Yassa, suya and moin moin may not yet be culinary terms that form part of every food lover's lexicon. Yet West African cuisine is making a significant impact on London’s dining scene. There have long been neighbourhood restaurants offering home-style ‘auntie cooking’; now the choice is more diverse, from Nigerian small plates to high-end tasting menus created by chefs of African heritage who have worked in avant-garde kitchens. There is always a delicate balancing act of tradition and creativity: adapting yet staying true to the cultural essence of the African diaspora.
Jodi Hinds/Akoko
Such was the success of Nigerian-born Adejoke Bakare’s tiny Brixton village restaurant Chishuru (itself the result of winning a culinary competition) that she is planning to open a bigger and better replacement in Fitzrovia in early summer. Meanwhile, check social media for her pop-ups. Her dishes range from peppered pork belly with charcoal-grilled peppers and onions to bavette dusted with suya, a fiery blend of ground chillies, ginger, garlic and onion powder with fermented locust beans and ground peanuts. Vegetarian dishes include sinasir served with fermented carrots and tangerine besides atassi, rice and black-eyed beans with spicy and sour cabbage. Bakare’s breadfruit ice cream may become the ice of the summer.
Where to try ‘auntie-style’ traditional no-frills dining: Enish
Nigerian owned Enish first opened in the capital’s outer neighbourhoods and have recently opened in W1. This is the closest to West African ‘auntie food’ if you don’t have an ersatz auntie and the menu is huge. The dining experience is no frills with laminate top tables and the menu choice is authentic. Start with a snack of peppered gizzard and plantain. There’s ognono soup, a rich African broth with wild mango seeds, palm oil and pumpkin; asun: peppered grilled goat; and grilled croaker fish with yam.
