Tasty Terenga UPDATE – Boston

When I was a kid, I felt bad for poor little Bo Peep who lost her sheep. If I had suspected that her entire flock had been reduced to tasty platters of Terenga technique, perhaps I would have found that nursery rhyme even more uplifting. Though it was a bit cruel to give that poor shepherdess false hope about her sheep coming back. Then again, what kind of incompetent shepherdess manages to lose an entire flock of sheep?!

Moving along to ladies who took better care of their pets, forget Mary’s fleece-white-as-snow Bouye, the Bissap is where it’s at! This sweet purple juice concoction is sweet as sugar but finds a familiar tang of fruit. It’s my new favorite rarely-attainable juice (sorry, Orangina, you’ve been usurped), and I’m not just saying that because purple is my favorite color. Though it helps…a little…

I still recommend the Accara for the white-sand-beach texture, but that might be because I just miss warm beaches after a frigid Boston winter. White-mud-snow doesn’t quite cover the craving…then again, if what you’re missing is the fruits of the ocean, the soft Croquettes de Poisson with garlic and cilantro are a means to an entrée. Try at your own risk – this is NOT for those who abhor the aquatic.

Nothing quite tops the couscous with Cushings in the Thiebou Yap, IMO, but the marvelous Michoui tastes as pretty as its name. Tender lamb that falls free from the shank before it even hits the table with the full flavor of lamb accompanied by non-Cushingoid couscous is a clear winner.

Sorry Little Bo Peep, but at least one of your sheep won’t be coming back wagging his tail behind him. His chop was tasty though a bit dry, but the soft sweet potato fries topping it made it that so much more okay. Not nearly as exciting as the Michoui, but the Dibi holds its own – who doesn’t crave a well-made shoulder chop from time to time?

Clearly Terenga knew how to handle its sheep better than Little Bo Peep as there was nothing lost about that deep gamey flavor of the lamb. That meat just fell off the bone, and it went down so easily with a sweet swig of Bissap. I may live across the street from Toro, but sometimes I’ll walk right by it for Terenga!

Tasty Terenga - Boston

I am astonished that I lived down the street for over a year and never managed to uncover this hidden gem. The diminutive, nondescript storefront is lost to the gimmicky, commercialized neon signs of Laz Café, and the overpriced, never-enough-inventory-to-fill-the-store wine shop, and they’ve probably turned me, as well as other inhabitants of South End, off to the fabulous food in between.

So let’s commence with serious props for the fabulous food in between. Let me laud Terenga’s luscious lip-smacking meaty menu, matched only by Terenga’s vegetarian menu, an equally extensive plethora of dishes for hungry herbivores. Even bigger props for making veggie dishes that match the meat dishes in content and flavor.

To start, I drank the Bouye after being told that it was what heaven tasted like. Sadly, I found that godliness cannot be created with an overload of cream and vanilla sugar, which buried the flavor of the bouye. The Accara appetizer is a tasty small plate of perfectly fried ovals of black-eyed pea batter, which leaves a Fergalicious crispy-sour aftertaste.

I failed geography as a child, but after the Thiebou Yap entrée, I think Senegal might be closer to China than I thought…maybe that Pangea/continental drift hypothesis has some truth behind it after all…Think Senegalese fried rice. Think uniquely-flavored comfort food, replete with rich lamb and broken jasmine rice. The lamb is a bit dry and the caramelized onion topper can be a bit salty and overwhelming, but all of it meshed into an amazing combination of textures and complementary flavors for a delectably unique polish. My previous love in life was torn between jasmine rice and a well-made orzo. Both have been indubitably usurped by Terenga’s broken jasmine rice. Think couscous on steroids. Lots of steroids. Think couscous with Cushing’s. Except it’s good…Unlike Cushing’s.

The Thiou Legumes, a sharp tomato stew with perfectly balanced veggies, has me delightfully confounded. The sauce and the veggies are beyond reproach, but it’s hard to say how much of my delight was the dish and how much was the mere presence of sweet potato. Now THAT is a veggie worthy of divinity.

Final thoughts: Terenga masters the art of cooking simultaneously simple and rich food that I can only describe as something I’ve never tasted before. I only tried two dishes this time, I intend to try more, and even stretch marks couldn’t keep me away from the couscous with Cushings.