05/31/08

Really cute garden!

by bklynlee

I love this restaurant, I really love bouillabaisse and they do one of the best I've had outside of Marseilles. A few months ago, we had dinner in front of their open kitchen. It was very interesting, especially when the server would show us some of the plates of food and telling us what which was before we ordered our dinner. Visually, the food is beautiful. I don't think we would have tried the Korhogo salad or the lamb otherwise. For dessert, we had chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream. Standard, but I love chocolate and it ended our meal with a sweet note. Our server was attentive and unobtrusive and the manager recommended a nice bottle of wine. I was craving the bouillabaisse last week, my husband and I returned and found out there was a garden! We sat there and it was delightful. I tried the seafood stew this time and it was a treat. I don't know which I like more - bouillabaisse or seafood stew? Of course, we had the Korhogo salad, the lamb shank and chocolate cake again, we are creatures of habit. The server was nice and knew her menu well. We will be back before the summer's out to sit in the garden!

• Pros: Beautiful garden, bouillabaisse, lamb shank, chocolate cake...
• Cons: It is pricey, so its a special treat for us.

05/28/08

Could be a gem..

by BDawn

A delightful garden and an inspired menu, yet one nasty and unpleasant proprietor genuinely detracted from the evening. The kitchen struggled and the food was inconsistent, but of the hits they were genuinely savory. Salt seems to be an overbearing and present feature in the dishes we tried (save the goat cheese terrine). Sadly ,the indellible memory of the evening was the subpar efforts on the service end. We were greeted rudely and engaged rudely. Not worth the money for the quality in all aspects, save the setting.

• Pros: A well rounded menu which tantalizes the imagination
• Cons: You feel unwelcome and unwanted upon arrival

Even without a waterfront view, there's still an air of the sea at this charming French-African bistro in Carroll Gardens.

by Erin Behan

The Scene
An arresting black-and-white photograph of a pine tree anchors the ochre-colored room, which is simply but tastefully decorated with wooden tables and complementary striped fabric. The small window-facing room is cozy in winter, with the rear garden as the summer hangout. Neighborhood-friendly service and an open kitchen connect the restaurant with its patrons.

The Food
The flavors of the African coast from chef Abdhul Traore's (Les Enfants Terribles) menu awaken the senses. Take the Korhogo salad--its simple combination of endive and crisp pear with a honey-balsamic topping reminds your mouth of an island vacation, as do the crisp cod fish fitters. Save oversalting, most entrees fare similarly well, with the heavyweight Casbah lamb shank getting a complex rub of ras-al-hanout spices (a mix of many traditional Moorish spices like cumin and coriander). The sun-dried tomato-tinged bouillabaisse gives a fresh taste of the sea without veering into fishy territory. Desserts are attractively plated and uniformly good.

Hits: Your mouth will rejoice at the diverse spices--saffron, curry, cumin--and your senses will smile that this isn't just another French bistro.

Misses: The problem of oversalting, and the sometimes inconsistent entrees (lackluster shrimp, divine lamb) make the price tag less easy to swallow.

01/30/08

Great food, friendly service, cool ambience

by kn5

This was our 1st time to Korhogo's on a Friday night, we were 1 of the many couples that night. First of all, the ambience was just what we were looking for- warm and woody with candles adding the touch- loved the wall decorations.

The food was simply yummy- good portions for the price. We had 2 appetizers, a main entree and finished off with a dessert each. We had the bozo bozo (fish of the day) with a savory kenyan sauce (out of the world!)

Service was excellent- very friendly and warm.

Its a small place but it was not busy on a chilling night, so we were happy. They also have a garden which I'd like to try in summer.

Overall, definitely recommended.

• Pros: food, service
• Cons: wish it was in the city