Chicken Skewer with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Peanut butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Skinless chicken breast (boneless preferably)
Skewer sticks
Salt and pepper
 
Method
First make your peanut sauce: Blend peanut butter, garlic, ginger, lime, soy sauce, sugar, crush slide red pepper in a blender until smooth
(You can also whisk manually)
Pre heat grill to high. Thread chicken onto your skewer. Brush both sides of chicken with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill until chicken is cooked. Serve with peanut sauce
 
 
Creamy Garlic Herb Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
Olive oil
1/4 cup butter
Sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
 
Method
Boil chicken with desired season for about 8 minutes
Remove chicken from skillet
Melt butter over high heat in another pan, and add mushrooms
Cook for about 5 minutes
Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes
Add chicken broth and heavy cream to the mixture and bring to boil
 
 
Honey Glazed Chicken
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
Half a lemon
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
 
Method
Put two chicken breast, skin side up in a small baking dish and season
Squeeze the lemon into a bowl and stir in the honey and soy sauce.
Spoon the mixture over the chicken, then tuck the squeezed out half of lemon between the pieces
Roast the chicken breast in a baking dish, uncovered for about 30-50minutes

China House Ibadan
Palms Mall, MKO Abiola Way, Ring Road, Ibadan.

Wasn’t too excited to come here at first, cause to me every Chinese dish in Ibadan feels the same. The same restricted rice/noodles menu, same attempt at Chinese decor and average dumplings. But it’s Sunday. Sundays and Chinese is slowly becoming a ritual in African homes.
It’s a nicely carved out space in the mall, not so big too. They settled for the red decor with mild Chinese representations, nothing so over bearing. Just adequate.
The menu covers the Chinese basics, from starters, sauces to rice/noodle combos.
Went for the shrimp in chili sauce and beef fried rice.

The meal came in less than 5 minutes which was surprise. I barely blinked and the waiter was already back with what I ordered.
Both the rice and shrimp sauce came in medium sized plate, there was nothing wrong with the portioning here.
I didn’t like that the shrimps were so small, they were mostly overshadowed by the chili gravy, I was looking forward to some heavy duty shrimps.
The rice was good. If there’s anything Nigerians know how to make well its rice. It comes from years of conditioning lol. The rice had a bit of veggie vibe to it, mostly stained with the tangy slices of meat. I don’t know, I think that’s exciting enough.

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Shrimp in chili sauce: N3,200
Beef fried rice: N1,800

Recommendation
Personally China house isn’t the place I’d go for a “sit out and eat” kinda thing. The food is good enough to go so why not. Plus I don’t like the publicity that comes with mall restaurant. But nonetheless a good attempt at a Chinese dining experience

Bungalow
No 9, Adekunle Fajuyi Way, Ikeja Lagos.
Decent Parking

Bungalow is exactly the kind of place to find this kind of dish. The first time I was here I was so fascinated by how diverse the menu especially in the Japanese/Mexican region. And even better they have everything they claim to have. No excuses.
Calamari is the culinary name for squid dishes. A seafood luxury apparently.
Bungalow’s calamari dish comes with a vegetable/seafood fried rice, vegetables and the squid cover in some sort of gravy.
I’m not really big on seafood so I don’t know how to judge this one without bias. I’m sure seafood lovers would find this fascinating

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Price
Calamari dish - N8500

Recommendations
Bungalow is one of my favorite restaurants in Lagos. There are very few places I’d give 4/4 star rating. It’s the kind of place you go to try something new.

Related: Tex-mex At Bungalow

It’s still a bar/lounge, but Latitude cleverly demarcated a small space for what would be Ibadan’s picture aesthetic cake and ice cream outlet. It’s clear they want you to come here for your Instagram pictures. They lady at the counter confirmed it.
It’s a carved out space so it’s not really big but it works

They have about 15 different flavors and toppings
Had the French cream and dark chocolate with wafer sticks. It tasted just you’d expect. Nothing more nothing less.

Pricing
N600/scoop

Recommendation
I’m convinced this is a studio rather than an ice cream joint. Doesn’t seem like the place you come to sit down for a lick. It’s more of a “cone ice-cream take a cute picture and go place”. But whatever it is, it works.

Wimpy Restaurant
Onireke Ibadan.
Decent parking space

No short of ethnic range on the menu here. The alleged strict Lebanese restaurant also has a filled packed Chinese section on the menu.
I have a thing against the way restaurant in Nigeria appropriate “Chinese food”. Often at times it’s just rice/noodles and some gravy instilled protein. Don’t we have enough of rice and noodles already?
Anyway I settled in quickly. Nothing has changed since the last time I was here. Still the same settings, decor and ambience.
The staffs are a bit more polite though.
The Chinese menu looked improved. I don’t remember seeing so many options the last time I was here. Whether it’s chicken, beef, or seafood you’re in the mood for, there’s a pick to match your excitement.
Settled for Shrimp fried rice and Chicken Oyster sauce. I’ve had shrimp fried rice before and this was nothing more nor nothing less. Just what it should be.

Never had oyster sauce but the name sounded like something exciting.
Tasting the oyster sauce was all the excitement I got. I’ve had too many gravy and chicken in this lifetime to get excited over. Decent meal still

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Chicken Oyster sauce (large) - N5,000
Shrimp fried rice - N2,000

Recommendations.
Not much has changed since the last visit here. Waiting service seem to have improved.

HD diner
25, Rue Francisque gay, Paris

Walking the roads of Paris and trying as much as possible to get lost, you tend to find the cutest diners and eateries.
HD diner
It’s a quaint little diner embodying the American spirit, looking just like the rustic diners in the 20’s, down to the country music being played.
It’s a milk shake and burger bar and boy does it hold its own!

On viewing the menu, I was drawn to a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Pepsi! Classic!!
Also with a second order of pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast and lemonade!
The meals were served in rustic metal plates giving this feel of the Wild West!
I must say I have had only one incredible burger and that was from Five Guys (we’ll come to this review soon enough), but this burger was beautiful! Crispy bacon with onion rings and beef “bien cuit” (well cooked)! The buns were nicely grilled and crunchy, with a side of Pepsi (not an endorsement) and ice! It was an experience I am very eager to try again. The pancakes were very fluffy, but the syrup was so sweet that only candy crushers can complete that level!

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
BBQ burger: 13.95€
Pancakes: 3.95€
Scrambled Eggs: 3.95€
Citronade a l'ancienne: 4.50€

Recommendations
Great place for a new date, all the employees speak English so you can’t have a problem with your order being mixed up. Service with a smile! It’s not overly pricey but let’s face it, like LAGOS, everywhere In Paris is a bit pricey.
But on a whole, 15€ for a meal comes to about 6,000 naira which is in fact not as expensive as most places in Lagos

The Prime Chinese Restaurant
860A Bishop Aboyade Cole St, Victoria Island, Lagos

Have you ever wanted to go to China? And try out the food?  If yes then let me take you through my experience at The Prime Chinese restaurant.
It's calm and very reserved, compound is very spacious and you can definitely take your kids or even a pet along. The restaurant has an indoor or outdoor option, although the indoor space is very dark and I was very disappointed with the interior design, no Chinese culture appreciation whatsoever, I was so eager to see the amazing lantern and all but nope nothing was displayed.
For some weird reasons they chose yellow over red although it was relaxing I still felt red would have been fine. They also had background music playing and it felt like they did a little research on me to know Celine Dion is my favorite, her song was played all through and I began to miss my mother a little especially when coulda woulda came on. Sniff.
The customer service was okay, at a point I felt he was trying too hard. Well at least he was trying. It might be his first day at work, he seemed quite nervous.
Now back to the food, I settled for the Special Fried rice, ginger chicken, "chivita" fruit juice and a glass of their oldest wine (still can't remember the name)

The food was great, even though I felt they were selfish with the ginger and garlic in the chicken sauce. The price was minimal and the food was insanely much (although it was lesser than the previous one I ordered few months back). It took them a whole Chinese new year to get my order to me. 

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
N12,500 tax included

Recommendations
It's perfect for a brunch date and definitely great for kids as well, the parking lot is very large and there's a smoking area outfit so no one is suffocating anyone, I will definitely recommend everyone to pay them a visit aside from the good customer service, their food is insanely much. I really hope they work on their kitchen time and improve the interior decorations. A Chinese restaurant should feel like a Chinese restaurant.

Happy New Year!! Hopefully we have adjusted from having loads of fun, eating great meals over the holidays!! I know I have! Do we ever stop "chop hopping" ? No we do not! We intend to do more “eatplorations” ..this year. Everybody loves eating local food, but not necessarily eating at a local joint. There are loads of reasons
1. The ambience may not be to ones liking and ….? And…? Heck..that’s probably the only reason! Otherwise it’s tasty , cheap and leaves you feeling very cheerful in the end!
Breakfast can be challenging in Lagos especially when one needs to leave “super” early to avoid the dreaded traffic which has gotten a lot more horrendous these last few months. If you do live within the Lekki area, you can always get a quick breakfast ready at the Tribe Naija in Lekki Phase 1.

 
The English, American and now Turkish breakfasts have gotten quite popular in the restaurant business in Lagos. However if you are truly Nigerian, you will always crave for good old Akara and pap! A surprisingly popular Saturday morning breakfast meal back in the day. I wonder do parents these days hold this ritual?
The pap and akara at the Tribe is always made fresh. Ready in less than 10 minutes.It’s a popular morning meal as most people order it. It’s cheap and you can enjoy it while watching tv in a quiet, spacious and minimally African decorated restaurant. The restaurant is clean, the staff friendly and the parking is sufficient.

There are other choices such as yam/plantain with eggs or corned beef sauce. The eggs were well veggie mixed (regular tomatoes, peppers and onions) so if you feel like having something heavier then "Bobs your Uncle".

I am looking forward to visiting them for Lunch and see how they fare on that level!
Opening hours : 8am

Rating
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️☆

Price
N400 for the pap and akara

Recommendation
It is clean, spacious and a comfortable place to eat your favorite African meals. They serve
pocket friendly meals and open before 9am!

It’s almost the same top tiers as last year. Disappointed but not surprised. Most of the restaurants here just sandwich patty and buns, no excitement, no innovation, no extra sauce. I would hope Ibadan would have new and better burger outlets by now. But still these ones have managed to be our favorites again.


Jazz by chrysalis
Bacon Cheese Burger: N1,800
I don’t know if the mellow jazz ambience makes the burger taste even better...or maybe it’s the sophistication, still this is one of the best burgers around here.

Foodies
Hamburger: N1,200
Foodies burger is far from any sophistication you can think of. Just a simple sandwich of patty, buns and vegetables.

Champs
Chicken Burger: N1,200
Not really a fancy place but they’ve survived this long based on relatively better food. They have a wide range of burgers and all seem to be very good (based on social media reviews). Settled for the chicken burger this time. Food was brought in good time; under 15 minutes. 
The burger came in shining, tasty with a well compact patty. Only thing I didn’t enjoy were the onions used, they gave the burger an extra odd taste. However, the burger gets a pat on the head. You don’t see too many good chicken burgers around here.
 

IITA IHOUSE RESTURANT
IHouse Bacon cheese burger: N1,400
Ihouse snack bar and resuturant is located inside IITA, a research institute dedicated to generating agricultural innovations. A very serene and neat environment. Security is pretty tight and you might not be able to get in but we got in. Their patty boasts of this Smokey flavor that just blends well with all the paste and vegetables

Wimpy’s Restaurant
Beef Burger: N1,800
It’s no doubt that the Lebanese have the restaurant game on lock down in Nigeria, I don’t know what it is they do differently, but they seem to do it well. As usual, I don’t get that "customer is always right" vibe here. But this is focused on burger so I’d try and overlook everything else. Food was brought out in about 15 to 20 minutes, so not too long. The burger was a simple Beef Burger that was priced at N1,800. Looks well prepared and taste good too. The patty was nicely grilled with the feeling of that Smokey flavor. The bun was thick, but easy to chew into. I wish they didn’t have to put fries into the mix, makes the burger less compact...still a worthy burger.

Deciding on best burgers in a city as competitive and expansive as Lagos is not textbook stuff, doubt if anyone can genuinely gauge, without bias, the best burgers here...we can only try to pick favorites based on set upon features. And that’s we set out to do. To do this we set out to try twelve of the most talked about burgers in Lagos; South, Johnny Rockets, Burgco, Harvest, Bbq and Carvings, Food Shack, Steers, wings N sides, Backyard, Roadchef, Bistro 7. I know! It seems like a lot of options but these doesn’t even do justice, because there are just few mainland names here. The truth is almost every restaurant claims they sell burgers, as long as they can tuck a patty in between buns, you can be sure of a “Burger now available” display sign. Here are five favorite burgers that somehow stood out this year.

Craving Cheese Burger/BBQ AND CRAVINGS
No 4, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lekki Penninsula II, Lagos.
Price: N2,800

Bbq and cravings is an outdoorsy restaurant that centers around the “homemade backyard grill” theme. So no surprise when the burger came out really good. I mean grilling is all they do here, it has to be good. The burger is a simple one with extra cheese and a particular bbq sauce I can’t place my head around, but it had the smoked flavor to it. The buns are also fresh, and toasted a bit. You have an option of picking a side of French fries or sweet potato fries. We liked the aesthetics here too, especially the “BC” stamped signature on the buns. You don’t see that everyday. The burger didn’t just taste good but it also looked good.

The King Burger/ STEERS
Ikeja City Mall, Ikeja, Lagos.
Price: N3,000

I was debating the validation of Steers’ quality for the longest time. Our attention was brought to Steers over someone’s appraisal of them on Twitter earlier this year. This person could swear on his life they made the best burger he had ever had. Well we see his point now. It’s one of those burgers that tasted better than it looked. The king burger is a bacon, patty and cheese sandwiches between freshly seeded buns. Simple!

Shack Burger/FOOD SHACK
32 Ologun Agbeje St, Victoria Island, Lagos
Price: N3,000

The shack burger is a chargrilled Guinness beef patty, with mustard, cheese and all the usual team player. What’s different about this is the patty...it’s grilled different! The chef claims they use alcohol to bring out all the Smokey flavors.

Rockets Double Burger/JOHNNY ROCKETS
1411 Adetokunbo Ademola St, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Price: N4,800

This is the most expensive burger on our list, and maybe the most sophisticated. Apparently every ingredient used to make the burger was imported, it’s kind of a pride statement for them. But it works out well. The burger is a double smoked patty burger with cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato, white onion & special sauce. It’s really compact too, so even with the double patty the burger doesn’t get messy.

The Eatalian/THE HARVEST
Block 26, Plot 10 Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Price: N4,500

This one caused a stir. We were divided on whether this or wingsNsides crunchy chicken burger. They were both good but placing both of them side by side couldn’t happen without bias. One is a simple chicken burger the other was an overcompensating cheese burger. But the thing about overcompensating when it comes to food is that it ticks more boxes. The burger is a juicy beef patty served with mozzarella cheese, roasted tomatoes and sautéed red onions. It’s a bit messy but I think that was intended. All in all, interesting burger!

Jollof is one meal that cuts across West Africa...so much so, that it has become world acclaimed for the “Jollof wars” saga that permeates between Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. There are many factors that distinguish this dish, the rice quality, quantity of pepper and spices, additional protein pieces to add variety and taste but one thing for certain is this dish must have the distinct firewood cooked  aroma that cannot be excluded if one must have an authentic jollof rice tasting experience.
Dooneys Kitchen has proved that it is possible to have this authentic tasting jollof rice without having to wait to be served from the usually few waiters at a typical Lagos "Owanbe" party. Harrowing...especially if you’ve waited to eat.
The thought put into the interior of this restaurant would have one wondering if it were local or international cuisine being served. It is elegant, cool and quietly tucked away at the back of the mall.

Dooneys kitchen is known for "redefining Nigerian food" and we are reviewing two famous dishes which have the same baseline when cooking: Jollof rice and Yam porridge. Both dishes can be absolutely delicious when done right and extremely horrible when wrong! Ugh!!
 
The waiter hands out the menu which is downloaded on an iPad. Certainly saves on paper, I would be careful not to drop it though. The meal came within minutes which is a relief especially if you do not have time to waste. The portion was sizeable; relative if you are not a heavy eater.

Moment of Truth: The jollof rice had the smokey flavour ,the right amount of heat ( pepper) came with additional plantain and the chicken was well spiced!I felt like I was at a party!

Next dish: The yam porridge...I wonder...is it porridge or pottage? We get this mixed up a whole lot in Nigeria. However, as we say, it’s the taste that matters not the name. LOL!

Moment of Truth: This meal was absolutely enjoyable to eat! Why? Nothing beats those mini chunks of beef and fish  that makes you pause and savour the different flavours popping in your mouth. It was a bit spicy, in my opinion, I do prefer less heat in my food so I can taste flavours...pepper sometimes has a way of masking them. I guess for those who do take spicy foods, I probably would get a knock on the head for saying this dish was! Let me know when you try it out! Overall, it did give that home cooked satisfaction when I was done, and that tops it for me!

Ratings
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️☆

Price
Jollof Rice N2000
Yam Porridge N2000

Recommendation
If you are looking for somewhere quiet to eat good Nigerian food this is the place to go. If you have expatriates or “repatriates” who are also visiting in the lekki/victoria Island ikoyi axis, Dooneys kitchen will give them what they promise...create lasting food memories. And to quote Prince Charles of Wales, "Naija no dey carry last"!

The long awaited battle of Burger King has finally been won!
The comparison between the fast food restaurants have finally come to the heated finals! We’ve tasted MacDonalds, we’ve had KFC and finally the King HERSELF! (yes we are ''Kinging'' Her!)
I made sure to go to each eatery on Saturday’s as I am convinced it is the best days to gauge the love for the food, based on the multitude that might amass! Burger King has won that battle hands down! The place was packed!! The irony of it all was I was actually more excited and happily willing to stand in line to order! Finally my turn had come to taste the Kings burger and I went for the Bacon double steak XXL (for good measure!) with a side of extra large fries and huge coke with ice! The service was quick enough, once I reached the counter, and the customer service was great! Normally I pack to go but this time I wanted to feed off the buzz in the room. Now the Chips, waging them against O’Tacos, McDonalds and KFC, these are by far the BEST fries I have had in forever! Golden, crisp and a much thicker width than most. I’m not usually a chips fan but I actually almost finished before getting a bite of the burger.
Now with a little perspiration, contrary the cold winds of autumn outside, I chose to examine the burger before I took a bite.

The size paid homage to the XXL! Layered with crispy bacon, melted cheese, pickles, double steak patties, and a lovely bun. And with the anticipation, cymbals clashing in my brain, I take my first bite.

Mustard hits me with the arrow that struck Archelles and immediately the lights go out, fascination fades and reality hits! I couldn’t taste the bacon, or the beef, or the pickles and a bit of anger bubbled to the surface. To be fair it is the best burger I have had from the fast-food chain but the anticipation killed everything!
Settling down to eating it, I was drawn more to the taste of the fries than the actual burger itself. It was a great burger with good blend of flavors, especially after I got over the mustard taste. I finally tasted the richness of the bacon and the patty. It didn’t come undone while eating and the bun didn’t get soggy.
It was a great experience on all accounts and this is the BEST burger I’ve had by far but not the best yet. Next up is FIVE GUYS, STEAKS AND SHAKES and any other I can find!

Price
Bacon cheese burger XXL - 8€:50

Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Recommendation
It’s a great place to eat plus it’s not expensive at all, compared to the pricing of other eateries. It’s great for kids as well as it has little cardboard helmets for the growing kings and queens, and the burgers are huge!

FOOD MATCH: BUKA
When you think bukas, you are almost too sure of three things; a little grime, healthcare violations, and non-apologetic terrible customer service. It’s as if these three features have become a stamp for our favorite local bukas. But what makes buka food so appreciated that these features are easily overlooked ? We went to Ibadan to review some of the popular bukas. Ibadan arguably has one of the most popular bukas in this country. So much so, it’s almost becoming a tourist stop.
In this food match series, we would be focusing on Amala, a Nigerian staple purported by many to be the king of swallows and pounded yam. This match draws up a comparative review between Ose Oluhun Food Canteen (Amala Skye), Ola mummy food canteen, Alhaji Iyaibeji food canteen and Turaya Food Canteen.

Ose Olohun Food Canteen, Bodija, Ibadan.
FM Pick: Amala and Ewedu

Ola Mummy Food Canteen, Bodija Ibadan.
FM Pick: Pounded Yam, and “Efo Riro”

Turaya Food Canteen, Yemetu, Ibadan.
FM Pick: Amala and ewedu

Alhaja Iya Ibeji Food Canteen, Old Ife
Road, Ibadan
FM Pick: Amala and okro

Food Varieties
Ose Olohun Food Canteen has developed a widespread repute for their swallow, especially their Amala (this is perhaps the reason behind their famous moniker, Amala Skye). As such, their offerings are limited to swallows like Amala, Semo and Eba. Their soups on display are Ewedu, Gbegiri, Egusi, Okro and Efo. For “protein” varieties, customers can pick either of Ogufe, Beef or a particular type of Fish.

Ola Mummy offers almost the same menu option, except for the protein section where they seem to have more varieties.

Iya Ibeji also offers similar menu options but you’d be lucky to get any of the option as they are usually sold out by noon. It’s one of the most popular food canteen in that area, hence best time to visit would be before 1pm.

Turaya Food Canteen has the upper hand in this category as it offers customers swallows like Amala, Semo, Eba, Fufu as well as dishes like Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Salad, MoiMoi and Dodo. This means they have a wider customer reach as they cater to different needs. For protein they offer customers a choice between Bokoto, Beef, Ogufe, Inu Eran (Innards), Ponmo, Fish and a different type of fried unstewed meat for those who prefer this on their rice.
 
Seasoning
Ose Olohun’s Amala was very smooth and lump free. Their soup was tasty as is expected in a place of that repute and so was their Beef which was well-seasoned. Eating their beef however called for some struggling with my teeth

Ola Mummy was a great experience. It’s really hard to go wrong with pounded yam, but one can never be too careful. The texture was just right. The vegetable was good and the “bokoto” (peppered cow leg) finessed the whole meal.

Turaya’s Amala looked smooth but had an underlying flour taste that made it seem like this was not properly incorporated. Their soup tasted more homemade than restaurant-standard and their “Ogufe” (Goat Meat) and Fuku was so easy to eat, zero struggling was required.

Iyabeji was a favorite here. I can finally appreciate why they’re usually sold out by 1pm. Had Okro soup this time and it was nothing less of amazing. Unlike some places, they give you more soup that you need.

Price Worthiness
The sale of Ose Olohun’s Amala for N100/scoop can only be justified by an understanding of their widespread popularity as many would feel like it is not different than that got at other places for N50. Their Ogufe, usually sold for N500/piece was unavailable as at the time I went in so I can’t categorically say whether or not it is price worthy.

Ola Mummy sells each pounded yam wrap for N100, but it’s a very big wrap. I struggled to finish two of these. The vegetable wasn’t so much, so it levels out the good deed that was the pounded yam.

Seeing as Turaya’s Amala still had the underlying taste of flour and it’s size was similar to that to be gotten elsewhere, this can be deemed priceworthy. So also is their Ogufe which sold at N300/piece and their Inu eran sold at N100/piece.

Iya Ibeji sorts out all the issues from the three previous canteens. The wrap is N100 but it’s a big wrap. The give you so much soup and the proteins are ridiculously cheap. Win win!
 
Customers Service
At Ose Olohun Food Canteen, the food servers are elderly women who seem to just want to serve you your food and see you take your leave; no smiles, no conversation, nothing. For the soup servers, they could constantly get distracted with whatever program was showing on TV and/or with whatever interesting was going on in their phones, as such, you might have to repeat yourself to be attended to or wait a bit longer here as one of the soup servers is also the fee collector The waiters on their part delayed in clearing tables after people, but then this could be because they are understaffed. Ose Olohun Food Canteen has a functional tap area for handwashing but while there was initially some form of soap to be used in handwashing, this finished and people were left with the option of using water only.

Ola mummy is like a busy bank on a busy day, with so many cashiers/attendants, and usually queues too. They women try their best to be pleasant but it’s more of making business move fast that catering to your every inquiry. If you can deal with that, every other thing is okay. There’s a proper sink with running water, soap and even towels/tissue papers.

At Turaya Food Canteen, the food server is a young lady who might initially seem unpleasant but is actually open to answering questions. The soup servers on their part could delay in attending to you as they seem understaffed, 3, as compared to those waiting in line to be attended to. I appreciated the fact that they had someone solely for fee collection as otherwise would have resulted in even more human traffic. In place of a tap, Turaya has a drum filled with water and an endless supply of soap patrons could use to wash their hands in a basin. The waiters here are a bit more punctual in clearing tables after patrons. The issue however is that, while they clear the table of plates, they overlook the crumbs, spills etc. left behind unless their attention is particularly called to it. As their members of staff seem to be familiar with some of their patrons, there is this sense of overfamiliarity that results in inadequate service.

Iya Ibeji has built some sort of familiarity bond with most of the customers here. You can hear them chatting and laughing with the waiters. There’s hardly any hostility or the usual buka cliche of nonchalant women.
 
Restaurant Space and It’s Environment
Ose Olohun Food Canteen is located by a major motorway and is not easy to miss. It has a functional carpark and is a spaced outlet. That it is spaced however doesn’t mean it is quiet. Instead, it gets a quite rowdy and a little noisy as everyone seems to be talking at the same time.

Ola mummy has a large compound to itself. Hence sufficient parking space, less street noise and no rowdiness. The canteen has two sections, a major eating area and a smaller area that has the service table. It’s a little more organized and structured but still has that buka element

Turaya Fod Canteen is located in what seems to be an inner city lane and is not so easy to miss, especially if you know where you are going. It has no functional carpark and appears to be a rented house which was remodeled to fit the restaurant’s need. On the outside is an open floor where anyone who isn’t particular about privacy or quiet can eat and on the inside are 3 food halls, any of which you can choose to eat in depending on your privacy needs, preference and seat availability. There is also this rather disturbing smell in the dining halls which your nose could quickly get accustomed to.

Iya Ibeji isn’t so big and not as structured. It looks like a living room that was converted to a Canteen. Little or no organization structure, but I don’t think anyone cares about that. Everyone seems to be laughing and jolly eating


Overall
Ose Olohun Food Canteen offers great meals but not so great service (2.7/4.0).

Ola mummy canteen fairs a little better with customer service (3.0/4.0)

Turaya Food Canteen has a wider food variety, affords patrons of privacy but has less food quality (1.7/4.0).

Iya Ibeji Canteen has the most satisfying food and a more friendly setting. They lack the structural organization the other canteens have but it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. (3.2/4.0)
 
Recommendation
It’s understandable that bukas have to deal with so many people with different attitudes but I wish they’d be more accommodating even at breaking point. The rudeness and healthcare violation is a cliche that doesn’t need to be. It's hard to recommend a particular buka over another because bukas are not really regarded as a luxury service. That being said “Amala Skye” isn’t the best amala in Ibadan, yeah we said it!

Bonjour Lagos! If you have ever visited any of the famous boulangeries of Eric Kayser of France, you will agree that the standard of the ambience is well replicated right in the heart of Victoria island, Lagos. Famous for their “viennoiseries” (pastries), La maison leaves nothing to chance to give Lagosians the taste of real French pastry in their beautifully decorated cafe.

Stepping into the lounge immediately gives one a sense of absolute professionalism, immaculateness and customer service. The waiters are extremely courteous and “wait for it” -speak FRENCH! Et pourquoi pas?
Eric Kayser opened his first boulangerie (bakery) in Paris in 1996. From that time till now, there are over 200 Maison de Kayser worldwide and 28 in Paris alone and today the city of Lagos joins the group. (source: WIkipedia)

A cross section of pastry on display, croissants, pain au chocolat, des chaussons aux pommes and many more! If you love pastry, or anything baked, they have got your taste buds covered.

The Nutella Escargot

The Island bar caters to any coffee or teas  of  your choice while you wait.

Any restaurant/cafe that puts children into consideration is sure ready for business.

The Maison has a kiddies section for play or to house mini parties for your kids!If this is not your one stop cafe, I don't know where is.

The food is reasonably priced even if all you order is a coffee and croissant. Remember it is the experience that counts!
To the French,eating is an art never to be overlooked as gastronomy is characterized by diversity and style.
Bon Appetit!

Recommendation: If  you are looking for a place to have breakfast, meet up with friends or family, Maison Kayser will provide the occasion to meet these needs. The quality of food is standard, the ambience is great and the play area for kids makes it a good family brunch or lunch spot. Parking is quite small however what restaurants or cafes have that much space in Victoria Island?
If you will be spending an hour or more, ensure to have the parking attendants put you up front so as not to have your meals interrupted. Having some bilingual waiters, is a thoughtful service for those who would rather communicate in French or have the feel of a Parisian atmosphere. The outdoor grill section (although we did not have the luxury of ordering on our visit) should provide great meals  giving any customer an all round dining experience. We recommend this spot as the new high end cafe in Lagos.

O’Tacos Creil.
73 Rue de la République, 60100 Creil, France
There’s no parking space in France, there’s never parking space for anyone. Some say a great amount of time in a year is spent just finding parking space, if you own a car in France!

I just got a break from French class and I was feeling Mexican! I had heard about O’Tacos in a lot of advertisements so I sought to find it. Apparently there are a lot of outlets all over France. Luckily it was about three minutes from my french class. It’s small and the decor is mostly wooden and orange, which has a very agreeable feel to it. When you order for a meal, you get a beeper that vibrates so you know when your food is ready.

I ordered le fameux gratte au cheddar with a side of chips and some hot sauce.
It took about seven minutes for my order to be ready! Boy it’s a site to see! The chips are so good! Super hot, very crunchy, well salted, and a lot! I finally took a bite of the Taco and was hit with the richness of ground beef, chicken nuggets, chips, cheddar cheese and thaïlandaise chili sauce all at once. It was a good blend of flavors and the Taco is huge! I could only eat about half way.

Price
Fameux gratte au cheddar: 10:00€
Chips: 1:50€
Coke: complementary.
Total: 11:50€

Rating
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️☆

Recommendations
It’s a nice location if you’re on the go, you’re hungry, and you want to grab a quick snack before hopping the next bus home. Also if you forget to get something for your girlfriend/ boyfriend to eat before your rendezvous for Netflix and chill. It isn’t too expensive and it’s mighty filling! She’ll be super “chill“ for all "Netflicking" activities!

Toasties by BiscuitBoneBlog
131 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
On a good day, decent parking. On some days, it’s a driving school routine.

“Toasties” is a venture that spawned off the BiscuitBoneBlog. I don’t know much about the history of the blog but I like the direction its facing.
“All this for just toast bread?“ was the reaction a colleague gave me when I told her about the place. But it’s far from just “toast bread”.
It’s really commendable the well thought out strategies Lagosians put into their ventures. They don’t do it like this anywhere else in the country.
The restaurant is in a shared building with some offices, with Toasties making total use of the ground floor. It has this mellow grey painting that tones just well with the black roofs and dim lights. It’s a perfect aura for my kind of breakfast.

The menu is strictly based on toasts and sandwich adaptations. But it’s not just toast bread, like my colleague thought. There are layers and levels to the toasts here. From simple egg sauce to bbq options, it’s always a full sandwich. There’s also an option to make your own sandwich, however you like, I like that.

Settled for a chicken BBQ toast and a side of fries. It’s a two toast slice, sandwiched with bits of bbq chicken, goat cheese, caramelized onions, honey and date jam and mint. It’s important you take a mental note of the “a two toast slice” for a possible shade in our recommendations.

One thing you can’t take away from this sandwich is its compactness. Bits don’t fall off easily. The bread slices feel fresh too. The chicken bits were great, can anyone go wrong with bbq chicken? I’m not sure why there was a jam in there, or whatever that was. It set the combo back just a little.

Rating
⭐️ ⭐️☆☆

Price
Chicken Bbq Toast: N2600
Side fries: N600

Recommendations
I don’t know if it’s the ikoyi factor but I don’t understand N2600 for just two slices of toast. Like even when you buy sandwiches for the same price you get at least two four triangular sandwich slices. Apart from the price it’s a nice place. Aesthetics is important and the people at toasties understand that. It’s also spacious, almost too spacious for just a toast bread venture. I wish they opened much earlier than 10am, it’ll be nice to pick up some toast before heading out to work.

WingsNsides
29 Fola Osibo Rd, Lekki Phase I, Lekki, Lagos
Decent parking

It’s no debate, finger foods are blessings that are not even in disguise, in anyway. Every time I find a restaurant that deals majorly with finger foods it feels like i just unlocked a new treasury ground. Its exciting. On this particular day I was contemplating going to “wingsville” when I was told of another place even closer to where I was. So I set out on this less than twenty minutes journey.
WingsNsides is located in a shop complex so it’s easy to miss. It’s a small, well managed space with a clear depiction of what the restaurant is about. Wings and fries, you can’t miss the message. The menu is boldly displayed on a wall, covering finger foods combos, burgers and drinks. The wings menu was particularly interesting cause they apparently have thirty two different wings flavor. Yep! 32! But not to get confused, they categorized all of this into four broad aspects; Sweet, Savory, Spicy and Dry Rub.

I definitely would want to come back to see what “suicidal” spicy flavor is about but for this review I settled for the “chicken burger combo”. It’s a chicken burger with about four glazed wings and some fries. I never knew I liked chicken burger until I had this burger.

The chicken was crunchy and thick. You can appreciate the quality of chicken and it honestly comes close to being in my favorite Lagos burgers list.

The wings were great too. They were glazed in some sort of honey mustard. I like how the wings are not unnecessarily tiny. Well fleshy mass, good chicken quality and well dipped in sauce. I wanna come back here to try every chicken wings flavor... I don’t know how feasible that’ll be, but if I die, I die.

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Chicken Burger Combo - N3000

Recommendations
I wish they made a more flexible menu option that allows you to try as many flavors as you want. Or atleast remove their time restrictions on their lunch/dinner combos. But still it’s a great place for any kind of finger food date.

Hans & Rene
Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Decent parking.

Trying to review an ice cream only restaurant is not so revealing, cause with an ice cream joint there are so many variables that keeps changing, and all of these wouldn’t be easily factored into that one Ice cream flavor that one picks.
It’s important to remember that the Radisson Blu doesn’t mess with their image, so the Hans & Rene affiliation reassures us a little bit.
It’s obvious these people are not here to play. Everything is fancy. The decor is a minimalist one, no overplay on colors or ice cream theme. There’s an out door sitting area if you’re into that kind of thing. But I want my gelato calm and collected so I’d rather stay inside

Hans and Rene has been tagged a Gelateria and bakery shop. They really want you to know the difference between gelato and ice cream. I’m not seeing it though. Gelato is simply the Italian word for ice cream. But the name has culturally grown to be seen as this foreign cream of better quality. They had several gelato on display, alongside sorbets, cakes and pastries.

In an attempt to try as many things possible, I got a vanilla, Ferrero Rocher, redvelvet cheesecake and apple crumble gelato. The vanilla was my favorite. Simple but better than any other vanilla I’ve had in the past. I get Hans&Rene’s point about gelato being different now.

The ferrero rocher was okay, I mean it’s very difficult to go wrong with ferrero rocher. Didn’t like the Apple crumble so much, and the red velvet wasn’t an exciting choice.

I ended the night with a slice of their vanilla/Black forest cake. You know how sometimes you feel like every cake tastes the same way, that’s exactly how I felt. But not in a bad way.

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Vanilla Gelato: N850
Ferrero Rocher gelato: N850
Redvelvet cheesecake gelato: N850
Apple crumble gelato:N850
Cake slice: N1200

Recommendations
It’s nice that they want us to know the difference between a gelato and ice cream. I wish they had more toppings like Coldstone cause I can imagine a million things that would go just fine with the vanilla gelato.
It’s not so big so I can’t imagine a large gathering here but for a limited crowd it’s a great place for any kind of meeting.

Salamander Cafe
5 Bujumbura St, Wuse, Abuja.
Street parking for like five cars

In a city where everyone is always trying to outdo everyone else, there’s always something exciting to see around the corner.
On one of these numerous corners in wuse, we found this cafe. I’m not sure about the idea behind that name. Like isn’t Salamander that creepy lizard like reptile? Hmmn
Anyway there’s nothing creepy about it.
In fact it’s the other extreme, calm, homey cafe. The aesthetics here has a back and forth blend of rustic and modern decor, with even a customized bookshop that’s incorporated into the cafe work station. The first thing that comes to my mind when I entered the cafe is “this is a nice place to work and have a drink”, so that’s exactly what We did.
Salamander has an outdoor sitting area, an indoor space, a mini library/bookshop/workstation, a private conference room and similar space upstairs usually for reservations.

Everything is prim and proper!
The food is unnecessarily expensive though.
I don’t think the place was intended for people that are just hungry and want to deal with it.
Got a Chapman drink and a plate of gizzards. Like 6 tiny gizzards. Smh I’m angry just thinking about it.
Anyway because this is more like a restaurant review, it’s safe to say that Salamander is still a great place. The menu covers breakfasts, continentals, sandwiches and also has a bar section. But I’d rather come here for something else

Ratings
⭐️ ⭐️☆☆

Price
Chapman drink: N1500
Plate of gizzards: NN1800

Recommendations
It’s a nice space. I really like the book section. It’d have been nice if they made it more like a library where you can rent books rather than a bookshop to sell them. But I hear this is an extension of “Jazz Hole”. Well, I can only see myself coming for a breakfast here, or to get some coffee while I work. If you want a stellar place to eat, chill, work without regards for price maybe Salamander’s adaptations are for you.

Maubby’s purple box
Amusement Park, IBB Way, Maitama, Abuja.
Decent parking

A very unusual name for a restaurant. Thankfully unusual doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Maubby’s one of a number of places to eat at the amusement park, another notable mention here would be the levels cafe food truck.
You’re welcomed first with an adapted patio for a front lawn, in all lush and calmness. It’s an expected adaptation for a park. I like this but I wouldn’t be caught here though.

The restaurant is not so big. In fact the reception area seams bigger that the whole dining area. They have managed the space quite well, with simple comfortable furniture and just enough lighting. It looks like a more comfortable workspace station I’d go to on days I have no tolerance for cubicles and their forced work relations.

The menu is simple too. It covers basic Nigerian meal combos, vegetarian considerations, sandwiches, salads and parfaits. They like to consider themselves advocating for the healthy food movement. It seemed like so.
I’m never in the mood for healthy food and “stuffs” so I went for my regular “carb” food, rice, that I’ve eaten like a million times. Got the “Rice lunch box” and the “Curry Rice”.

The rice lunch box is simple Fried/Jollof rice meal with bbq chicken and plantains. It’s a safe pick for me because it’s hard to go wrong. The jollof rice was good. It had all the elements Nigerians usually brag about on social media during their Jollof wars. The bbq chicken was two huge thighs of sufficiently soaked chicken. Feels like home!

The curry was just a little above par. Not in a bad way. It’s some sort of gravy with chicken bits, potatoes and vegetables.

Ratings
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️☆

Price
Rice lunch box: N2500
Curry rice combo: N3000

Recommendations
For a delightful small place like this I wish they had smaller/fast food meal options, like if you just want to have chicken wings and smoothies to chill with at the patio... you know something of some sort, considering that it’s located in a park. But still it’s a nice place. I hear their parfaits are to die for.
Whether it’s a quiet place to work or a low key place to take that significant person to, I’m sure maubby’s can always find something that works for each person.

Comme du Vietnam
Rue de Avenue de Choisy, Paris, France.

It’s a very beautiful Vietnamese restaurant here in Paris, with modern decor, using photos to commemorate the old Vietnam. The place is probably doing very well because during the holidays, when most restaurants are closed, it still runs, thus making it a favorite choice for people who don’t travel for vacation to have a nice spot to eat out. On entry, it looks quite small and cozy but it is partitioned into three spacious wings, filled with sitting areas. There’s a huge bar that boasts of many different drinks, both Asian and International. It also has an extra dining experience downstairs. It’s incredible. The place is equipped with mirrors, which to some subtle advantage, helps the place as everyone is a bit narcissistic once in a while. It has an efficient thermal system such that one could sit down outside during winter and have a heat lamp directly over their heads.
It’s a well lit up space.

Then menu is mainly a Vietnamese affair. Even the starters here are based on Vietnam origin. It’s a cute place, not so big but neatly setup with just enough sophistication to maintain a minimalist outlook.
It was very packed on arrival and at once I felt confident that the food would be packed with flavor as well!
I was not wrong!
The menu was swiftly brought to us by a Vietnamese waitress who was very nice and efficient. I always wanted to try the Noodles from Asia, so we picked a Noodles type dish; Vietnamese Vermicelli noodle salad with grilled Pork (I’m just a pig for food )and fried rolls and a plate of grilled beef kebab with a salad on the side.
While waiting we were tempted to try the beer from Vietnam, as we usually drink beer from France and Belgium all the time. We bought one bottle to split, just Incase it wasn’t nice! It was very agreeable, like a Star or Heineken in Nigeria.

Ten minutes into a healthy discussion, our meals were brought to us. Now, you remember that I chose the noodles and it came in a lovely black, ceramic bowl which was neatly partitioned, containing the noodles, grilled pork strips, fried rolls,  some salad, and a sweet, spicy sauce (Not really sure what the sauce was but on first impression it looked a lot like a little bowl of water).

I was a bit careful as to how I’d act with that bowl but I was saved when my significant other told me that it contained the sauce to be poured on my salad and noodles. I breathed a sigh of relief and set to work chowing down some pork noodle soup! It was served with chopsticks also but luckily for me I used to practice chopsticks with my “Indomie” at home so I was a pro haha! The restaurant also made sure to provide basic cutlery, just In case you’re not up to the task.

The first bite was a rush of beautiful, beautiful tastes! The blend of the sauce, with the tasty grilled pork strips and the cool salad all at once, gave me this euphoric feeling. The noodles are nothing like our “Indomie” back home by the way! It’s a lot more drier and fluffier. It mixes so with the sauce and most of the time the grilled pork chips gives a knockout taste. This is a meal I would have over and over again. Plus it was quite filling.
The other dish was so good too. Beef kebab, grilled and beautifully served with salad dressing. Vietnamese really know how to grill their beef. It was richly soaked in sauce, at whatever depth you bite into, the taste is still great.

Over all, it was a beautiful day, with beautiful company, and one of the best food I have had in France.

Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pricing
Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles: 10.5 €
Beef Kebab with Salad: 9.5€
(VAT added but I don’t know how much).

Recommendations
It’s a lovely place where everyone should visit, to taste the food of Vietnam. Maybe there are better spots but here, it’s not expensive, great service, great food, and a magnificent ambience. What more could you ask for?!

Martha's Kitchen
Located at magazine road, Jericho Ibadan.
Decent parking.

It looks like Martha’s kitchen has gotten just a bit bigger, compared to the last time we came here. Not sure exactly how but it’s obvious some renovations took place here. There’s also an obvious addition of new colors, brand logos but menu is still the same! I must say I like the new space. That would allow for a better movement around instead of the previously choked up setting. The waiters are still the same “averagely knowledgeable about the menu but the still cheerful” bunch. So you can imagine how many back and forth to the kitchen to confirm what’s in a particular dish or if it’s still available would happen. The new minimalist colors give the space an even more feel of a roomy space, background white with touch of several colors and beautifully hanging lamp holders. Nice renovation. The menu is still electronically displayed on a tablet, but it’s just one tablet for the whole restaurant. So on a busy day you might have to wait for a while just to get to see the menu options.
Settled for the Lamb escalope, Seafood stir fry, and Grilled Chicken in casserole sauce with Chinese fried rice. The lamb escalope looked nothing like what was on the menu, I felt scammed. I was expecting chunky lamb pieces but what I got were strips, fried tiny strips overshadowed in so much Tomato and Chili sauce. This disappointment would served as a segue into what would become a very discontent meal. I didn’t like the sauce, no appreciable taste (just the normal chili taste with a feel of fried stew), the lamb strips were a little hard, I kept chewing and grinding on my molars before I could swallow, the rice was the only plus side. It’s really hard to go wrong with rice anyway. Maybe I was expecting so much from the dish

What we got

The grilled chicken in casserole sauce was what I had during the previous review here. It was so good I had to go for it again. It’s served in a sizzling hot pan with chicken pieces, potato cubes with vegetables in gravy, well settled in the mix. Simple but great sizzler.

The seafood stir fry is just noddles with some shrimps and the usual Martha’s kitchen vegetables (great peas and carrots). It’s almost like the seafood spaghetti on their menu the only difference would have been the cooking style (Stir Fry is a cooking style originating from China in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred). And like our familiar “homemade jollof spag”, the noodles are smeared with a bit of tomato paste. Nice! Nice!

Ratings
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Lamb escalope - N3400
Sea food stir fry noodles - N2800
Grilled Chicken in casserole sauce - N3000
(All comes with an option of White/Fried/Jollof/Chinese rice)

Recommendations
I love how the renovation feels like a much larger space. Not sure if they did any reconstruction to the building but it’s a great use of space. As always, Martha’s Kitchen is arguably one of Ibadan’s finest restaurant. Almost any gathering can be held here. Cute place too. I’d hope for more tablets and waiters that know more about the menu later in the future though.

Ingredients
Pasta
Arrabbiata sauce (It’s basically is a mixture of pepper and tomatoe paste)
Salt
Pepper
Onions
Honey
Lardon
Pork chops
String beans

Directions
Cut the onions and place in a pan of olive oil, medium heat.
Sautée the onions and add some honey to give them a glazed finish.
After put the lardon into the same frying pan and fry with the onions until well cooked. Lardon is like shredded bacon.
After the pork has thawed, place the pork slices into the sautéed mixture, creating a hole to allow contact heating and letting the flavor from the onions and lardon to bring life to the pork chops.
Keep frying until the pork has no more blood and gives off a nice golden brown tissue.
Season with pepper and salt.
Place the pasta on the fire and boil to satisfaction, usually, “aldente”.
Boil the string beans as well.
Once pasta is boiled, add some of the arrabbiata sauce to it.
Then mix the pasta with the lardon as well.
Serve with the string green beans as a side
Bon appétit!

Vestar Coffee
26 Oju Olobun Cl, Victoria Island, Lagos
Open: 6:30 – 10
Decent Parking

So, if they had Jollof rice and dodo at Vestar, it would be my new favorite place. Vestar is a coffee house that I am so glad my friend Seun put me on to. It’s a beautiful, cozy place located in Victoria Island. I think the first thing I fell in love with were the lights.

When I’m picking places to explore, ambience is always at the top of my list because how am I going to take fire selfies under fluorescent lights? Lol. Ugh, I digress. So, Vestar is pretty much like Café Neo and My Coffee. It’s a place where people go to work, study, use their laptops or just sit and talk or read.
There’s no handy menu so I had to go to the counter to make an order. The menu was displayed right above it. They have coffee, tea, desserts, pastries and sandwiches. The first time I went there, I ordered a chocolate milkshake and a Ham sandwich which took about five minutes to be ready.

The milkshake looked really good but it was not chocolate-y enough for me. The sandwich was alright but there were green peppers in it and the taste of that did not particularly sit well with the bread but did I eat it? You bet.

I really liked that the mood was just really chill and the music was mellow. There were a few books on the shelf as well as a chessboard. So, I definitely felt like I was in a library where I was allowed to eat and drink. Best!

The following day, I went back because I had to study for a test and they were already open before 8. I was so happy lol. I sat by the window and people kept walking by and smiling at me. Oh, they also have free wi-fi and pretty much all you have to do is buy a bottle of water but I do not encourage such behavior.

I had a fruit Parfait and it tasted really great. It was like a whole meal and it’s my new addiction. Sigh.

Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Fruit parfait- 1500
Milkshake - 1700
Ham and cheese sandwich- 1000

Recommendations
Vestar is a really great place if you’re looking for somewhere to work with little or no distractions; definitely not suitable for a romantic first date but might work for the 20th. They open early and close really late so you can comfortable stay there all day if you have a paper to write or something. The interior is really pretty; the waiters are nice and the conveniences are good. Also, the prices are surprisingly decent! I did not like that there was no menu and also that the waiters don’t…wait. Customers have to go back to the counter to pick up their orders. When my orders were ready; the waiter had to yell “excuse me “a few times to get my attention and I did not like that. However, I love Vestar and I cannot wait for them to bend under the pressure and start making Jollof rice.

Brasserie La Place
8 Place Omer Vallon, 60500 Chantilly, France

So a female co worker with a heart of gold invited me to a diner because I was quite fed up of the numerous salads! She wanted to spoil me with meat at least once, before she left! It was a touching moment for me, meat on my mind, tears in my eyes, love in my heart!
We set the dinner time for 8:30pm and it was at a brasserie, in English, it translates simply to a Brewery. But it’s a diner with an outdoor setting, where one can eat with a glass of beer and not have to dress very fancy. It’s a nice way for the french to enjoy the three plus months of summer time!

We started off with an appetizer, consisting of saucisson (sausages), fois gras, (pig liver), pickles, butter, jambon, and slices of baguette. (Sorry to all Muslims out there, many starters are made from pork here in France, because the love for pigs is on another level, but fear not, there are still other meals to enjoy!).

Then onto the main course,
We of course ordered some wine. Take note, red wine goes well with beef, while white wine goes well with cheese. An unspoken rule is to never take white wine with a steak. But I didn’t know this, so I ordered for glasses of white wine!

I chose the Beef Kebab with fries, while my coworker chose the beef tartar with fries. Now a tartar, is raw beef, spiced and minced. My kebab was a medium rare even though I protested for a well done piece of meat. The waiter and my coworker were quite adamant, they went on to explain that if it is well done, it won’t be tender and it will not cut easily. (In my mind I’m like “that’s the way I know beef in Naija oo”). But I readily agreed because I wish to try new things. (I also tried the beef tartar, it wasn’t bad at all. Once you close your mind to the fact that you’re eating raw beef, it’s a breeze, A meaty breeze).

Beef tartar with fries

It was extremely tender and they took the initiative to drop off some spicy sauce to sweeten my pallet! My first time having medium rare beef and I absolutely loved it!
Once the plates were cleared, we moved on to the dessert.

The desserts were cute, presentation wise and all.
Café gourmand; This is a dessert that consists of 5 little things in one plate;

• A small cup of coffee
• A little crepe with crème chantilly (a cream particular to the town Chantilly).
  
• Moulleux au chocolat cake (cake which has a melting centre, filled with chocolate).
  
• Panna cotta (like a yoghurt with red fruits)
• Caramel ice cream.

Tarte tatin; This is an apple tart with whipped cream and caramel ice cream on the side. It is served hot, so that the contrast with the cold ice cream is incredible.

Crêpe avec Nutella. (Crêpe with Nutella)
This was my favorite, as it had all the things you need for a great dessert. Nutella, crepes and some whipped cream to melt your heart!
They were all very nice desserts!

Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Price
Beef tartar with fries -16euros
Beef kebab with fries- 18euros
Café gourmand- 8 euros
Tarte tatin-8 euros
Crêpe avec Nutella-8euros
Total- 68 Euros.

Recommendations
It’s a great place to take a first date to, the prices aren’t too steep and it’s enough to have a proper meal with a new date. The service is fast and very nice.