Elevated, creative Nigerian cuisine
In the wrong hands, Nigerian food can be intimidating to newcomers. The spices are unfamiliar, the stews are brimming with oil, and there is a penchant for using viscera like goat’s head, cow’s stomach, knuckles, and feet. The latter is delightfully described as “assorted”.
For a gentle but flavourful introduction, come to Afrobeat Kitchen. They take out the squeamish parts and elevate dishes with modern techniques and fusion ingredients. They are the only ones in Toronto that fit into the chic mid-range Nigerian category. And they are doing this as a virtual kitchen.
The food
I’ve tasted a lot of jollof rice in Toronto, both Ghanaian and Nigerian. In its most basic form, jollof is just rice cooked with tomatoes and mild spices. The most complex form is party jollof, a celebratory dish involving time-consuming cooking over firewood.
Afrobeat Kitchen’s party jollof is hands-down the best. There really is no competition because they can afford better ingredients and cooking technique at a higher price point. While other restaurants mass-produce jollof rice and smack of commercial spice mixes, Afrobeat Kitchen’s version was deep and smokey. They didn’t skimp on the crawfish and its crustacean presence permeated throughout the rice. The spice level can be customized—I recommend naija hot. It adds a lingering warmth to the dish and is not mind-blowingly spicy. Not to mention the ingenious additions from Southeast Asia: lemongrass and star anise. Complex yet harmonious flavours. The only thing I was disappointed about was the small portion. 8.5/10.
The jollof came with plantains and peppered chicken. The plantains were soft and sweet from caramelization. 7.5/10. The chicken was moist and lightly charred. While tasty, it had a tad too much seasoning. 8/10.
Afrobeat Kitchen also does fusion snacks. Kelewele are fried plantains and a Ghanaian street food. But they aren’t unique to West Africa. Other parts of the world, notably the Caribbean, have their own take on it. So, I was intrigued to see how Afrobeat Kitchen would marry kelewele with Puerto Rican tostones (deep-fried plantain rounds).
Kelewele tostones sounded good on paper but could be better executed. The plantains were dry and resulted in a mealy texture. The Money mayo didn’t save it. It tasted like regular mayo despite the colourful herbs in it. The plantains were seasoned with some paprika and whole thyme. There was too much thyme and it overwhelmed the other spices. I couldn’t tell what was “tostones” about it. Some salsa with sharp limes and garlic might have made a better fusion dish. 5.5/10.
The sticky suya hot wings were more successful. The breading was crisp and the meat was juicy. The seasoning was described as hot honey and yaaji. Yaaji is a spice mix of mostly peanut powder. It’s normally used to coat suya (barbecued meat skewers) in a thick crust. Here, it was lightly applied and the peanut wasn’t as assertive as I had hoped.
Thankfully, most of the flavour came from the pepper sauce. It was obviously Nigerian-inspired: tomatoes, red peppers, and grains of Selim. Its muskiness and spiciness paired well with the mildly-savoury wings. 7.5/10.
The place
Afrobeat Kitchen doesn’t have a storefront. It operates out of the same kitchen as Caravan Cafe & Teahouse, close to Dufferin subway station. Hopefully one day, they will get to open their own dining space. They deserve it and Toronto needs an upscale West African restaurant.
Verdict
Flavourful Nigerian dishes with skillful technique and creative flair. 7.5/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Afrobeat Kitchen
- Rating
- 7.5/10
- Recommended dishes
- Party jollof
- Prices
- Party jollof: $21.47 ($19.00 excluding tax)
Kelewele tostones: $6.78 ($6.00 excluding tax)
Sticky suya hot wings: $7.91 ($7.00 excluding tax) - Address
- 1165 Bloor Street West
- Hours
- Thursday to Friday 1730h – 2130h
Saturday 1600h – 2130h
Sunday 1600h – 2000h - Date of visit
- March 2021, May 2021