Eko Kitchen – Norfolk Street

On my way to the pub yesterday, I swung by Eko Kitchen on Norfolk Street for a quick bite to eat. I remember coming here not long after it first opened in 2015 with some friends that led to a disastrous meal which was nearly two hours late! This was clearly new restaurant teething problems so I was willing to give them another try. After all, it was over 6 years ago now and there are only a few African restaurants in the city.

The place has a cafe feel to it with a counter and a few tables. There were two TV’s on the wall with some African channels on which was great to watch while eating (I always love watching TV from other countries).

There are a good selection of dishes on the menu. Most of it I was unfamiliar with, which was great for people like me always looking to try something new. Luckily there were pictures which helped me navigate the menu and gave me clues to what sort of things to expect. The staff were very helpful and explained the food and which dishes are good for pairing. I noticed Ogbono Soup, which I was warned had a very strong taste and may be a bit much for someone unfamiliar with it…so naturally I had to try it!

The waiter serving me recommended mashed yams to go with it, which I remember having from my last visit. I quite enjoyed it then so thought I would give it another go.

It is no secret that Nigeria is big on Guinness, being the biggest consumer of Guinness in the world. Looking on the menu I noticed several unfamiliar Guinness products including Malt Guinness. This is a non alcoholic malt drink which was not only incredibly bold and delicious but also packed with vitamins.

The food came out in good time and smelt great! I went with Goat meat for my Ogbono soup which was served with the bone still on the meat. This is done to keep the flavour, though can be a bit of a love hate thing with some people as picking the meat off the bone can be challenging and messy.

The yams were a great addition to my soup as they soaked up all the sauce really well while still being able to hold its structure. The Ogbono soup really packed a punch (as warned). It was a bold taste which lived up to its hearty reputation. I can really see why this would not be for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it myself. I found the portions to be a little misleading as a majority of the goat was bone but the flavour was undeniable.

 

Thanks for reading!