Ma Yvé Grill

Hearty, home-cooked Congolese food

There really is a Yvé at Ma Yvé Grill. Yvette is the larger-than-life owner and chef at this modest restaurant. She will happily chat with customers and give recommendations to those that are new to the cuisine. The pride in her cooking is obvious. Plaques and photos of famous customers adorn the walls. Most notably, from Raptors player Serge Ibaka.

Congolese cuisine is simple and similar to West African foods. Lots of starches, stews, and grilled meats. This is the only Congolese restaurant in the Greater Toronto Area. Montreal has more, since it is francophone like Congo and hence attracts more Congolese.

The food

While waiting for my order, Yve made complimentary mikate. These are doughnut balls (beignets in French). Essentially, Timbits without sugar.

It’s hard to go wrong with fresh doughnuts. I was struck by how perfectly spherical these turned out. The exterior had a thin, crisp crust. As for taste, they were rather plain. It really needed to be paired with a dip, sauce, of some savoury seasoning. Here’s an idea: mikate poutine.

The national dish of Congo and perhaps all of Central Africa is soso ya mwamba (also spelled moamba; poulet à la moambé in French). It’s chicken with a peanut butter sauce. For me, it’s all about the sauce and I am a big fan of peanuts in curries and stews.

The version served here was respectable. It had a slight hint of peanut and didn’t overwhelm the sauce. It could have used a bit more fresh peppers to brighten up the dish. The chicken was cooked separately and finished in the pan with the sauce. The meat separated from the bone easily. Some portions were dry but the sauce helped cover it up. There was about a third to half a chicken in one order.

By far, the star of the meal was kwanga. Kwanga is cassava paste wrapped in banana leaves and then lightly fermented. This is similar to other leaf-wrapped starches around the world like Mexican tamales, Peruvian humitas, Malaysian ketupats, and Filipino puso. The banana leaves are supposed to impart their aroma to its contents. This happened with great success at Ma Yvé Grill. They are generous with the amount of banana leaves and pack the kwanga tightly. The result is that the kwanga is strongly infused with botanical flavours and is good enough to eat on its own. It was a pleasure to unwrap it and have the aroma hit me in my face. The fermentation process gave a slight sour taste and was not unpleasant. It added more depth to the flavour. The consistency was similar to glutinous rice or tamales. It’s pricey at $5.65 but bear in mind that it is a laborious process to make it and there are no other places that serve this within 500 km.

I haven’t been to D.R. Congo or the Republic of Congo before, so I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the food here. However, the preparation is similar to places I have tried in West Africa. It’s home cooking at its best.

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The place

Ma Yvé Grill is a short distance north of Pickering Town Centre. It’s an oddity in a residential area with no other businesses within 5 minutes walking distance. There is a small cafe seating area by the kitchen window and a much larger dining area in an adjoining room.

Verdict

Solid, simple, homey Congolese food. Prices are slightly high for what it is. 7.5/10.

Practical information

Name

Ma Yvé Grill

Rating

7.5/10

Recommended dishes

Kwanga

Prices

Soso ya mwamba: $16.95 ($15.00 excluding tax)
Pondu: $11.30 ($10.00 excluding tax)
Kwanga: $5.65 ($5.00 excluding tax)

Address

1980 Rosefield Road, Unit 2, Pickering

Hours

Monday 1100h – 2000h
Tuesday to Saturday 1100h – 2100h
Sunday 1200h – 1900h

Date of visit

December 2019