Queen of Sheba in NYC
I discovered Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant located few blocks from the heart of Times Square, several years ago and was really looking forward to go back there. There, Chef Philipos Mengistu, who worked at his parents restaurant in Addis Abeba in the early 1970's, crafted a menu inspired from family recipes with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The best way to discover the food is by trying their samplers: it is what we did!
Taste of Sheba - non-vegetarian sampler.
Non-vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC
Non-vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC
It is composed of:
Tibs Wot (a wot is a stew): diced lean beef seared on hot skillet, then slow-cooked in a hot Berbere stew.
Menchet Abesh Wot: lean beef, ground and cooked in mild green pepper sauce, red wine and jalapeño, seasoned with ginger and garlic.
Bozena Shiro: pieces of marinated beef simmered in a traditional chickpea gravy.
Yebeg Alecha: a lamb stew (my favorite).
Doro Wot: chicken lef, slow-cooked in a dense stew of onions, egg, Berbere (hot spice blend), and Kibe (clarifying butter that has been infused with herbs and spices).
Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens, cooked in their own stems with mild seasoning and olive oil (my least favorite - I am not a huge fan of collard greens in general).
Ater Kik Alecha: split peas cooked in onion, garlic, and olive oil. A mild dish with a touch of turmeric and a subtle blend of herbs and spices.
Sheba vegetarian:
Vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC
Vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC
It is composed of:
Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens, cooked in their own stems with mild seasoning and olive oil.
Ater Kik Alecha: split peas cooked in onion, garlic, and olive oil. A mild dish with a touch of turmeric and a subtle blend of herbs and spices.
Key Sir Wot: red beets, potatoes, and carrots, sautéed with peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger.
Misir Wot: split lentils, stewed with onions, garlic, and a blend of mild Ethiopian herbs.
Atakilt Wot: string beans and carrots, cooked in tomato sauce with their rich blend of seasonings.
Cabbage Wot: cabbage, potato and carrot cooked with onion and garlic with a touch of turmeric.
Shiro Wot: split peas milled together with a blend of Berbere, herbs, and onions, then slow-cooked into a creamy dip
The food was served with Injera, a sour fermented bread quite recognizable, traditionally made with teff flour, that has a spongy texture that is perfect as you do not have any utensils and use the bread to grab the food as you eat with your hands. The bread on its own is not something I love, but it is great with the various stews that were in fact sitting on a large piece of it.
Injera at Queen of Sheba in NYC
I should mention that I did not find the food spicy (a couple of dishes had a slight kick) and it was very comforting, both samplers being quite good. This is definitely a place I recommend and if you would like a full experience, you can sit on one of the areas with traditional stools (I did not).
Stools at Queen of Sheba in NYC
Stools at Queen of Sheba in NYC
Enjoy (I did)!
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Queen of Sheba - 650 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036
