NYCReview
Included In
When we see a menu that covers a lot of ground, it can make us nervous. It's hard enough to do one cuisine well, let alone several. Zou Zou’s in Manhattan West has dishes influenced by almost every North African and Eastern Mediterranean country—but, in their case, the menu's breadth and variety works like a mashup song you can't get out of your head. They use sauces and seasonings in surprising combinations, and by the end of your meal, you'll be inspired to mix and match more things in your life. (But mismatched socks are still dumb, so don't do that.)
As soon as you sit down at this upscale spot from the team behind Don Angie and Quality Eats, your server will probably tell you that the portions are big and that there’s no real distinction between entrées and appetizers. That’s why you should bring a group of friends, and share some subtly spicy, merguez-flavored lamb tartare (with some crunch from bulgur) and a refreshing fattoush with a thin layer of crispy pita bread that you crack apart like the top layer of a crème brûlée. Other highlights include the fresh and bright scallops with dehydrated raspberries and the well-balanced fluke with thin slices of pickled red radish. If you have to choose just one, we give the slight edge to the fluke, because of its vibrant, hunter green zhoug.
photo credit: David A. Lee
The wood-fired hearth in the open kitchen is impossible to ignore, so you’ll want to try something from it (and you should). Get the plate of tender lamb chops that come with warmed cherries and charred onions that provide sweetness and smoke. Or, when the server starts describing the duck borek, just interrupt with, “Okay, we’ll take one of those.” It’s like a big pie in the form of duck sausage wrapped on all sides in a pastry crust, and it'll remind you very much of baklava. At some point—and we don’t care if it’s for dessert—order the hot kasseri cheese, which comes bubbling in a cast iron skillet before the server pours arak over it and lights the whole thing on fire. This dish is the archenemy of all lactose intolerant people, and, not to get gross, it’s worth whatever consequences may come.
photo credit: David A. Lee
The high-ceilinged, glitzy dining room at Zou Zou's has a socialites-in-evening-wear grandness about it, but that doesn’t mean you’ll feel out of place having a casual get-together here. With a perpetually-packed room every night of the week, we can’t help but think that people who live and work in the area have been thirsting for a less-boring spot like this. The food at Zou Zou's is satisfying and creative, and when you walk out of this place, you'll start to look at random things in your life and think: "Maybe those things do go together." But getting drunk and texting your ex is still a no.
Food Rundown
photo credit: David A. Lee
Cured Local Fluke
photo credit: David A. Lee
Fattoush
photo credit: David A. Lee
Dips
photo credit: David A. Lee
Manti
photo credit: David A. Lee
Hot Kasseri Cheese
photo credit: David A. Lee
Smoked Cherry Lamb Chops
photo credit: David A. Lee
Duck Borek
photo credit: David A. Lee