Every dish tells a story about care and attention. This place creates a cozy feeling in spotless surroundings. Every employee was extremely flexible. Their food offers surprising flavor profiles that delight. I fully expect to visit again! read more

I have been coming here for years! And I'm confused about why I haven't reviewed hdfe. Walking in, the decor is simple, but also cozy and homey. The people who work there are always helpful and smiling. You can either dine in or take food to go it's up to you. Now I want to say I only come here for one thing......The Dibi (seasoned lamb from the country Senegal). I normally get the Dibi and white rice and it. Is. ELITE. The portion is Great and I easily can break it up into two meals! The flavors are all there and you really can tell that the chef always puts love in the food. I took my brother and his friends here tonight and they all absolutely loved it! Sidenote I've done takeout orders of Dibi from here Until I come again ‼ which I will be. read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Senegalese Dibi Lamb - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

This restaurant does everything right, and its location adds to the appeal. Chez Maty Et Sokhna makes me recommend them always. All servers showed exceptional friendliness. Really excellent. Your spending yields good returns. read more

Tellement delicieuse! For the past 12 years, I've made it my mission to visit every hole-in-the-wall West African restaurant in NYC. That mission got put on hold during the pandemic, so I'm thrilled to say, "Je suis revenu!" Chez Maty was the perfect place to kick off the next chapter of my mission. We started with some Nem--African-Vietnamese spring rolls. They were crispy, crunchy glories, but not too unusual from other such fried rolls. You must try the national dish, Tiebu Djeun. Yes, the fish is bone-in. But it's worth the trouble. That tangy lemon-mustard sauce haunts my dreams. The fish was perfectly pre-fried to bring out the richness of the flavor, yet soft enough to still absorb the complexity of the sauce. And the onions? Just icing. We asked for Poulet Yassa (chicken) but ended up getting Poisson Yassa, which actually wasn't a problem because it was face-meltingly delicious in its own way. Let me repeat: face-meltingly. If The Weeknd had eaten this, he'd be crooning, "I can't feel my face when I eat you...but I eat you...yeah, I eat you..." And he'd be right. We were the only diners at 2pm on a Sunday, but that was totally fine. There were a steady stream of take-out customers. Like most of the other African restaurants I've been to in the area, service was relaxed and chill, though a tad more attentive/quick than some (I've waited 30+ min for my food at some spots). And I got to practice my French with our server! She was very nice about the fact that I probably sounded like an illiterate child. read more

See all

I ordered the thieboudjienne to go, and a slice of carrot cake. It came out immediately, like within 30 seconds, which made me worry that it was just being kept in a warmer somewhere and wasn't going to be fresh or good, but that theory was swiftly disproven. The jollof rice was crispy in parts, very spicy if you got a bite with the included chunky mustard sauce, merely pleasantly umami if you didn't. The cabbage and carrots and eggplant were well stewed but not mushy, and the huge hunk of fish was tender and just kept going and going down into the depths of the container. I don't like raisins in my carrot cake, but that was its only negative. Its cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet and the whole thing (this is becoming a theme) was huge. Not the best iteration of bissap I've ever had - it had an artificial sweetener tang to it - but it was at least refreshing on this muggy day. For $22 for all of this food, it's probably one of the best deals in the city. read more

Very nasty place to eat. Be careful of this rat infested place. Food make me sick the first time eating there. Plantin was the worst, lanb was not good reuse oil. Be careful of this place please. D.O.H need to intervene. read more

See all

As always, the food was immaculate. The yassa was falling off the bone and the rice was so soft. Only critique for the yassa was there was not as much meat provided as usual and they gave more of the pieces with bone than meat. The Tiebu Yapp (Jollof rice with lamb) (Thiebou Yapp) was delicious and was really tender. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the nem and fried chicken 100/10 recommend. Another thing that made it 4 stars was the long wait, there wasn't that much people but we still waiting a while for the food -- around 30 minutes. Nevertheless the people were so nice and I really appreciate their kindness. I needed to pray and they provided me with space so that was amazing! This place is a hidden gem and I would recommend for anyone! All of the food and drinks cost $65 total and we got a ton of drinks so that wasn't too bad. read more

See all

First time trying Senegalese food and I am hooked like tilapia. Oops, I meant I ordered grilled tilapia and the chicken dibi which were both out of this world - packed with immense flavor from simple ingredients! Also ordered the plantains which were all a chef's kiss Ordered all of this to go for less than $40 all together. Got home, started eating, and could not believe the amazingness retained in foil and a whole damn aluminum tray. So gooooood that I had to call my mama and tell her that I wanted to slap her. Cannot say much for the service, but who cares when the food tastes this great? Honestly, the food here alone has served me better than most of our government officials. Folks, this is a no brainer for those who are foodies or those who love to try something different! read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Grilled Tilapia - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

See all

Ok, this place is a winner! We got two dinners and shared them... fried tilapia with vermicelli side and lamb dibi with plantains. I couldn't begin to say what was best, it was my favorite kind of meal where whatever was in my mouth I didn't want to stop eating!! Just so you have a heads up, the tilapia is whole, but SO worth any extra effort and it was perfectly fried. We also got a couple juices from the case and they were pretty awesome too I may go back in the morning for breakfast (-: read more

See all

This spot is legit. I'm a huge fan of Senegalese food and love their national dish, Thiebu Djeun. While I'm not a native, I know good food when I taste it and Chez Maty wins for taste alone (tried at least 7 others in NYC). They make thee absolute best grilled fish (and accompanying onion sauce) anywhere in the city. It has a charcoal taste and is cooked perfectly. I only wish they could prepare it without the the bones. But as a half yardie, (Jamaican) I can make my way around a whole fish. My second favorite dish to order is their soupe kandje which is an okra-style soup with a bits of smoked meat and fish. Their couscous and broken rice is never over/undercooked and their plantains are always the perfect sweetness. Don't forget to order their ginger drink (best diluted with pineapple juice that I keep on deck). Thank God for UberEats since I'm too far for the other delivery services. read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Thiebu Djeun & plantains - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

See all

I'm Senegalese and the food is authentic. The dibi is really good and they are generous with the portion size.

Good place for comfort African food. We got served a huge plate of rice and lamb stew. I got the Maffe which is a peanut butter lamb stew. Very tasty. Came here for lunch w friend and we both left full and happy. Also got the ginger cold drink which was very ginger potent but on the sweet side so I added water to it after. read more

See all

Better than expected. This was my first time trying Senegalese food and I'm happy I tried it. I was intrigued by the peanut butter dishes so I got the Maffe. The meal was very flavorful and the white rice was cooked very well. The Malt ginger drink wasn't that good to me but it's worth a try. There are seats and a bathroom. The desserts look like basic American style cake slices. read more

This Senegalese spot, like many other African, Caribbean and West Indian restaurants I've been to, has an extensive menu full of great options... and most of them won't be available when you order. It's okay, because whatever they have will probably be delicious. We ordered the tiebu djeun (broken rice simmered in tomato sauce with fish, carrot, yucca and cabbage), maffe (peanut butter stew with lamb, potatoes and carrot served with rice), lamb dibi (grilled lamb) and mechoui (roasted lamb shank stuffed with rof spices). The tiebu djeun hit the trifecta of carbs, protein and veggies in a way that was actually delicious and very flavorful. The broken rice was especially moist and comforting because of all the other ingredients it had been cooked with. The mechoui was another favorite dish. The lamb was well-spiced, and I have no idea what rof spices are, but I'm pretty sure I like them. I also enjoyed the rich and hearty maffe. The peanut butter flavor leaned more savory than sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. We also got a side of fried plantains. Yooo these were amazing. The outside had just a little bit of crispiness and char, while the inside was soft, sweet and wonderful. Damn I could eat these all day. Everything was lightly to moderately spicy. The double burn of temperature hot and spicy hot had our sinuses clearing up like crazy. Also, the portion sizes were intense. Around my last few bites, my brain was saying yes, but my stomach was saying "For the love of god please stop." Both are good things in my book. read more

See all

Great food with good portions for the price. I enjoy it every time I go there. Authentic Sen food

This was my first time trying Senegalese food, and now I'm hooked. I've been reading good things about the chicken dibi and the tilapia, so my boyfriend and I ordered one of each. Each dish comes with a complimentary side. We ordered the couscous with the fish and plantains along with the dibi, although the plantains weren't on the menu and I think they ended up costing extra. I wasn't prepared for how massive these dishes are. One $13 order is absolutely enough to feed at least a family of two, unless you're capable of eating a weird amount of food in one sitting. We ended up getting a to go box for the chicken + plantains, because I couldn't just let this amazing food go to waste. So, everything was incredible. The fish (grilled) was nicely cooked and tender, with blackened spices on its crispy crust. The dibi was grilled to perfection and boasted a tangy onion sauce on the top and a creamy mustard sauce hidden at the bottom. But the sticky-sweet, heavenly plantains were my absolute favorite item. The couscous was pretty unremarkable, and we mostly didn't eat it, but I was picking at it a bit once I could no longer eat anything else because I was so stuffed. As if all of this wasn't amazing enough, we tried the famed ginger drink, which is the correct way to make a ginger beverage (I'm looking at you, ginger ale). The ginger flavor was very, very strong, to the point that it tasted spicy and left me panting for water, but it was also balanced by a nice sweetness. So freaking good; get this drink. I don't quite understand the low ratings for the service. Everyone from the lady behind the counter to the man who took my order was perfectly pleasant, and the lady took an interest when I said it was my first time trying Senegalese food and gave some recommendations for next time. Sure, the service was slow, but they seemed very busy with takeout and delivery orders, and cultural differences should be considered as well. Because of the reviews, I came in expecting outright hostile service, and we just didn't experience that. This is certainly a no frills spot lacking of decor, but we did enjoy the Senegalese concert that they were broadcasting on TV. read more

My wife has been raving about Tiebu djeun for years since spending time in Senegal; per her, this did not disappoint and was authentic and delicious Loved - Tiebu djeun - Maffe - Value of lunch special Liked - Thiakry read more

This was one of the most comforting food I have had in a while. The restaurant is plain and simple, but so worth the trek up to Harlem. Once you grab a table, someone will come over to take your order. After your meal, you pay at the counter. You can also get containers for your leftovers. Following one of the staff's advice, I ordered the Thiebou Djeun (Senegalese Fish and Rice), which is apparently the national dish of Senegal. The dish consisted of broken rice simmered in tomato sauce with marinated fish, yucca, cabbage, and carrots. The rice was unbelievably good and extremely flavorful with a spicy, fishy curry taste. It reminds me of laksa but without the sourness. The fish was somewhat spicy. Be careful of the little bones. It was also a huge portion for only $12. Along with that I ordered a side of plantains which were super soft and caramelized to how I like it. This was the ultimate comfort food. I had a taste of the Mechoui (Roasted lamb shank stuffed with rof spices) my friend ordered. I don't know what rof spices are, but that lamb shank was one of the most delicious bite of lamb I've ever had. It was so succulent and had such a great texture. It also came with a huge side of plantains. I also had a bite of my friend's Lamb Dibi. It wasn't as good as the lamb shank. A little more tough, but the flavor was good. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the African drinks. They also don't have all of the dishes everyday and usually have the more popular ones. I need to come here again ASAP. 5++++ stars for the food. read more

See all

Delicious and authentic. Best Bissap!! Enjoyed the Yazza and Maffe!! Everything I try is amazing. My Senegalese friends introduced me. They are sooooo busy and late hours are fantastic! read more

Tried out this restaurant a week ago. Food was delicious and hearty. We ordered the grilled tilapia which came with sweet onion sauce, sourish cabbage and a side of carb which I chose couscous. After reading all the reviews, I came prepared for what not to expect for service, I came solely just for the food. Food wise, this place certainly delivers! I will be back. read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

See all

Simple place but great food. If you like stewed food Cu fish is A-mazing!! And about the price of the food we were in shock, is very cheap and not related for what they're giving. Also good service! read more

Just upped the stars because the food is so good. I don't care if they treat you like shit and hang up the phone on you.

I was a little hesitant because Im semi new to the area but completely ignorant to Senegalese cuisine... That is until today! I tried the Dibi with white rice and the bessap. Bessap was nice although I was expecting a bit more tartness than the sweet I got. But I am going by the comparison to Caribbean sorrel. The Dibi was delicious and I am a lover of lamb so it hit all the right tones of tender, smoky/grilled goodness! Im definitely a fan and want to return! read more

Looking for halal places in East Harlem and this popped up. Never had Senegalese food so was up for it. However they didn't have a bunch of things on the menu. I really wanted to try the Mechoui, roasted lamb shank with rof spices but they didn't have it today. Hubby wanted to try the Suluxu, a stew with peanut butter stew lamb, fish and okra but they didn't have it either. Since hubby really wanted to try something with peanut gravy he had the maffe, it was ok. Not a strong peanut flavor though. I had the lamb dibi with brown rice. It was hands down the BEST lamb I have ever had in the USA!! And I'm always on the hunt for good lamb! The brown rice was delicious! There was just something about it! The onion sauce with it was great too! I had been dying to have the bouye juice, used to have it in Kenya, but they were out :( i did have the ginger juice that was strong and delicious! I highly recommend the lamb dibi and ginger juice!! Can't go wrong with them! read more

See all

Yum. Great food! I can't wait to go back! The portions are large and the prices are amazing.

Do not get delivery from here. An hour and 15 minutes AFTER I placed my order online, it arrived. Nevermind the fact that I work LITERALLY 3 blocks away from here. I ordered the Fish Yassa...which came in a container with primarily onions and sauce. There was ONE lonely piece of fish in the whole container. They also sent me an entire styrofoam container of RICE. Oh and I just remembered that I ordered a ginger juice which didn't come. Long story short, don't order delivery from here. I only ordered because I had their food in house and it was really good. Delivery is the TOTAL OPPOSITE. read more

Amazing place to get Senegalese food. 1) The food and drinks are very reasonably priced. 2) They are open late. 3) I got the lamb dibi and chicken yassa with white rice. It was awesome! 4) Make sure to get Bissap drink. It is unbelievable. Best drink ever! Huge fan! read more

See all

OK - first things first, setting expectations. This is not a highbrow place. It is low-key, low-budget even. I give it 5 stars because I go in knowing what to expect in the way of decor, decorum and flatware. All that really matters about a place like Keur is the food, and the food is delicious. I prefer low-carb, but the rice was so good we almost finished it. I have no idea what was in it: tomatoes, meat, herbs, butter - just guessing here. I just know it was good. Same for the barracuda (modestly called only "fish" on the menu). The cabbage melted in my mouth. The ginger drink was potent - perhaps too sweet, but that's my taste. Check it out. read more

They have seating but I would suggest taking out. Wouldn't really suggest delivery because it can take awhile. But....The Food is really really good. i have had the lamb dibi and grilled chicken. Both are super flavorful and huge portions. Overall the portions are big. If you don't eat a lot one entree to go is good enough for two people. Again I can't stress how good the food is, they just really really need to work on the quality of service. read more

Nice hole in the wall, reasonable prices, good portions, but out of stock on half the items and just not that interesting of flavor. I went here with a buddy just to check out something different. Thursday night 7pm completely empty, we were only ones there. A couple films got to go borders. Other shops in the area were half or more full. There are about 30 items on the list, basically lots of lamb and chicken. But they were out of about half of the dishes. So maybe we missed the best stuff. We got lamb with plant sins and peanut sauce with lamb. It was fine, but not really any different from a Cuban restaurant. So not bad, not worth a big trip, and maybe call ahead to see if they have all items in stock. read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Lamb with plantains - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

See all

Flavor is good, but in the lamb peanut stew there was only two pieces of lamb, mostly bones, one piece of fat half a carrot and no potato. Just sauce ordered for dinner and is not enough for a dinner portion, very disappointed that they didn't make sure the portion was even close to proper amount of meat read more

Pros: Nice chilled out place with warm and pleasant hostesses Authentic African dishes - presented well and explained Dynamite in terms of bold flavors - party on a plate Home made cold beverages and sealed Cons: Not a con per say - but the Ginger drink (it is just called Ginger) may be too strong and too sweet for most people - I saved most of mine and plan on drinking it with seltzer water later! Best African food in Harlem - I actually found the Wolof language channel playing in the restaurant to be very entertaining read more

See all

Some of the best Senegalese food I have ever had. The place isn't modern but it is very clean and the staff is very accommodating and friendly. I had a drink called bissop which was similar to sorrel and was very tasty. The bui juice which is made from the bui tree is amazing and I was told had lots of medicinal values. I can't express enough how good the.food was you just need to try it for yourself! read more

I was eating here when it was keur Sokhna now it seems to be under new management with new staff. The food that used to be rich and delicious is now very bland. The fish patties was over cook and hard as rocks. The broken rice and lamb was tasteless and greasy. My son had the fish and rice every bite of the fish had bones with 1 skinny carrot and a bite size piece of eggplant. The rich onion sauce that I'm used too was nothing but greasy saucy onions. And did I mention it was cold and over 1 1/2 hour before it was delivered. NEVER AGAIN I'm still tasting the grease read more

My favorite place to eat in Harlem . I love the rice , mafe,dibi, whole fish, onion sauce ,The service , The prices. this food is great !

One of thee best places to get authentic Senegalese food. Im a black muslim who goes to a predominantly african masque, so inquiring made me pretty verse in there dishes. Me and my lady order from here at least three times a month and I've occasionally have sat in by myself to fully indulge. Everyone working there are friendly and the service is decent. Grilled tilapia and couscous with a salad is usually my choice. But if I'm feeling adventurous I order the jollof rice. My only quarrel is that now african dishes have become more popular the prices have gone up a bit. But as long as the portions stay the same and the flavor of the food stays consistent I'll pay. read more

Great food with good portions for the price. I enjoy it every time I go there. Authentic Senegalese food

First time I sat in to eat. Did not even recieve a hello when I walked in. I had to ask where I can sit and the girl taking a picture of herself said "anywhere." She then came to my table dropped the menu and walked away. I Love the food here but service is horrible and I don't even know why. I sat there literally trying to figure out why this waiter is so rude. I know everyday is not a good day but It will be nice to walk in to a smiling face and friendly service. Food was delicious and enjoyed the african music playlist read more

Chez Maty Et Sokhna - Cheebu Yapp I belief...so delicious. #feelslikehome - Senegalese Near Me - Harlem, New York

One summer night, well midnight, I realized that I was hungry! I was visiting a family friend in the Bronx and demanded to be fed. I looked up African food, here on good ole yelp and found this restaurant. The food, is, amazeballs! The portions are huge! We went there and ordered take away and I was surprised when they handed me a medium size foil pan of food. Really? I only paid $14. The in store dinner menu told me that I ordered "grilled tilapia"..but I knew it tasted too good to be true, so next time I went back I checked the take away menu.. The dinner fish is actually trout! When you eat this food, it takes you to a barbaric state. You get the sudden urge to dispose all utensils and only use your hands and teeth. Customer service is Very good. They are polite, generous and patient. I dream about this food. Seriously. read more

Disclaimer: Let's just say I've been on a Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares bender for the past few weeks which has rendered me super-conscious of the environment where I choose to eat lately. I have eaten at Keur Sokhna a few times in the past and have been in there and another Senegalese spot about 3-4 times within the past week. Their Thiebu Djen is awesome. Rice seasoned to perfection and not greasy. Fish was fresh, white and bursting with flavor. On another occasion, I had the grilled tilapia. It was nicely crisped, but unfortunately some parts were inconsistently and overly salted. The rice that came with this dish was kinda hard and not fluffy and fresh. The onion sauce, perfect. My family had the Dibi and were split on the texture. One found it too charred and chewy, the other thought it was fine. I must say the fries that came along with it were freshly cut. Lastly, their bissap (not sure if it's made in-house), was way too sweet. I almost thought I got a concentrated mix that had to get cut with water. The place is a bit more brightly lit and less art-cluttered than most Senegalese restaurants in Harlem, but my main concern was the kitchen. I caught a glimpse of the goings-on as the doors swung open and closed and I'm not sure if I liked what I saw. It just looked too dingy for my taste. Later on I checked the DOH food inspection grades, and voila- a history of repeated unclean, preventable violations over the years that would've definitely steered me away from this spot had I known beforehand. Great food, very efficient and friendly service, but I can't eat there unless they get their kitchen and cleanliness in check. As of now, they've got a "pending grade" with a list of redundant violations.. OMG. What does it take for these places to stay consistent and CLEAN? Very frustrating. read more