This single change in the delivery system expanded the flavor, texture and tactile pleasure of eating the saucy, gently spicy dishes at Lagosia, a handsome new West African restaurant in Berkeley.
I had many questions about Nigerian cooking after an initial lunch of tasty groundnut (peanut) stew ($7.95) with a creamy, tomatoey, thyme-scented sauce and juicy hunks of chicken with skin and bone, served with white rice. Having never been to sub-Saharan Africa, I took an experienced crew with me to dinner on the next visit.
We snacked on chin chin, little squares of crunchy, barely sweet pastry scented with nutmeg, as we sipped versatile Golden Kaan Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa ($31). Scotch eggs ($4), hard-boiled eggs encased in ground sausage, deep fried, cut into wedges and served with a sweet mayonnaise and mustard sauce disappeared in a flash.
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Akara ($5.95), mashed red bean fritters unbashfully scented with thyme (in the same family as tea-bush used in Nigeria) were California-ized with fresh tomato and onion salsa and sour cream. Everyone loved suya ($6.95) West African chicken kebabs in a spicy, ground peanut crust.
Efo ($12.95), the star entree, reminded me of an Indian spinach curry but with tender, mild, long-cooked goat. Iyan, the pounded white yam, comes on the side in a small bowl. Though sticky and bland, it magically adds depth and texture to saucy dishes like fresh fish stew ($13.95) a filet of white fish smothered in a smoky, dried shrimp-infused tomato sauce; or house stew ($9.95), another tomato-based sauce redolent of peppers.
Jollof rice ($12.95), a classic Nigerian dish, met with approval. A plate of aromatic, buttery red rice was topped with spice-rubbed barbecued chicken with luscious fire-blackened skin.
Instead of iyan, you can scoop up your stew with balls of eba, sharply fermented cassava starch. Iyan is better here. Dark brown deep fried plantain slices called dodo ($3) go with everything.
For dessert, everyone has puff-puff ($5.95) big round beignets rolled in sugar. They’re the size of oranges here and the centers can be sticky. At half the size, they’d be divine. I like them without the untraditional melted chocolate filling which detracts from the pure indulgence of eating yeasty fried dough.
In a new building, Lagosia’s airy dining room stretches along University Avenue with comfy booths positioned in expansive front windows. The restaurant’s modern look is built with smart wooden chairs and tables, a wine bar (with flat screen tuned to soccer), tile work and African art.
Equally compelling is the warmth and friendliness of the staff and the vibrant costumes of the African crowd — at least for me.
As we were walking out, I asked Femi Onaceru, the newlywed from Lagos, Nigeria, what he thought about the food. He answered in one sentence, “Come to our house and I will cook for you.”
If you can’t snag a Nigerian dinner invitation, Lagosia is a good introduction.
Patricia Uterman, San Francisco Examiner
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West African in Berkeley
Berkeley's ethnic dining scene extended further last week when Lagosia, a 110-seat West African restaurant, opened. Manager Abi Egbeyemi hails from Nigeria, as does executive chef/co-owner Kofo Domingo. His compact opening menu focuses on regional stews, accompanied by dumplings made from pounded yams or grated cassava, rice and fried plantains. The decor, in subdued earth tones, is highlighted by ethnic art.
Karola Saekel , San Francisco Chronicle
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Lagosia is a complete and utter treasure.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:
The Best of Nigeria and the British Empire, Together Again
Lagosia is a complete and utter treasure. It’s pretty much the only spot for an upscale presentation of genuinely great Nigerian food. If you like Nigerian, you will love Lagosia. If you think you do not like Nigerian, you will love Lagosia, says rworange. If you’re British and you long for British food experiences, you will love Lagosia.
The restaurant interior is gorgeous; the food presentation very pretty. And the manager and chef are both absurdly friendly. There’s a lot of chef-coming-out-of-the-kitchen-to-chat-up-the-diners action going on.
Black bean soup is one of the best marlon has ever tried. It’s sweet and smoky, and has been stewed for six hours. Pepper soup is very tasty, and not too spicy. Groundnut stew is a thick tomato and peanut stew with delicious chunks of perfectly poached chicken breast. It’s milder than the versions that Food Dude is used to, but quite tasty nevertheless.
There is the bizarre and beautiful Scotch egg a hard-cooked egg that’s been breaded and deep-fried. There is suya West African kebabs seasoned with an excellently tasty spicy peanut rub, and served with raw red onions. And mustard.
An order of plain puff-puff yields four tennis-ball-size beignets rolled in powdered sugar and topped with raspberry and chocolate sauces. rworange recommends chocolate puff-puff, which are plain puff-puffs stuffed with hunks of chocolate. The interior chocolate gets all melty, like a warm chocolate cookie. ksully415 says she’s related to the executive chef, and has been eating her cooking at family parties for years. She says you absolutely must get these puff-puffs, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Slice the puff-puff, put the ice cream inside, and eat the whole thing together.
There are a good number of Nigerians at the restaurant, but also a bunch of non-Nigerians who have, according to the chef, been complaining about the spice level. The chef has been thinking about toning down the flavors. Be sure to try to persuade your server to give you the full, un-Californianized Nigerian spice experience. In fact, says rworange, just try to persuade the chef to keep the food un–dumbed down. It’s your obligation as a Chowhound to preserve a gem like this in its full, unblanded glory.
There’s also a good mixture of British and Euro items. There’s spaghetti. They’re planning on offering real British meat pies soon, and other British baked goods.
The Digest - Chowhounds Daily Roundup
Posted by C. Thi Nguyen | Friday, July 6 at 5:10pm