- Jason’s Little Kitchen’s November West African Supper Club, Maida Hill Place
Jason’s Little Kitchen, the West African supper club, had a dinner on Sunday 22nd November in W9. All of Jason’s dishes were made using the best British organic vegetables, and ethically sourced meat and fish. There was Fried Yam and Red Snapper, and costed just £37.50 per head. He wanted to create a 3 course meal where you could experience the fine flavours of West African cuisine. Serving traditional West African cuisine with a modern touch saw great dishes such as Nkatie Yoghurt Crunch using a luscious vanilla yoghurt as the base of the dessert and a peanut cake called ‘Nkatie’.
- The Groundnut Pop-up Restaurant in New Cross
The Groundnut pop-up supper club was open for 6 nights earlier in July at the Lewisham Arthouse. The Groundnut is a project organised by Duval Timothy, Folayemi Brown and Jacob Fodio Todd – to draw attention to the food of their childhoods, especially their heritage in Western and Eastern Africa – while also exploring new ingredients, novel combinations and our takes on traditional recipes. They also have a Groundnut Cookbook showcased at the Southbank Centre. Earlier on the year, Groundnut featured at the Tate Modern giving people the chance to make their own. Their banquet style food went down a treat. Tickets were £30pp. Let’s hope that there are many more to come!
- Chuku’s Chop Chat Chill Pop Up in Clapton
Living in Spain for a year reignited brother and sister Emeka and Ifeyinwa’s passion for cooking, it made them feel a lot calmer and reminded them how much they enjoyed seeing other’s enjoying his food. Whilst Emeka loved cooking, Ifeyinwa loved eating, “I love good food, food that tastes good but is also good for your body. I love how food brings us all together and stimulates conversations – it’s more than just nutrition, it brings families together” says Emeka.
Chuku’s – Chop, Chat, Chill pop-ups are about exploring their Nigerian heritage, showcasing and sharing it with others through the medium of food. “We prepare Nigerian-inspired tapas, an adaptation of Spanish tapas, alongside African music and art, to create a relaxing and open atmosphere for chilling and conversation”. The London based Nigerian Tapas kitchen, who’s menu included, chin-chin cheese cake and okra and feta pies stylishly reflects the direction African food is going; taking traditional recipes and shaking it up!
- LemLem’s Kitchen, Netil Market
Lemlem’s is run by husband and wife team Makda and Jack, who serve Eritrean-inspired food from a wooden hut in Netil Market. Lemlem’s serve delicious wings. A rich, intense coating sticks to the meat, which has been powerfully flavoured with awaze, an Eritrean and Ethiopian spice paste. The paste is made with berbere, which is a rust-red spice mix made from dried and ground chillies, plus other spices including nigella and fenugreek. There are many different spice combinations and variations, and the type of chilli is very important. So crucial in fact, that Makda gets hers imported from Eritrea. The resulting flavour is deep, sun-roasted and earthy. Lem Lem is open every Saturday and selected Sundays: 11am – 6pm.
- Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen in Brixton
It all started five years ago with a stove and a large pot of West African Peanut Butter Stew sold out of her studio flat at Hackney Wick Arts Festival. Now young British foodie and former Goldsmith’s student Zoe Adjonyoh is at the forefront of a new wave of Ghanaian food in London and across the UK.
Adjonyoh, creator of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, hopes to give the public a taste for something different by serving up traditional Ghanaian favourites with modern twists such as griddled lamb cutlets with a spicy peanut sauce; jollof spiced fried chicken and her own take on kelewele (spiced ripe plantain).
The pop-up is housed at Pop Brixton, a new space which aims to support local jobs and enterprise. She’s delivering her new and original take on Ghanaian food and seems to sticking around!