INTRODUCING: FIRST LOOK AT MADIBA HARLEM

We walked into the new Harlem location of the beloved Fort Greene restaurant Madiba this afternoon without knowing that this week was only a soft opening for friends and family.  Luckily the management was understanding and invited us in anyways to get a preview of the new South African restaurant on 116th Street.  The official public opening will be on December 11th.

Our first impression of the massive space within the MIST complex of the Kalahari building just east of Lenox Avenue was that things were getting a bit more balanced within the formerly clinical interior.  An unfinished cafe and lounge located to the right as one enters had a few worn tufted leather couches introduced alongside rustic-finish coffee tables which established a nice new narrative.  As one entered the dining room to the left, it was apparent that South African art was just starting to be added into the interior.  After a quick chat with the creative director of the restaurant who mentioned that the goal was to capture more of the warmth of the original Brooklyn location, we were seated by the charming staff.

The hostess revealed that she followed Bespoke when we conversed and this was a good indication that the owners were hiring locally which is always a great sign to us.  Looking quickly at the menu, we could clearly see that this was basically bistro style pricing with the majority in the mid $20 range or below for an entree which was also quite a refreshing change for an ambitious restaurant of this size.  A list of South African wines was offered up and we sampled an excellent white Meerlust  that had a crisp, dry but slightly more complex finish to it.

A first course of spice chicken wings Peri Peri at $10 did not disappoint with the right balance of flavor and heat which was also perfect with the sweet chutney provided on the side.  Madiba offers up some of the local street food of South Africa and a side of salted vinegar fries hit the spot with our main course of young lobster with mango lemon butter sauce alongside saffron rice with accents of sweet currants for $20.  There was plenty more on the menu that we wanted to sample but our calorie quota was full for the night and we wanted to check out the new restaurant a few more times in the coming weeks.

Madiba Harlem looks to us like the large anchor establishment that 116th has been searching for all of these years and will be an excellent local standby once the eatery hits its stride.  The restaurant is exotic and approachable at the same time with a mix of foods from South Africa that Harlem is not quite entirely familiar with.  Dishes such as the Pap & Vleis lamb, the curry bunny chow or the traditional bobotie are all on our list to try out at a near future outing.  As mentioned before, the moderate price points will make this an easy weekly destination and our only callout is basically capturing more of the warm ambiance of the original location which has already been set in motion.  Check out more details on the official Harlem website: www.madibaharlem.com