Description
A reconfigured strip joint (no joke), Dahlak exudes the air of a private club: a bit cliquey, a bit hidden, set back from the street. The perfumed room, often hazy with the smell of frankincense burned during the traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony, is awash in spice. So are dishes like zegni beghie, lamb stewed with berbere, a brick-colored blend of chiles and spices that smolders and flares in the mouth. Or the kitfo, ground raw beef stirred together with sumptuous amounts of spiced butter and peppers. Or even the prismatically hued vegetable platter, with its fresh-cooked greens, gingery cabbage and carrots, and creamy red lentils.
