A Perfect Blend of Ethiopian and Swedish Flavors: Our Romantic Dinner at Hav & Mar
Hav & Mar is the latest addition to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s growing list of excellent restaurants. Located in the arts district of West Chelsea (W 26th & 11th Ave) in New York City, this is a must-visit restaurant for seafood lovers.
Hav, meaning honey in Amharic, and mar, meaning ocean in Swedish, draws on Samuelsson’s Ethiopian and Swedish roots to present a seafood-focused menu that highlights his dual heritage. I first found out about the restaurant through Resy. Familiar with Chef Samuelsson’s work from the iconic Red Rooster in Harlem and his two Michelin starred Aquavit, I was excited to try out his new restaurant and was able to make a reservation for a few weeks in advance on Resy.
The colorful interior of the restaurant is stylish and modern, with a nautical theme that immediately transports you to the coast. I particularly liked the well-designed round tables with wooden paneling which had multiple points of entry / exit, convenient for accessing the table if you dine in a larger group – the last thing you want to do during a meal is have to keep getting up to let people enter or exit a booth-style table.
After checking in for our reservation, the hostess guided us to our seat. There was a two- seat table next to us, but there was a third person sitting in between our two tables. As we got closer to our table we quickly realized it was none other than Chef Samuelsson himself! I had to try and sneak in a picture! Later during the meal he came around to our table and greeted us as well. He was super down to earth and asked how we were enjoying our meal.
For anyone that knows me, I love a good spicy cocktail, and the Turaco hit the spot. Made with tequila reposado, the cocktail includes lime, toasted avocado pit, bergamot, and berbere spices, reminiscent of a margarita. I enjoyed the drink so much that I had to order another one later during the meal. Other cocktails that looked interesting were Jet Set, Silent Partner, and Coquito, the seasonal cocktail. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list if you’re looking for wine to pair with the seafood.
We started the meal with the Mar Teff Biscuits. Prior to eating here, I had no idea what teff was, but these were hands-down my favorite part of the meal. I found out that teff is a fine grain from Ethiopia (also used for making injera) and is gaining popularity as a superfood. The biscuits reminded me of cornbread with honey butter. The warm, fluffy biscuits were something so simple yet so well done and tasty. I will definitely be re-ordering these every time I visit!
We opted for the Seaside Waffle in the small plates section. This dish was like chicken and waffles but elevated with seafood. I figured that if Marcus Samuelsson knew how to nail chicken and waffles, then waffles with seafood sounded like something unique we had to taste. The waffle was topped with shrimp, mussels, octopus, crispy bass, uni-butter, and maple syrup.
We also ordered the Hamachi with Black Ceviche which had onions, apples, and fennel. The Swediopian and Lobster Bird were the other options we were considering in this section of the menu.
Our server recommended the H & M Roasted Chicken and the corn-wrapped snapper which we decided to try. We chose the brussels sprouts on the side as per our server’s recommendation as well. We later realized the chicken came with brussels sprouts, so we could have probably skipped ordering them as a side. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, but we could have probably gone with another more-unique entrée. The snapper was delicious and the flavors paired well with the crispy coconut rice and salsa verde sauce.
We ended our meal with the corn husk chocolate pudding served with a horchata ice cream and white chocolate sauce and berries. The dessert was a nice finishing note to the meal.
Overall, Hav & Mar exceeded our expectations. The service was top-notch and the food was absolutely delicious. If I had to rank the dishes we ate from most to least favorite, it would be: teff biscuits, corn-wrapped snapper, brussels sprouts, seaside waffle, hamachi with black ceviche, corn-husk chocolate pudding, and finally the H & T chicken. Every single dish was incredibly fresh and expertly prepared, I just now know that I would definitely reorder the biscuits and snapper every time I revisit. We can’t wait to go back and try more items on the menu – if you’re a seafood fan, Hav & Mar should definitely be on your list of places to try!
Related Links
- Restaurant web site – https://www.havandmar.com/
- Location
- Hav & Mar Instagram
- Hav & Mar Menu
- Chef Marcus Samuelsson
