James Okonkwo
November 30, 2025
Harlem's Finest Is Rewriting the Rules
Chef Washington is doing something truly important at Harlem Standard — he's telling the story of the African diaspora through food, and doing it at an extraordinarily high level. The jollof rice risotto is genius: the technique is Italian, the flavor profile is West African, and the result is creamy, tomatoey, and deeply satisfying.
The berbere-spiced lamb was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the Ethiopian spice blend creating a crust that was aromatic and slightly numbing. The plantain gnocchi were pillowy and sweet, tossed in a brown butter sage sauce that bridged two continents.
The cocktail program — featuring spirits from Black-owned distilleries — is a statement in itself. The art-deco room, once a jazz club, feels like history breathing. This is destination dining in every sense.
The berbere-spiced lamb was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the Ethiopian spice blend creating a crust that was aromatic and slightly numbing. The plantain gnocchi were pillowy and sweet, tossed in a brown butter sage sauce that bridged two continents.
The cocktail program — featuring spirits from Black-owned distilleries — is a statement in itself. The art-deco room, once a jazz club, feels like history breathing. This is destination dining in every sense.