Restaurant Review #2: Ngoma, Mid-Wilshire

Ngoma is a pan-African restaurant that serves specialties from all over the continent and discourages the use of silverware. In fact, it is the only pan-African restaurant in LA, which is rather exciting.

The service was extremely friendly and happy to explain the dishes. I didn't feel intimidated at all, even though the food was new to me. The food is inexpensive and generously portioned. The most exciting thing, in addition to having permission to eat a messy, saucy chicken dish with my hands, was my discovery of a delightfully gooey ball of stuff called fufu. Its consistency reminds me of mochi, though it's not as gooey, and it's not a dessert item. According to my research, fufu is commonly eaten in sub-Saharan Western and Central Africa. "It is a starchy accompaniment for stews or other dishes with sauce. You tear off a bite-sized piece of the fufu, shape it into a ball, make an indentation in it, and use it to scoop up the soup or stew or sauce, or whatever you're eating. In Western Africa, Fufu is usually made from yams, sometimes combined with plantains. In Central Africa, fufu is often made from cassava tubers. Other fufu-like foods, Liberia's dumboy for example, are made from cassava flour. Fufu can also be made from semolina, rice, or even instant potato flakes or Bisquick. All over Africa, making fufu involves boiling, pounding, and vigorous stirring until the fufu is thick and smooth." Click here for source and recipes.

The restaurant was fairly empty and quiet, with low lighting and more than ample space between the tables--great for a private conversation. If you want to take a foodie date somewhere off the beaten path, Ngoma is a great choice.

Ngoma
5358 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Cross Street: Detroit Avenue
Telephone: 323-934-1595
Hours: Tue.-Thu., 11AM.-10 PM; Fri. 11:00 am-11:00 PM; Sat. 12 Noon AM.-11 PM; Sun.12:00 Noon- 7:00 PM
$6.99 Lunch Special is served from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM, Tuesday through Friday.
www.ngomarestaurant.com

Restaurant Review #1: ZaZen, Marina Del Rey (now closed)

ZaZen's sleek decor, creative (sort of) dishes with raw fish, and very red interior lend it the trappings of trendiness, but its not-happening-enough location on the Venice pier and the large TV screen prevent it from being truly so. This is the type of place that the hopelessly hip go for a nice date, where the boy barely disguises his greater interest in the game while the girl wonders why her prettiness isn't enough to draw all his attention to her. I'm not a fan of trendy restaurants, and the place that tries and fails at trendiness doesn't make me any happier.

Their extensive drink list features a number of special concoctions guaranteed to knock you off your feet rather quickly--which makes sense, since the atmosphere screams pop seduction. Since I'm not much of a drinker, I always appreciate an actual drink list to prevent me from ordering something embarrassing (but tasty!) like an amaretto sour. Of course, who's to say that tried-and-true girlie drinks are any less embarrassing than the latest trendy martini?

The food is interesting and pretty good, though sushi purists won't find much to appreciate. After all, the menu is yet another Nobu wannabe: Latin-influenced raw fish. But that's fine for lots of people.

I went on a Monday night, and the restaurant was nearly empty, but hey, it was Monday. Based on the atmosphere, it strikes me as more of a weekend night, pre-club type of place. The thing is, ZaZen is clearly not a place of culinary or aesthetic inspiration. It's very LA in its imitation of supposed hipness. But if that's you, then there's no reason you won't enjoy ZaZen, and though it's not me, I'd much rather be dragged here before a night of dancing than to El Cholo.

Parking on the pier is difficult, so you'll probably want to valet it for $5. The valet, which serves the entire pier, is on the slow side.

ZaZen
30 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 305-4010