Yemen Cafe & Restaurant

[Pan]

I had a delicious dinner at this place on Atlantic Av. yesterday (Wednesday) night. I ordered an "Appetizer" of "Liver served with Bread," ($5) which was incredibly flavorful but would have made a sizable dinner by itself, especially with the accompaniment of a cup of soothing lamb soup on the house. Included in the dish were fried tomatoes, onions, and a spice mixture. Not realizing that the "appetizer" would be so big, I also ordered Loubyia with Chicken ($13). It may not have been as much of a knockout as the liver plate, but it was a hearty and very pleasant stew of chicken with okra, carrot slices, potato, onions, and of course loubyia, a kind of gourd. Also included was plenty of turmeric and some cumin and such. I didn't realize it, but they also have a house hot sauce that I'll try next time. I drank some Special Yemen Tea ($1), which is self-service and tastes like a pomander! Tea with sugar, plenty of cloves, cinammon, and such. I sampled both of the dishes I ordered but finished neither, took the leftovers home, and have by now finished them.

The atmosphere in the cafe is very informal and service is friendly but relaxed and a bit slow-paced. The food is halal. I hadn't been to Yemen Cafe for a couple of years, but I plan on returning soon.

176 Atlantic Av. (between Court and Clinton Sts.)

Tel. (718) 834-9533

Edited October 1, 2004 by Pan (log)

[snausages2000]

Pan, thanks for recommending Yemen Cafe. I live two blocks from it, but had never been before last night. Past Middle Eastern cravings had been satisfied by Fatoosh, Waterfall Cafe and Sahadi's. Also, a cowardly streak kept me from stepping through the all-Arabic speaking crowd that gathers there. It feels more like a community center than a restaurant. But I guess that's part of the charm.

Lamb Soup - At first I thought they'd mistaken my order because there was no lamb in the soup. Then I realized it was a lamb stock. A rich broth, a sort of lamb tea.

Lamb Louybia - A stew of chopped lamb and okra. Pretty good, but made really good by combining with the house hot sauce. Pan, you said you missed out on the hot sauce. It's too bad. It really made the dish come to life. The hot sauce looks a bit like Pico de Gallo and I believe includes minced tomato and cilantro.

Salta w/o Lamb - Realizing I didn't want to spend too much (entrees are generally $13), the guy offered me the Salta stew, minus the lamb, for half-price. It was all right, good for dipping the flat bread in, but nothing too exciting.

Overall a nice change of pace from the falafal, kibbeh, kebab standards on the rest of the block. The hot sauce really stole the show.

The guy taking my order said the soups were on the house, threw in a free salad, told us to take some tea. According to the menu our dishes totaled $23. He charged $18. Now that's service. Very accomodating, especially given the reality that most of the 12 men eating and the staff all know each other and that non-Muslim locals rarely venture inside, at least at night.

And Yemen Cafe has my favorite unintentionally self-deprecating restaurant slogan in the city: "All You Need Is Once"

[Pan]

I'm glad you enjoyed the place, snausages. I was there again tonight, and was glad I hadn't eaten much before dinner. I ordered Salta with lamb. I didn't even know what salta was; I just thought I'd try it. First, the cup of soup came. Then, the salta came. It was essentially a large bowl of very hot, steaming soupiness, which I was told to eat by dipping pieces of the large flatbread I was given into it. I also had the use of lemon slices, which were put on the table when the chicken or lamb soup was put on the table, and some hot sauce which was provided on request. The salta tasted of a bitter gourd they must use as a main ingredient in it, I figure (I also recognized small pieces of lamb, potatoes, and carrots as ingredients). With some lemon juice and hot sauce, it was more palatable, though it wasn't my favorite thing. But they weren't finished bringing food! Next came a plate of salad including some cheese that looked like feta but tasted a little different (less salt, probably a bit creamier), and finally, three large boiled lamb chops. I was hungry enough to finish most of the food, but it was really a pretty unbelievably humongous portion, topped off with 2 1/2 cups of Yemeni tea. I was charged only $13 for that feast and left a $4 tip, which I figured was the least I could do for the unexpectedly large amount of food I was served. I'll definitely go back but plan on trying out some of the other restaurants in the neighborhood in the next couple of weeks.

I agree that the place is a real hangout of friends, but there was at least one non-Arab while I was there tonight, and I think the couple at Table 10 may have also been non-Arabs. But regardless, you get a good welcome there, though when there's only one person waiting several tables, you're best advised to simply pick something to order and not ask too many questions. The young man who waited on me last time showed up in the middle of my meal and gave me a warm greeting; he seems like a friendly and effusive person by nature and was also clearly happy I had decided to come back.

[Mister_Cutlets]

I've been told that the thing to get there is the whole roast baby lamb (presumably for a large party.) Are there other kinds of roast lamb that are good?

[Pan]

Mr. Cutlets, I'll try to get back to you when I've had some. I sometimes stay away from lamb because all that fat can be tough on my stomach at times.

[lambretta76]

After years of putting it off, I finally made it here last night. It was nearly empty when I arrived at 8, but by 8:30 it was almost entirely full. And unlike the currently unnamed restaurant on Court Street specializing in Yemeni food (it was formerly Yemeni Cuisine and 145 Luncheonette), this place had a fairly laid-back, mixed crowd that you don't find too often in Muslim eateries. A group of Muslim women, of various backgrounds, eating together in the front. Three or four young Muslim couples. A couple of Arabic-speaking non-Muslim couples and groups. And a party of about 10 black men and women having a great time. I bring this up because most people, especially solo or groups of women, say they feel threatened in these places, and I'd like to report that everyone who worked there was quite nice and friendly.

As for the food, I ordered the Special Yemen Salta with chicken. I was told that they were out of it, but could do something similar with the chicken kebabs. So, for $12, this is a rundown of what was presented to me.

<UL>

<LI>Lamb soup - more of a broth, it was very dense and tasty. Served with a slice of lemon meant to be squeezed into the soup. It reminded me a lot of the intense flavors of some Moroccan harira soups, except that this contained no beans.

<LI>Salad - mixed green salad with tomatoes, olives, and a piece of a creamy feta-like cheese

<LI>flatbread - two huge (~2-feet in diameter) pieces of wonderfully charred flatbread (perhaps straight from the oven)

<LI>Salta - an intense lamb and vegetable stew with a fenugreek foam topping. I have been turned off by the foam in the past, but this version was denser, creamier, and I didn't mind it. In fact, by the end of it, I was upset that I had run out of it.

<LI>Chicken kabob - about 12 large pieces of chicken with onions - charred nicely and flavored simply. The chicken may have been brined before grilling, but other than that, it was unspiced. I have to say, it was among the best kebabs I've had. The way to go about this was to rip off a piece of the flat bread, pick up a piece of chicken in it, and dip it into the salta.

</UL>

Tea, which is self service, costs $1 and ,when mixed with the sweetened evaporated milk, is a very good Middle Eastern take on chai tea.

There was so much food that I took an equal amount home (of the salta, flatbread, and kebab) to what I consumed in the restaurant. I definitely plan on going back and supporting one of the few Middle Eastern restaurants left on that stretch of Atlantic. On a side note, has anyone ever been to Hadramout Cafe next door, or know if they are still in business?

Edited February 8, 2005 by lambretta76 (log)

[zeitoun]

I live a few blocks away and for some reason, even though i have walked in front of it nearly every week for the past 5 years (on my way to sahadi's or other middle eastern groceries), it never occurred to me to stop by . Thanks for the reports...

[tcavallo]

How many eGulleteers can possibly live two blocks away from this place? (Count me as another one). I too have been meaning to get in there for a while, perhaps after reading these reports I will make tonight the night.

[jogoode]

I'm interested in trying this place, too. Can someone tell me a little about Yemeni food? From the food descriptions I've read here, the food doesn't sound familiar.

[zeitoun]

I'm interested in trying this place, too. Can someone tell me a little about Yemeni food? From the food descriptions I've read here, the food doesn't sound familiar.

←

From what I know, I'd say it is mainly kebobs and meat stews. Not much I can elaborate on here since my only experience with Yemeni cuisine was at the unnamed Court Street place Lambretta76 mentioned. I personally was extremely disappointed by that place and would not recommend it to anyone.

I am glad to see through this thread that my one bad experience was not representative of what Yemeni cuisine has to offer. Maybe i'll stop by this week and snap some pictures . It'll be interesting to compare it with other Middle Eastern cuisines. I know that culturally, Yemen has more in common with the countries located in the horn of Africa (Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti...), than the countries of the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine etc...).

[lambretta76]

How many eGulleteers can possibly live two blocks away from this place?

I live about three, three-and-a-half blocks away.

Worth noting, for those in the area during lunch hours, the prices are around $8 or $9 for what normally costs $12-$14 on the dinner menu.

[lambretta76]

Zeitoun - I, too, was disappointed at the place on Court when it was called 145 Luncheonette. For $6 for takeaway, I was given a bowl of soup, a large salad, an entire bag of pitas (Damascus-brand - not homemade), and a huge takeaway container of a vegetable stew. The fenugreek foam on the stew was so bitter and pungent that I scraped it off and threw it away. It had unfortunately tainted the rest of the stew so much that it was nearly inedible. (I pretty much just ate the salad and soup, which were fine, but bland, and put some taramasalata I had at home on the other pitas to eat as dinner.) I know it's changed names a couple of times, but it's rather dirty and unwelcoming, so I don't really see the need to return.

[MichaelZ]

How many eGulleteers can possibly live two blocks away from this place? (Count me as another one).  I too have been meaning to get in there for a while, perhaps after reading these reports I will make tonight the night.

←

I actually live two blocks away, as well. I've never tried it, either, having been content with Waterfalls, Fatoosh and other equally convenient spots.

[Pan]

I don't find the cuisine at Yemen Cafe anything like Ethiopian food, but whether it's similar to food from Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti, I wouldn't know. Eritrean food I've had hasn't been clearly distinct in my mind from Ethiopian food. This is based only on experiences in restaurants in New York, however.

I can recommend the liver dish which is listed under "appetizers" but is definitely sufficient for dinner for one person, along with a salad or/and soup if you like. The main dishes are humongous and too big for most any individual. If you can go with a dining partner or three, that is most recommended.

[chefzadi]

Look what I found.

http://www.forward.com/issues/2000/00.12.0...stforward1.html

I can't wait to try it when I'm in New York.

[Pan]

I'm glad to read that article, but its conclusions are highly dubious, not to mention laughable. Have a look at two excerpts:

"The material and composition of Yemenite Jewish foods closely resemble those mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the Mishnah."

z'houg, a fiery-hot paste beloved by Yemenite Jews[...]is made from ground-up green chilies mixed with spices including parsley, coriander, garlic and cardamom. Z'houg, combined with tomato sauce and ground fenugreek seeds, is also an ingredient in the Yemenite relish called hilbeh.

the Yemenite Jewish cuisine comes to us little changed by the intervening centuries.

Let's see now, I'm sure the Jews loved those tomatoes and green chilis in Biblical times.

[chefzadi]

I didn't even read the article before posting the link.

Am I supposed to do stuff like that?

[Lutece]

I don't find the cuisine at Yemen Cafe anything like Ethiopian food, but whether it's similar to food from Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti, I wouldn't know. Eritrean food I've had hasn't been clearly distinct in my mind from Ethiopian food. This is based only on experiences in restaurants in New York, however.

I can recommend the liver dish which is listed under "appetizers" but is definitely sufficient for dinner for one person, along with a salad or/and soup if you like. The main dishes are humongous and too big for most any individual. If you can go with a dining partner or three, that is most recommended.

←

I just have to tell you how jealous I am that you have a Yemenese place by you.

I haven't had yemenese food since I lived in Bklyn Hts in the 70's. I'm wondering if those places are still there. There was a family the Almontaser's that had a few restaurants, 2 on Atlantic, Atlantic House and Adnan and then there was Near East on Court st. Are any of those still there?? It was the best babaghanosh ever, I'll never forget their seafood pie or many of their dishes served with vegetables and great rice all for like 8 bucks. Please tell me if any of those places are still there and if you don't go you should!!

[Andrew Fenton]

I had a great dinner at Yemen Cafe on Friday. As others have said, it's really its own deal: not like Ethiopian or Somali food (though I've only had Somali once). Interesting stuff. Salta, in particular, is like nothing I've had before. I wasn't expecting a foamy dish, for sure, but liked it well enough, what with the little bits of vegetables, tiny flecks of egg, potato and lamb. Good accompaniment to the bread, and served with a Viking-sized hunk of roast lamb shoulder. I liked the loubiya as well: good, but not overwhelmingly exciting lamb stew.

The fatah appetizer was another really unfamiliar dish: a big pile of shredded bread soaked in honey and spices and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Honestly, it tasted more like Grandma's bread pudding than anything else: tasty, but the sort of thing I'd think to order for dessert rather than before the entree.

But I'll confess that more than anything else, I was really blown away by the soup and its intense, concentrated lamb flavor. That, I could probably eat every day and be happy. Yow.

I was there with a friend who has lived in Yemen, and he said the food is very true to what he ate there. He described the American version as different in two ways: first, there are more vegetables, and second, it's a lot better, because the quality of American meat is better. As he said, "American lambs eat grass and grain and stuff; Yemeni lambs eat mostly shell casings and old tires."

[Pan]

Went to dinner here tonight with a friend. We shared the white kidney bean appetizer, which was great, and also a main dish whose name I forget, which was basically small pieces of lamb and rice. That great flatbread was just the right thing to eat the white bean dish in. It included tomatoes, onions, and just a bit of green pepper. Everything had a nice fragrant but only moderately spicy kind of Yemeni masala (I don't know the Arabic word for that) in it. I also enjoyed the hot sauce and Yemeni tea as usual. We stayed and talked and drank tea for a long time, so I tipped high. The bill was only $20 for the two of us. I really like this place and was glad to have a chance to go back.