Where to Find Sephardic Jewish Food in NYC and Its Suburbs

According to a 2012 head count, of the 1.1 million Jews living in New York City, around 90 percent would be classified as Ashkenazim; that is, those whose ancestors came from Central and Eastern Europe, mostly arriving in the 19th and 20th centuries. The balance are Sephardim, principally of North African, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian descent. Many trace their lineage to Portugal and Spain, where their forbears were expelled by the Inquisition beginning in the late 15th century. Sephardic history in New York City goes back to the earliest days: a boatload of Portuguese-Jewish immigrants arrived from Brazil in 1654 when the city was the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Sephardic cemeteries are still found near Chatham Square and in Greenwich Village and Chelsea.

While the Central and Eastern European Jews brought along a familiar menu that has since become intimately associated with the city’s foodways — things like blintzes, bagels, pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup, knishes, lox, babkas, and cheesecake — the far-flung Sephardic Jews maintained a diet associated with their respective homelands, tweaked for their religious practices, cultural preferences, and the influence of all the countries that they traversed as they travelled. Take a peek at Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food (1996) or Sephardic Cooking (1992) by Copeland Marks if you want to get an idea of the vastness of Sephardic cuisine.

Beginning in biblical times, some Jewish tribes were native to the Middle East, including Turkey and Persia, and points east; today they are also referred to as Sephardim, and the two groups are considered one. Jews in this category have settled as far east as India and China. New York City’s Sephardim (some of whom, like the Bukharan Jews of Uzbekistan, arrived recently) settled in places like Midwood, Brooklyn; Rego Park, Queens; and Great Neck, Long Island. Here are 16 restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries where you can find Sephardic food. Lamb-fat kebabs, mango hot sauce, and the parabolic crackers called noni toki, anyone?

Note: We have used the most common transliterated spellings for Sephardic dishes; menu spellings may vary. [K] indicates kosher status. The nations of origin are listed in alphabetical order.

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CHINESE

Dish: malawach

Tsion Café: The chef of this Harlem restaurant, Beejhy Barhany, is a member of the community known as Beta Israel, born in Ethiopia but emigrated to Israel in the last few decades, and the menu shows it. Half of the dishes such as doro tibs, the fava beans called ful (pronounced «fool»), the fermented bread injera, and the vegetarian combo are distinctively Ethiopian. Other choices, such as malawach (a multi-layered pancake) and shakshuka, constitute typical Sephardic Israeli fare. As a bow to the Ashkenazim, bagels with cream cheese, and a smoked salmon salad are also served. 763 St. Nicholas Ave, (212) 234-2070

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INDIAN

  

Dish: Cornish hen with chiles

Dawat: Three major Hebraic communities established themselves over the centuries in Cochin, Mumbai, and Kolkata, India. While no restaurant concentrates wholly on their food, a few restaurants offer examples of Sephardic Indian food. Cookbook author and actor Madhur Jaffrey is chef consultant at Dawat, an elegant Midtown restaurant where a single Sephardic dish is attributed to the Cochin Jews of Kerala: a stew of Cornish hen with hot green chiles. It’s well worth ordering. 210 E 58th St, (212) 355-7555.

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by Robert Sietsema