By Alaena Hostetter
A brand new restaurant Taste of Nigeria just debuted a lengthy menu of Nigerian eats near the Galleria. The new eatery, located at 5959 Richmond Avenue, is from Ayo and Tiffaney Odewale, the husband-and-wife team behind Cafe Abuja.
“We opened Taste of Nigeria based on demand in the Galleria area; there’s a decent population of Nigerians here,” Tiffaney tells Eater. The new spinoff is larger and has a more upscale feel than its predecessor. Diners will find seating for about 50, wood-clad walls, punched copper pendant lights, and a bar (unlike at Cafe Abuja).
As far as the menu is concerned, the Odewales expanded that also to accommodate more Nigerian tribal cuisines, according to Tiffany. “There are a lot of tribes in Nigeria,” she explains of her husband’s home country, leading to a rather lengthy menu of more than 50 dishes.
Diners will find traditional Nigerian soups made from bitter leaves, mango seeds, okra, palm nuts, honey beans and more ingredients, alongside “pepper soups” with fish, goat, or oxtail and African spices, which are served with rice. Diners can also find Cameroonian spiced grilled or fried seafood plates served with yams, rice, shrimp, and salad, or rice and bean plates toped with protein like fish, oxtail, beef, chicken, and goat.
The Odewale culinary history extends back to Nigeria, as Ayo’s mother was a caterer there and he grew up cooking with her. “Opening restaurants here was dream of ours,” Tiffaney explains.
Taste of Nigeria is now open and serving up traditional Nigerian eats from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily except for Mondays.