Go West: Kilimandjaro
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
While most African spots offer ginger juice on the drinks menu, Kilimandjaro ups the Senegalese beverage game by blending the ginger with your choice of mango or strawberry juices.
- 4317 Chestnut St., 215-387-1970
- hours: noon to midnight daily
- recommended dishes: chicken yassa, chawarma, thieboudiene, ginger mango juice
The West African restaurant closest to Center City is also the most accessible, with comfortable booths, a welcoming waitstaff and even a credit card machine. While most African spots offer ginger juice on the drinks menu, Kilimandjaro ups the Senegalese beverage game by blending the ginger with your choice of mango or strawberry juices.
You can start with fataya, spiced beef patties wrapped in pastry, or the house salad, a crisp plate of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and onions topped with poached shrimp in a sweet-tart, mayonnaisey dressing. The go-to at lunchtime is chawarma, an African take on the classic Middle Eastern pita sandwich stuffed with your choice of chicken, lamb, beef or all three. The chicken yassa, a lemony dish of bone-in chicken with onions, vinegar habañero and mustard, is another solid bet along with the thieboudiene, smoked fish stewed with palm oil, chiles and tomato paste.
