Korhogo 126

Grilled calamari and baby octopus

Photograph: Shani Bar-on

It might surprise diners that bouillabaisse, the classic provençale fish stew, counts the cuisine of West Africa among its culinary kin. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that chef Abdhul Traore, an Ivory Coast native, has recast what was once the Gallic bistro Bouillabaisse 126 as a French-African fusion eatery. The snug dining room at Korhogo, which means “heritage” in the Senufo language and is also the name of an Ivorian town, is painted in warm yellow tones that suggest African desert landscapes, while an enclosed back garden provides a cooler vibe. The open kitchen that separates the two demonstrates Traore’s sharp take on African and European classics. The seafood Grand Bassam, a traditional Ivory Coast dish, offers generous amounts of shrimp, scallops and other shellfish in a lightly spiced tomato broth, francofied by a pistachio-rouille–topped crouton. An appetizer of juicy grilled calamari and baby octopus tossed in a briny tapenade vinaigrette is pure Mediterranean, while an escargot starter, the soft critters nestled in a heady Pernod–red-wine sauce, is a tip of the hat to France. The meat dishes we tried matched the seafood in skill—we relished the tender braised lamb shank in a cardamom-inflected broth. For dessert, a millet cake beautifully utilized the underappreciated grain in a moist, corn-bread–like round, though we could have done without the uninspired pool of chocolate sauce. And while a marjoram-strawberry tart bloomed with berry flavor, the merely good dish might have been great if we had actually been able to taste the herb. Minor flaws aside, it looks like Korhogo could be poised to become a neighborhood mainstay—whether you’re in the mood for African, or French.

—TONY