjoyed by cutting up the fish, the vegetables, even the habanero, and letting all the ingredients play.

For dessert, degue ($3) turned out to be thiakry under a different name: millet couscous in a sweetened yogurt-like base.

La Marmite
(Not yet open for business at) 2269 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (133rd-134th Sts.)
212-283-1733

Comments

[Polecat]

This is easily my favorite Senegalese, let alone one of my favorites in the city. Baobab and Kine are good, too, but, for me, La Marmite's Cheb brings/brought me back again and again. I never even got a chance to sample the Mafe. I'm hoping they actually do re-open some day.
P.