Does it Chew?

Tasting the Menu at Choukouya

On March 28, 2021 Choukoya Resto Bar held (what I believe was) their first menu tasting event.  To start, let’s consider the venue.  Choukoya has a beautiful laid back setting, from the dim lighting to the Afro-Centric paintings, beautiful décor, comfortable chairs, mirrored walls, and an acoustic system and stage allowing for both DJ’s and live music.  Upon arrival the staff was not quite ready to begin the tasting, however they did inform the tasters that there were staffing issues however they event would continue, with the owner manning the serving tables and explaining the dishes himself.  Soon after the DJ began playing music until the band, Tribe of Eli, was ready to play.  The first appetizer was toast with a delicious garlic sauce.  It was very nice; however I was unable to catch the name.  Then we were brought a sample of the Pomme Lyonnaise.  The potatoes were nicely fried however; I and my table mates couldn’t help remarking that they were missing salt, or perhaps would be very nicely paired with the sauce that accompanied the toast.  Then (after a wait) several appetizers were brought out and served buffet style.  Unfortunately a few appetizers ran out towards the end of the line, however management and staff made and brought fresh ones to the table and they were tasty.  The appetizers consisted of sweet potato fries, meat pies, fried plantains, salad, and African Doughnuts.  The various fried fries and salad were fine but standard and the African Doughnut is reminiscent of a very crisp, slightly lest sweet beignet, the plantains were nice with thick slicing that left the sweetness and texture intact.  The over arching star of the appetizers were the meat pies, which are similar to Jamaican meat pies, yet are unique due to African seasonings with the noted flavor of lotus beans (Choukoya also offers a vegetable version of the pies if you prefer not to eat meat).  Shortly after we were served the Riz Mosaique and Jollof rices, well seasoned chicken wings (Poulet Roti), Fruit De Muir (?),  fufu, and the sauces consisting of eguissi, peanut, and feuille.  Each rice dish was fine yet very standard but would probably be greatly improved with the juices of your main dish poured over it; the chicken wings were seasoned, juicy, and delicious, and the Fruit De Muir(?) was a delicious, slightly sweet coconut milk based sauce with seafood and veggies.  For those that have never had the pleasure of eating fufu, fufu is a soft ball of pounded cassava that is very much like a stiff ball of mashed potato making it a perfect conductor for sauce to mouth.  The peanut sauce tastes very similar to very smooth, freshly ground peanut butter which could pair well with rice, egussi is a flavor bomb which I can only describe as Africa, and the feuille was a surprising and refreshing blend of spinach and collard greens that maintains is fresh green taste in spite of being well stewed.  After the buffet service of the rice and sauces, the owner and event organizer came to tables with red snapper, tilapia, two types of lamb, and steak.  The fish was very well fried and well seasoned due to marinating prior to cooking.  The various meats were tender and well seasoned, a bit fatty (which I prefer because fat keeps meat juicy and enhances the flavor), and all around delicious.  I left the event happy, well fed, and (most importantly) informed of the flavors of Choukoya making it easier to try something new at a new favorite place.

Neutral Ground, Chattanooga, TN

Recently I found myself in Chattanooga TN with a few hours to look around.  Naturally, I wanted to check out the local flavors, so I decided to seek a black owned restaurant near the hotel to support, and I stumbled upon Neutral Ground.  Neutral Ground has a New Orleans/ Afrocentric themed menu, and is housed in Proof, which is an incubator for several small businesses.  The decor was fresh, upbeat and trendy, with an upscale yet casual feel (picture an evening after a concert, or a first date where your date would like to impress you with the food and atmosphere, yet have the flexibility of a comfortable atmosphere where you can dress down and have a genuine conversation).  Additionally, Proof has a visually impressive bar (granted I did not partake, and chose to take my meal to go so that I could get back to the hotel).  Overall Proof provides a great environment to try out some new cuisine.

    Now, on to the food (and please bear in mind that I took my food to go, which should be factored in)!  I ordered the Smoked Brisket Yakamein (pictured), which is their signature dish.  The noodles had a nice mouth feel (I believe they are house made) and they soaked up the flavor of the broth nicely after soaking in it a bit.  Additionally, there were two big beef brisket balls, which were tender, flavorful, and smoky, and they held up well within the broth.  Additionally, there were some radish slices and green vegetables (spinach?), which added a bit of texture to the dish.  The soft boiled pickled egg was a nice touch, as the sharp, tangy flavor cut the rich flavor of the brisket, and was a nice touch.  The meal brought to mind a fusion of Asian noodle soup and Barbecue.  If I had any recommendations for improving the meal, it would be to add a few more vegetables, (maybe some Enoki mushroom, bean sprouts, or cilantro- although I am no chef).  Also, I would have loved to have the whole egg because it was such a refreshing addition (granted, I would buy the eggs by themselves to eat as a snack).  Overall, the meal was enjoyable, and I would recommend Neutral Ground if you find yourself hungry in Chattanooga!

An Evening at Afrika Taste and Lounge

Recently I had the opportunity to try a new Afrikan restaurant in the Greater Cleveland area; Afrika Taste and Lounge.  I was understandably excited because there are few West African options in the area, and I was looking forward to further exploring the cuisine as well as finding a new haunt to frequent.  The decor is modern, with a spacious bar at which one can sit.  The drink I tried was very tasty, albeit high end, as the prices of the signature cocktails were around $15.00 each.  Earlier in the evening a mix of mellow, Afro Centric music played while I enjoyed my meal, which changed to a more contemporary selection of hip hop around 9 PM.  The menu includes a few unheard of options such as Pepper Snails and Pepper Soup, although admittedly in limited quantity and/or subject to availability.  Ironically, I found myself ordering my go to-Egusi Soup.  The Egusi Soup was flavorful, although it included more sauce than I am accustomed to.  No worries though, the extra sauce helped to rehydrate the fufu during reheating.  Overall I found the food flavorful, and look forward to trying more options down the road.

Sav’s Restaurant & Gourmet Ice Cream

While on a trip to Lexington Kentucky I decided to engage in one of my favorite pastimes, trying food from a black owned restaurant.  Lexington did not disappoint, as it had several black owned restaurants, with a noted amount of African restaurants in particular.  Admittedly I was intrigued by the opportunity to try fresh African selections, so I decided to order from Sav’s Restaurant & Gourmet Ice Cream.  The menu had many options, some that I have tried before and some that I had not, but ultimately I decided to try the Yassa Poulet, which is a tangy, flavorful chicken dish, and a Fataya, which is a beef patty.  

Let’s start with the Fataya, which is similar to a beef empanada or Jamaican beef patty.  The crust was buttery, flaky, and tender with a delightfully golden brown crust.  The filling was meat forward and well seasoned.  Upon tasting the Fataya, I practically inhaled it; it was that good.  If I had to make any complaint, I wish it was a bit bigger to justify the five dollar price tag for one, however I am fairly confident that I would order the Fataya again if given the opportunity in spite of the price tag.  Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the Fataya.

Now we can tackle the main course, which was the Yassa Poulet.  Yassa Poulet is a chicken dish that is built on the flavors of onion, ginger, and carrot.  It was bright orange and zesty and tangy, and although it was a bit sharper than I am accustomed to, it was quite delicious.  When I say ginger forward I mean just that, however not in the Chinese/Asian food kind of way.  The ginger is balanced with a punchy tanginess that brings to mind vinegar which allows the natural sweetness of the carrots to shine through and uniquely features the ginger flavor.  I ordered my meal with fufu instead of rice, and the consistency was very similar to mashed potatoes (perhaps I expected it to be a bit thicker if I were to eat it as a swallow, yet it was fine when eaten with utensils), and the meal included a standard, albeit well dressed salad.  Again, if I had any complaints I wish there was a bit more protein, as fifteen dollars feels like a bit much for a dish that consists of two chicken legs.  Overall, I enjoyed my meal from Sav’s Restaurant & Gourmet Ice Cream; I wish I could have eaten more (and perhaps tried the Gourmet Ice Cream).