Help - West African cuisine?

[LightlyStarched]

Dh really wants to try a new restaurant featuring West African food. Is anyone familiar with the cooking from there? I have a menu, so I think I can narrow it down a bit, but do I need to be wary of sugary or floury sauces?

Most of the meats seem to come prepared two ways, either regular or curry:

Curry Goat (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Goat (tomatoes, mixed Vegetables and African spices)
Oxtail (ginger, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Curry Oxtail (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)

etc
etc


I'm okay with tomato-based sauces.

This sides are: Rice, Fufu (Yams/Garri/Corn), Potato, Fried Plantain.

I have repeatedly told dh I can eat "anywhere" so I want to make this work.

I like oxtails so I think I'll order them and just try a bite of the fufu and plantain.

Is anyone familiar with this cuisine? Anything special I should know?

[LightlyStarched]

Oh, and there are lots of other things on the menu:

Coconut stew
Tomato stew
Okra stew
Ndole
Groundnut stew
Traditional Spinach and Peanut stew
Cabbage stew


Are any of these things recommended by anyone familiar with them? Anything that's a can't miss?

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]West African? Or East? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]This seems more eastern w/ the coconut, ginger, curry, spices etc.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Eastern is pretty influenced by Indian b/c of the old trade routes and the spice trade on Zanzibar. I just got back from there like 2 months ago – AMAZING!! Western, like Moroccan, is more Middle Eastern believe it or not – like couscous and tagines. A Tagine is really the pot the cook it in, so it could have ANYTHING in it. But mostly it’s a rice or couscous based w/ meat and veggies – the spices vary regionally based on what’s local and what they have on hand. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Moroccan you’re set – order whatever you want, just leave the couscous/rice whatever on the side! Eastern you’re pretty set the same way if you’re okay w/ the tomato or curry sauce. Just avoid the plantains – or acknowledge that they’re off plan. I LOVE them and ALWAYS eat the slice that comes w/ your entrée at Cuban restaurants. But I only go to Cuban restaurants like twice a year and STILL don’t eat the rice. Plus it’s a SLICE not the whole plantain. In Morocco a couple of years ago I wasn’t on plan at the time. But they do a lot of almonds too – it wouldn’t have been hard even w/ the snacking. Maybe a little boring w/ a chicken tagine every day twice a day, but doable!![/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]I’m not terribly strict, and sometimes you have to be flexible – like when we were on vacation in Africa. I was w/ a group plus not into the seafood. But I think if you just order something you like that is basically meat and veggies, don’t worry about the sauce (flexibility), and avoid the rice/couscous; you’ll be fine! Down tons of water, don’t weight tomorrow and hit the gym for like an hour of cardio. Actually weigh again in 3 days. Unless you’re super sensitive you’ll be pretty much where you started off, but won’t have gained! I don’t remember the curry sauces being terribly sweet anyway, the coconut sauces might have been, but even the coconut curry wasn’t sweet.

[/COLOR]
[COLOR=seagreen]You lose 3 days, but if you look at this as a “for life thing” and not a race to goal and reverting to high carb, then it was a celebration not a cheat. And a minor one at that. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Ethioian? I’ve never been but have been to restaurants – just ask for a fork and don’teat the spongy bread. I don’t like it anyway, but it’s a lot of grilled meat and even hard boiled eggs! [/COLOR]

[amiga74]

Originally Posted by LightlyStarched

Dh really wants to try a new restaurant featuring West African food. Is anyone familiar with the cooking from there? I have a menu, so I think I can narrow it down a bit, but do I need to be wary of sugary or floury sauces?

....
I'm okay with tomato-based sauces.

This sides are: Rice, Fufu (Yams/Garri/Corn), Potato, Fried Plantain.

I have repeatedly told dh I can eat "anywhere" so I want to make this work.

I like oxtails so I think I'll order them and just try a bite of the fufu and plantain.

Is anyone familiar with this cuisine? Anything special I should know?

Sounds like a great restaurant to try out with your dh, Lightly Starched! it also seems like you have a good game plan-enjoy!
i don't think you have to be worried about overly floury or sugary sauces.

[LightlyStarched]

DTA - thank you!! It definitely says "Bantu Bistro - West African Cuisine". I was a little scared to go there, but you've made me excited to try it. Our date night is always First Friday (there's fun "First Friday" stuff downtown every month), so this will be a special meal and well worth stretching the definition of allowed foods.

I've had Ethiopian before and loved it - especially some kind of raw beef/tartare type dish.

Whoo hoo this will be fun!

[murray6789]

I think yassa guinar would be a good choice; it's chicken and onions, so not very very low carb, but there generally aren't refined carbs or grains in it. If you don't mind a slightly higher carb choice, mafe is DELISH. It's generally lamb or chicken in a groundnut sauce. So so good, and again, no refined carbs or grains in it.

Of course, as others have noted, you are gonna have to resist the carby sides. We like our carby sides here in Africa!

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]Now you have me craving spinach and peanut stew!! But love spinach AND nuts. Never thought to put them together!!![/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]That's why I LOVE being open to new stuff, food wise at least. And probably why I travel. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]East Africa was AMAZING - we sailed around Zanzibar and went on Safari in the Serengeti. Morocco was just plain fun! But some of that was the way travel is ALWAYS fun. You meet other travelers mostly or ex pats and hang out like you've known each other forever. Our Riad owner (german married to a local) made us an incredible crishtmas eve chicken tagine. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]African food would actually be WAY easier to stay on plan w/ than say Italian w/ pasta & bread!! On Zanzibar the seafood would have kept me legal. We had LIVE squid in a cooler on out boat that didn't die till we cooked it, and shrimp another night as big as your forearm. I had hot dogs those nights. It even smelled amazing, w/ a garlic butter sauce for the shrimp. But I'm just not a sea food eater. I've tried - it's a texture thing. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]I like Africa and South America even better than Europe for travel since you can get regular food! Seems counterintuitive that the more third world type places are more varried in their cuisine. BUt Europe is A LOT of pork and ham sandwiches! I'll eat it, but it gets old! Does chicken offend them somehow? Chicken is actually hard to come by! In Africa and South America I've been able to find beef and chicken w/ no problem! Well Europe has beef, it's just expensive there than it is here. Plus the dollar is in the toilet at the moment!![/COLOR]

[pocahontas]

I love Ethipopian and Moroccan but I have never had West African food. It sounds delish! It also sounds like you are doing a great job of researching before you go. Im sure you will do fine.

[Etoile*Noire]

West African cuisine does not add sugar in main courses, but depending on how strict you are, beware of lots of onions and tomatoes. Actually, the onions are very reduced so they often lend sweetness to sauces. The sides tend to be high in starch (plantain being high in sugar content), but any leafy kale-like greens are OK.

Enjoy!

[LightlyStarched]

Okay, two recommendations for the spinach and groundnuts. I'll make sure to try that.

I love trying new places and foods that I "can't make at home". Its been hard doing without Pad Thai and Vietnamese Pho. On the other hand, Brazilian rodizio was incredible and it sounds like African is promising. I just have to find new favorites.

Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge.

[LightlyStarched]

Doing This Again - your travels sound really interesting. I hope to start doing some major globe trotting once my kiddos are grown. My dream is to either house swap or rent out my house and rent apartments for 6 month stretches in various cities. I want to see Reykjavik, Stockholm, Tokyo, anywhere in Argentina or Brazil, and on and on....

Don't you think Anthony Bordain has a dream job? That man makes me drool.

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]is next on my agenda for later this year! I will eat a steak every night for 2 weeks - and be flexible about the wine!! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Yeah I'm 31, no kids; and this is why I don't own a house and can't pay down my student loans. But I have like minded friends to travel w/ who don't mind sleeping 4 to a moderately priced hotel room. We graduated from hostels (barely). Couldn't do it at all if I had to pay to tote around a family of 4. Couldn't do it if I wanted to own a house or even a condo. These are my priorities. I might regret it when I'm old and haven't saved. But for now - I love my travel!![/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]I still need to hit Scandinavia and swear I'm going to ski iceland some day. Too many places on the list, too little time!! But planning while I'm still right here is half the fun. Travel book shopping, tripadvisor, eating out in a restaurant of where we'll be going. Picking cities w/in a country to hit, itinerary plotting. I love it!! [/COLOR]

[WannaBcute]

[QUOTE=LightlyStarched;11660063]Dh really wants to try a new restaurant featuring West African food. Is anyone familiar with the cooking from there? I have a menu, so I think I can narrow it down a bit, but do I need to be wary of sugary or floury sauces?

Most of the meats seem to come prepared two ways, either regular or curry:

Curry Goat (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Goat (tomatoes, mixed Vegetables and African spices)
Oxtail (ginger, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Curry Oxtail (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)

etc
etc


I'm okay with tomato-based sauces.

This sides are: Rice, Fufu (Yams/Garri/Corn), Potato, Fried Plantain.

I have repeatedly told dh I can eat "anywhere" so I want to make this work.

I like oxtails so I think I'll order them and just try a bite of the fufu and plantain.

Is anyone familiar with this cuisine? Anything special I should know?[/QU






I went to a cafe with Ghanan cuisine. I had a bowl of goat soup. I was sooooo spicy I suffered for days. They made me eat 3 bowls of rice to calm my tummy down. Later I told the priest from Ghana about it and he howled with laughter. He said that is the best kind of food in his country. So be careful. Just like Ethiopian,Thai and Indian food- you have to ask for the spice level you like or you might get a shock . Have fun!

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]I always thought Ethiopian was kind of bland? Not bad, just very basic meats, etc. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Never tried Ghanan though, seems like fun! Inidan & Thai are usually spicey but not too bad. Thai is spicy, but not the intense heat. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]HA HA HA my poor dog, like 10 years ago at x mas we had fed her nothing but cheese cubes for hand outs. She's pretty spoiled, that's like 50% of her diet. Dog food is sort of there and optional should she want more. We realized after like 2 days no one had seen her poop. We let her lick the traditional x mas eve chinese take out containers, including the chilis from the sauce but don't eat! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]She has a stomach like a champ though! Never seemed to affect her one way or the other. A day or so late we realized we might have just missed her poop if she went out in the yard on her own!![/COLOR]

[WannaBcute]

[QUOTE=Doing this Again;11661484][COLOR=seagreen]I always thought Ethiopian was kind of bland? Not bad, just very basic meats, etc. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Never tried Ghanan though, seems like fun! Inidan & Thai are usually spicey but not too bad. Thai is spicy, but not the intense heat. [/COLOR]



You must have had the American versions........a lot of Ethnic food is toned down for the American palate. That is why you have to specify what you want. I used to go to the Ethiopian,Thai,Islander, Latin,Eastern European and Laotian church celebrations and have frequented many of these ethnic cafes-all of my friends (owners)have toned down the dishes to reach a wider group of diners.They think Americans don't like hot cuisine.If you want hot they will burn your nostrils out if you are not careful. That is why I said to be careful.

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]Nope - I meant like when I was in Thailand and India. Haven't been to Ghana yet, but I'll be concentrating on South America for the next year at least. Argentina this year for sure and probably Brazil next year. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]It's not that it wasn't spicy - but the rice served w/ it sort of absorbed the heat and spread it out. The chinese on x-mas was from an american place. But my sister's college roommate's family owned the place. They usually toned down the spice the way you explained, but when she brings it over herself she brings us someting new/not toned down to try. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]I think we function like their test group for stuff they should or shouldn't put on the menu.[/COLOR]

[WannaBcute]

I agree completely about the menu. I had a fight with my cousin's Nigerian hubby about that last night. I still say that some of the food will burn you up from the inside out.Bland--hardly.LOL. Your stomach may be more able to tolerate it. Most people' aren't that lucky. Hey, do you have pics of your travels? Man I love those. My friend just came back from Thailand and her pics are amazing! What can I say I travel through others.......

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]I actually had a camera stolen in Italy when I was backpacking in college. I've been bitter about lugging it around for 6 weeks only to lose all the film AND the camera ever since. So I don't even own a camera anymore. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Although since the advent of digital my friends are pretty good about posting their's from all of our group travel. I can PM you a link to the site where she keeps all of her for us to access. It won't include every trip b/c I haven't been on every trip w/ her. BUt our most recent at least. She's the friend I'm planning for Argentina w/. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]Funny story about the Agora in Greece? We were there in 2002 when Digital was just getting to be affordable. One of us had a digital camera and we were goofing around posing for pictures w/ our heads posed above the headless/armless whatever statues. The Greeks take their historical sites VERY seriously and this was not allowed. Yet ehy still didn't POST that this wasn't allowed. They wanted to confiscate the film b/c of the "trick" phtography. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#2e8b57]Ummm - digital no film to confiscate!! They WOULD not understand the digital thing, and we would not give up expensive cameras. Eventually we just left rather than trying to explain. They tried to explain it as sacriligious - except we weren't talking about religion, but history! The temple was up on TOP of the hill not down in the Agora! An agora is just a market place. We might have been being silly w/ the pictures, but we're interetsed enough and studied enough history to know that!! [/COLOR]

[WannaBcute]

LOL...what memories.You are lucky to have had such fun. I understand about the camera. Mine was stolen just going from Seattle to Greensboro years ago. I have never replaced it. Thanks for posting. I enjoyed it.

[afuentes]

Originally Posted by LightlyStarched

Dh really wants to try a new restaurant featuring West African food. Is anyone familiar with the cooking from there? I have a menu, so I think I can narrow it down a bit, but do I need to be wary of sugary or floury sauces?

Most of the meats seem to come prepared two ways, either regular or curry:

Curry Goat (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Goat (tomatoes, mixed Vegetables and African spices)
Oxtail (ginger, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)
Curry Oxtail (tomatoes, mixed vegetables and African spices)

etc
etc


I'm okay with tomato-based sauces.

This sides are: Rice, Fufu (Yams/Garri/Corn), Potato, Fried Plantain.

I have repeatedly told dh I can eat "anywhere" so I want to make this work.

I like oxtails so I think I'll order them and just try a bite of the fufu and plantain.

Is anyone familiar with this cuisine? Anything special I should know?

I would just aske for the sauces on the side and starches off the plate. Keep the veggies.

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]Did you go on Friday? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]what did you have? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]How was it? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Have you weighed in again yet? Everything still on track? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]Let us know![/COLOR]

[MarcellaSF]

BUt Europe is A LOT of pork and ham sandwiches!

Your travel sounds fantastic, but I don't know what you mean by this. If you only look for sandwiches, I guess you'd find these, but that's certainly not the extent of the cuisine in any European country!

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]A LOT of my trips to Europe were when I was still in college (or at least school, some were in HS, some were in grad school). That was pre LC for me, and pre any money to spend while travelling. So yeah, it probably was mostly the sandwiches I'm remembering. I've been back a few tmies since then, but mostly just stop overs en route to Africa. One trip to Germany/BeneLux again as a stand alone trip. Noticed the pork as always, but we definitely had better food options at night having money to go out to a propper restaurant. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]There are ALWAYS americanized (or like Indian/Chinese in London) type options, like pizza, pasta whatever. OTHER than that still seemed kind of porkish to me. Which I even like, just gets old when you can't really find chicken (or not easily or not w/ more than a single chicken option), and the dollar is so low for ordering beef that's already more expensive over there. Not that it doesn't exist - but when you look at your practicle options left, the third world comes out WAY ahead on options. [/COLOR]

[LightlyStarched]

It was very good! We ended up going for lunch - our babysitter got called away. There was a more limited luch menu, but I had curry chicken, sauteed cabbage, a little bit of rice that had the curry sauce on it, and a few of the fried plantains.

I think the plantains may have had a light coating of starch - they were very yummy and were served with a spicy dipping sauce.

The curry was wonderful and if I had been home I might have licked the plate, lol.

I'm going to try to recreate the cabbage dish for dinner tonight. I could have eaten a whole bowl of that alone.

Next time I will order the curry with a double side of cabbage and skip the rice.

The whole meal was spicy, but in the good way that makes you keep saying yummy and eating more.

Highly recommended!!

I will have to go back again and try the groundnut and spinach stew.

[LightlyStarched]

Oh, I haven't weighed myself since December and I probably won't again until my annual physical this December.

I am gauging progress by days on plan and clothing sizes. The scale is too arbitrary to be a good measure of how I'm doing.

If we just *ignore* the maybe slight bit of crispyness of the plantains that may or may not have been caused by flour, I'm still on plan and still feeling good.

[Doing this Again]

[COLOR=seagreen]I know it's horrible - but I'm a scale junky. I swear CONSTANT (as in daily) feed back is what keeps me motivated. Luckily I usually see a loss at least accross the week. And seeing a daily bounce up reminds me where I might have been too flexible. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]These past 2-3 weeks have been killing me! I started training for an open water 3 mi swim, and had to seriously tinker w/ my food. First I was just hungry, and then a friend found me online calculators and we realized I need to eat WAY more food to fuel that. Then I actually felt dizzy, weak and light headed; so I started climbing the carb ladder - I had no plans for that until next year at least!! Now I'm starting to normalize and working on taking some of the carbs back out again. I'm up around 140ish carbs /day (110-120ish net). Which isn't low carb at all - but they're all fruits and veggies, and ancillary carbs from like dairy or other legal foods. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]My weight is of course bouncing up, and up, and then down in the process. I'm hoping it all figures itself out!! I'm not swimming 8 miles a week & running 10 for FUN! It's all still for the sake of weight loss. If I'm going to GAIN weight being this hungry, then I'll do my even in May and go back to like a 2 mile swim w/ reasonable amounts of food, and a reinduction. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=seagreen]I am totally impressed you managed to ditch your scale. I truly wish I could. But it takes WEEKS for measurements to change. And while I'm still in plus sized cloths I feel like a single size lasts 40 lbs!! That's not the instant gratification I need!! Doesn't mean I get it everyday - but I still crave it! [/COLOR]

[rockette79]

I have been lurking on this thread and now I want to go to this place. I live in Phx too and all this discussion makes me want to drag some friends there. I know a few people who are addicted to the 1st Fri festivities so next time I think I'll join them.

[bantu bistro]

Bantu Bistro Chef-Owner Locked Out
By Michele Laudig in Chow BellaThursday, May. 14 2009 @ 11:21AMEmmy Ayafor, the Camaroon native and now former chef-owner of West African eatery Bantu Bistro, has left his CenPho restaurant and is searching for a new location in Phoenix to reopen his concept.

Ayafor had opened Bantu in the former Johnny's Uptown space in December, but after a recent dispute about taking over the lease from Johnny's owner John Taillefer, Ayafor found himself locked out of the building on April 22. Ayafor says that Bantu is still open (Taillefer "hired Americans to cook my food," he says) but that he is no longer involved.

Stay tuned for more info on Ayafor's new location. He's also asked me to post his email address for anyone interested in contacting him: info@bantubistro.com

[bantu bistro]

will open a neew place soon

[zerotolow]

Lightly Starched, I don't have any definitive knowledge of West African cuisine. I'd probably go for spinach and peanut for my side dish. I dislike goat but I love oxtails.

Your avatar pictures are phenomenal.