East African chow on the West Side of Jersey City.
From the looks of the place, you'd never expect to find Kenyan food; I stepped inside on a tip from Peter Cherches, who writes the blog Word of Mouth. The menu includes standard coffeeshop fare (bagels, turkey burgers) and even a few items (samosas, chapatis) that crossed the Indian ocean with traders and laborers sometime in the nineteenth century. The entertainment was less romantic, at least on the afternoon I visited (Montel Williams).
But venture off the menu and ask the ladies behind the counter for a typically Kenyan dish, and you might be presented with this mix-it-yourself plate ($6) of stewed goat, sukuma (likely kale), and ugali, a maize "porridge" stiff enough that it's accompanied by a serrated knife. Bland, but quite substantial. For something a little lighter, next time I might try mandazi, a donut-like snack, and a cup of Kenyan coffee.
Mandazi prospects aren't good: A return visit on a Saturday afternoon found the coffee shop shuttered, and a subsequent phone call went unanswered.
Mallory Coffee Shop
95 Mallory Ave. (at Clarke Ave.), Jersey City
201-332-3555
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