EAT: ETHIOPIAN FLAVORS OF TSION CAFE

We had a chance this weekend to check out the new Tsion Cafe on St. Nicholas Avenue just north of 148th Street.  This space had been empty for some time but was notably a jazz spot called Jimmy's Chicken Shack back during the post Renaissance years so we especially were curious to see how things looked within the interior.  Overall things are pretty solid inside and the local couple who opened Tsion did a great job at creating a more open space with banquet seating that maximizes the back wall area.  There is a lounge area up front and the main bar is in the back. A garden area is even included but will apparently not be open until summer.

So how was the food?  Our order for the morning was the Tsion egg special which was a spiced egg and salmon scramble served up with Ethiopian injera bread.  The sour dough and spongy texture added a nice new nuance to a breakfast classic and paired well with the Ethiopian spiced tea that was on the menu.  We will definitely come back to try some of the other specialty dishes of the house since prices are pretty reasonable and the cuisine is something new to us in this part of the neighborhood.  Hours now are from 8:00AM to 8:00PM and folks can actually just drop by to pick up coffee or tea to go instead of a sit-down meal.