teranga

i can't remember where i first heard about teranga but it was a while ago and i have been itching to go. finally i just decided to round up some friends and go one monday night. key to such a plan is having friends who are adventurous eaters and who are not scared of the west side, because teranga is a tiny, hole in the wall senegalese restaurant in hartwell.

drive slow or you might miss it

hole in the wall usually means damn good in my experience. what i have found is that if a place doesn't serve really tasty food, it can't make it if it is both unknown and lacking in ambience. my theory proved true at teranga.

the group chowing down

you walk in and it's just a really small place with a few tables (i had called ahead to arrange seating for our group of 12). most of their orders are to go. the people who work there appear to all be senegalese and probably related. some of them didn't even speak english (excellent sign in a restaurant in my opinion) but they are all super friendly.

moment of truth: the food. here is a breakdown of what we ate:

dibi, aka grilled lamb. most of us ordered this. it was tasty but somewhat tough and overcooked. there were a few bits here and there that were medium rare and those were delicious. also those onions were completely addictive.

beef brochette, aka kabobs. really yummy. i think it was medium well to well done, but it was a lot juicier and more tender than the lamb. the spices on this dish were awesome.

firire, aka fried tilapia. this style of onions was also damn good. i really liked this fish and it might have been my favorite until i tasted...

...the grilled tilapia. OH MY GOD. my tastebuds still have not recovered. this is the absolute best fish i have ever had in cincinnati. it ranks right up there with whole fishes i have eaten on the beaches of costa rica, guatemala, mexico, and thailand. maybe not as fresh (well definitely not as fresh) but the preparation is amazing. claire ordered this and the minute she started to slow down, i shoved her out of the way and began ripping meat off of bones and shoving it into my mouth in a mad frenzy. i know it's rude but i literally could not stop myself. it was that good. run, do not walk, or you could drive i guess, to teranga and eat this fish asap. you can thank me in cash.

a note about portion sizes: they are huge. many of us ordered two sides instead of the one that most dishes come with and it was way too much food. however the upside is that you then have lunch the next day. the couscous was ok but kind of dry and bland, and the plantains (maduros) were excellent. we also tried the juices (bissop, which is a sweet fruity blend, and the ginger drink) and they were super sweet and delicious. they don't serve alcohol, but i bet they would let you bring your own.

the sides. top: plantains. bottom: couscous.

this place is a hidden gem. everything is good, some things (ahem grilled fish ahem) are amazing, and it's all cheap (everything is $10 or less). definitely make it a point to go here.