This week’s restaurant finds me and my dining companions getting all international up in hurr! As a typical American, I know next to nothing about Africa aside from these three things:
- In 1985 they ran out of food so the biggest music legends of the day (and Dan Aykroyd) got together and made a song, thus ending world hunger forever.
- If Disney is to be believed, all of the animals can talk and will occasionally stage their own version of Hamlet.
- It’s one-stop-shopping for Madonna when she finds herself running low on impoverished orphans.
Surprisingly, I’ve had African food before. Ethiopian food to be exact. I remember liking it a lot so I was hoping that the offerings of East Africa would meet or beat my already high expectations. At the very least, it was going to be an exciting adventure through Africa all without having to leave the comfort of my white privilege. My dining companions for this trip were:
Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many
Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner
Anna-Educator, flannel wearer, still mad at us for going to Snooze without her
David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain
Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason
Jackie-Awesome Soprano, fellow East Coast transplant, Has a Vegas story or two
Mandy-Writer, Top-shelf level geek girl, lives in my pocket
You would totally eat these people. That’s not a typo. The subject of cannibalism came up more than a few times…
Our waiter greeted us with one simple question “Who likes ginger?” then offering Ginger Lemonade, which several of us (including me) had and it was lovely. You can’t beat the spice and heat of real ginger and this drink had it. None of us were sure why the lemonade was red but ALL of us were sure it needed vodka.
The signature appetizer of Flavors of East Africa is the Sambusa; a fried pastry with savory and sweet fillings. They offered a wide variety but also a single plate with all seven flavors. Yes, please! Spicy beef, chicken, shrimp, spicy lentil, potato, spinach, cream cheese with pineapple/coconut flakes and shrimp filling. They weren’t kidding around when they called anything “spicy”. These little pastries had some serious kick to them, but all were super tasty. Highest marks from the table going to the cream cheese/pineapple/coconut. While all of the Sambusas were tasty, what they were not was clearly identified on a plate. Amy is vegetarian and could get sick from accidentally eating meat, so we took care to cut each one open and taste it before sending the veggies over to her with confidence. Jackie wisely likened the plate to a “Vegetarian minefield”.
The main courses arrived before long. Mandy ordered biriganya (chopped eggplant cooked in a creamy tomato basil sauce with African spices), Sukuma (Collard greens mixed with cabbage sautéed in mild spices and fresh garlic), and Sombe (Cassava leaves mixed with spinach, celery, parsley, leek, green pepper and eggplant). While she wasn’t so impressed with the Sombe, Mandy loved the Biriganya and Sukuma.
Anna ordered the shortrib with Hominy and Lentils, which she enjoyed. She said the flatbread was a great opportunity to mix components and create an “African Burrito”. We assured her that if she ordered Avocado, she would be forced to sit at another table. Amy ordered the “Vegetarian Entree”, comprised of Nyoyo (Hominy, kidney beans, potato and carrots cooked in olive oil, fresh garlic, tomato and onion), Dengu (avory lentils cooked in garlic, onions, curry and creamy coconut milk) & Wali (African spiced yellow rice). She loved the Nyoyo and the rice especially. It’s worth noting that this place has a lot of vegan options, which is nice to see as I have several vegans that are close to me.
No animals were harmed in the making of this dish.
Harry & Jackie both ordered the short rib as well but with differing opinions on the final product. Jackie had eaten Flavors of East Africa’s food before at various farmer’s markets that they are stationed in but had never dined in this restaurant. She found the experience of the farmer’s market to be fresher. She found the short rib to be a bit tough and the hominy a tad undercooked. Harry enjoyed his short rib and was particularly taken with his sides of Hominy and rice.
A table divided: The controversial Short rib met with mixed reviews.
The most adventurous diner of our party was Aimee, who ordered Oxtail. She raved about it. The meat was perfectly cooked, “Fall off the bone” tender. The harmony of the dish was outstanding with the rice and spicy collard greens, which perfectly offset the fatty meat. David and I both ordered the Chicken Curry with side of Biriganya and Wali (African spiced yellow rice). Whereas David wasn’t so in love with the chicken, I loved it. Tender, juicy cuts of chicken with creamy sweet coconut milk based sauce. The rice and eggplant were perfectly accented with the piece of flatbread accompaniment. The big stars of the meal for others at the table were these sides, many citing the rice as their favorite. An explosion of flavors. I damn-near licked my plate.
A fantastic plate of food. I might actually have to learn something about this culture now.
The meal concluded with an “African Donut” which was honestly a let down. It was basically a tiny piece of scalding hot flatbread with a very modest dusting of sugar (and by “Modest”, I mean they pick up a bag of sugar and show it to the donut). It was unimpressive but not nearly enough of a dim spot to bring down my review of this place. I was sad to see it wasn’t busier. The food is good enough to warrant a constant flow of business. Here’s hoping more folks will discover it.
The Boy Who Ate San Diego 