Tam Tam Restaurant

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  Went here for Dinner with a friend on a Saturday evening.  The restaurant is Senegalese, and I'm Nigerian so the dishes are close in concept to what I'm used to just different enough to bring me out.  I had the Grilled Tilapia, which came with a stew/pepper sauce that was very good and not too spicy if thats a concern for you.  Dish also came a local salad I guess which was ok but I could do without, and I had Couscous instead of rice.  Couscous was good, kinda hard to mess that up.  I picked some plaintain off my friends plate, they were sweet and not greasy so that was a plus as well...Overall was a good African style dinner ...most meals around $10 ... If you desire something a little different and good, try them out.

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  Posted on 06.10.13 Eze A.

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  I ate here about a month ago. It was a weekday during lunchtime and it was very empty. There was a decent length menu but when we went to order there were only a handful of items available. This usually means the dishes are being prepared fresh only using suitable ingredients so I appreciate this but I would have been easier to just have a menu board. The food had very distinct flavors unlike anything I have had before. I was not a huge fan, but I also have no reference point when it comes to Senegalese food. The atmosphere was a bit strange as it was very dark and most of the lights were off.

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  Posted on 03.25.13 Kait H.

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  I stopped in here for some adventurous cuisine while on a 500-mile car trip.  The first thing I noticed is that I'm pretty sure I was the only non-African in the place, so it must be the real deal.  Also pretty sure I stuck out like a sore thumb.  I enjoyed the food.  It was fun to eat that big boiled plantain, and experience whole cassava (what we call tapioca in America) done the African way.  Fish was nice too.

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  Posted on 12.15.12 Mark F.

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  I had lamb chops with plantain. The first few lamb chops were soft & delicious but those underneath were charred &  tough, 2 condiments  were served with them: spicy mustard & peppery onions that had a vinegary taste. The plantains were fabulous. The Bissap was great  The Chep was a bit on the tomato sauce side but was good. Of course it cannot compare to what I ate in Dakar. Also,  they DELIVER to DC from Baltimore on Thursday and Saturdays but you must order 1 day in advance.  Nyila, the owner's daughter was super nice, polite, thoughtful,  and sweet. She was a fantastic waitress who was very attentive to our needs. It is sooooo refreshing to see well mannered children under the age of 18.  Kudos Nyila!!!!!

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  Posted on 12.10.12 Akuba M.

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  Dropped by on a whim and had their grilled chicken fantastic fantastic best grilled chicken this side if the East Coast. I will be trying out their tilapia, yassa somewhere along the line I am sure it will be wonderful.

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  Posted on 07.08.11 Kojo B.

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  I'm surprised no one has reviewed or even listed Tam Tam yet on Yelp.  It's a great Senegalese restaurant on the north side, featuring traditional cuisine from West Africa.  There used to be a good Senegalese place in the Charles Village - Remington area, I think, but it's long gone.
  
  Tam Tam is unimpressive from the outside; it looks like an old divey nightclub or something, but features a bright yellow awning that you can't miss.  Don't go in the corner entrance; look a little to the south where a sign says something like "take out entrance." As you enter, you go through a small foyer before arriving in the main restaurant / nightclub.  The interior is a combination of wood paneling and white plastic-covered tables and chairs that might not seem inviting to some.  But don't be dissuaded!
  
  I actually ordered take out, so I can't really talk about the dine-in experience.  It's likely that many of their customers just order take-out, so don't be afraid if the dining room isn't full.  It doesn't mean they're not busy.  But even if you order ahead, expect to wait a little when you get there.
  
  Another thing: while you can look up the menu online, they might not have everything all the time.  A better approach might be to ask "what do you have tonight?" and go from there.  
  
  But always ask for the tiebou jen (rice cooked in tomato sauce with parsley-stuffed fish and vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and cassava) - you'll notice that the rice is actually broken into grains.  That is to make it easier to form into balls in one's hand, the traditional way of eating rice in much of West Africa (though there are many who eat it with spoons!).  It's the national dish of Senegal and not to be missed.  It can also be had with chicken or meat (tiebou guinard and tiebou yapp respectively).  The rice can be a little oily, and the fish stuffing can be a little hot, so bear that in mind.  Ours was a little heavy from oil, but nicely seasoned and with a generous serving of chicken (no fish on the day we went).
  
  Other dishes to try include the yassa, a lemon and onion sauce cooked with fish, chicken, or meat and served with white rice.  The most traditional version is with chicken, but we had ours with fish.  The sauce was lemony and the chopped onions soft but still distinct.  No other vegetables come with the sauce, so bear that in mind.  Again, the fish was a generous chunk, enough for at least one more lunch.  
  
  Maffe is a peanut butter and tomato sauce cooked with vegetables and meat and served over rice.  I haven't had Tam Tam's version, but it's generally a very good dish.  Other dishes show the cultural influences on Senegalese cuisine: Nems are a kind of Vietnamese eggroll that Senegalese veterans of the wars in Indochina brought back with them; chawarma are a type of lamb pita that the many Lebanese who inhabit Senegal brought with them when they came to trade there; and curry is another sauce that shows the influence of other cultures.
  
  Know also that Tam Tam serves no alcohol (Senegal is a predominantly Muslim country).  But there are great drinks on the menu - bissap is a hibiscus drink, "ginger" is a traditional sugared ginger drink (of course) and they also have mango juice on the menu.  The one to go for is the mysteriously labeled "ataya," which is Senegalese tea.  Normally it's served in three consecutive glasses which go from stronger and more bitter to weaker and sweeter, Arab-style.  I don't know yet how Tam Tam serves theirs, but if you do order it, know it's not a cup of hot water with a tea bag in it!
  
  I'll be going back to Tam Tam, and here's hoping you try it too!  
  
  Bon appetit!

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  Posted on 12.02.09 Modibo S.

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