Part of Jamaica’s rich cultural history is cuisine; matrimony among European, African and Indo-Asian ingredients as well as cooking styles and techniques. February being a celebration of Black History Month, Buzzz Magazine highlights Café Africa where eating is not solely focused on the food, but also on an authentic dining experience.
As one enters the ethnic food village in Regal Plaza, Kingston, Jamaica, the quaint setting is made more vivid by the presence of culturally motivated members of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) who were enjoying various delicacies that originated in the Motherland. Café Africa was the second restaurant started at that location by spouses, Emprezz Mullings and Steven Golding, in November 2011 after Daddy Marcus’ Fish Stop; Veggie Meals on Wheels was another entity. The location is not about glamour – it draws customers in by being a very inviting, well-kept and comfortable environment where customers can order from any three of the kitchenettes.
Enter the Culinary Classroom
A chalkboard in the shape of Africa hangs in the café’s dining area with the day’s menu: English translations accompany the names of African dishes many would quickly mispronounce. The décor is modest: walls are adorned with culturally relevant trinkets. The chairs and tables are simple wooden items; however, tabletops are in porcelain and bear printed characters from the language of the Akan people. These stimulating symbols each tell a story of historical and cultural value and culture and do much to change ingrained and often negative ideas about the lifestyle and cuisine of the different peoples of Africa. Indeed, a major popular misconception is that African food is Rastafarian food and/or ‘ital’ or of a vegetarian nature – at Café Africa, however, you will be sure to find a wide selection of meats seasoned to perfection … but excluding the other white meat – pork.
There is also the notion that African countries are all poor and so food and other resources are limited. Steven is quick to educate us on the origin of our food, sharing what he learned while operating a Ethiopian Restaurant in New York and from extensive research in African countries such as Tanzania, prior to opening the café. “Some of the foods that many Jamaicans associate with Africa such as Ackee, part of our national dish, were not popular among the West Africans, where originates from,” he explained. “Instead, these fruits grow widely in the country but were acquired in the period of slavery to serve as food for the slaves,” he continued. This is how generations of Jamaicans became used to eating ackee and other foodstuff such as cow tongue, animal tripe… and the list goes on: those items were what slave owners made available. Steven’s research allowed him to learn the health benefits of various spices, and how best to replicate an African dish with the resources he had access to in Jamaica, although the restaurant does have to import a few items such as pounded starch and Palm Oil.
Mind Your Manners
The concept that Café Africa brings is a unique cultural presentation of and exposure to the African way of life. Customers are even invited to interact in a game of trivia on African culture for a chance to win a complimentary meal – the fun begins there. When the food is brought by a waiter, it is customary that a member of staff will wash customers’ hands in a traditional practice, as eating with the hands is the norm in Africa. Forks are however provided for reluctant guests. The staff comprises Emprezz who controls Marketing and Management; Steven, the Executive Chef; a Sous Chef from Nigeria, Prince Ohia; and Musty who takes orders and also s well as assists in a supervisory capacity.
For Buzzz Magazine’s dining experience, in a matter of minutes it seemed, Musty brought a feast to our table. It consisted of Yellow South African Rice; Fufu (made from pounded starch); Kachumbari (Kenyan Tomato Salad), and main course Fish Yassa; Mauritanian Pepper Steak; Piri Piri Wings and M’Chicha – but not before Emprezz thoroughly washed our hands and urged us to dig in. We were given a short tutorial on how to eat with our hands. The Fufu is made to order, so it was a pleasure to pinch off a piece of the warm dumpling-like accompaniment and follow tentatively as our teacher carefully rolled her portion between her fingers, made a dent in the centre of it and scooped up a decent serving of a main dish. We sampled the Mauritanian Pepper Steak and it was unlike any other pepper steak – a zesty fusion of coconut jelly and scotch bonnet peppers: each morsel intrigued our palate. The M’Chicha, which appeared to be stewed callaloo, had a distinct yet not overpowering taste of peanut. As for the rice – sweet cinnamon and turmeric caressed the taste buds. The Café has a long list of dishes with fusions of flavours: Dongo Dongo out of the Congo region – a saltfish and okra stew similar to Gumbo; Imoyo – a medley of chicken fillet and okra originating from Nigeria; Liberian Palava – a beef fillet stewed with callaloo; and Mchuzi wa Samaki – a fish fillet in tamarind and curry sauce. Over twenty-five dishes from more than eighteen African countries are available at Café Africa.
Add to your Bucket List
This authentic African restaurant is exactly what you would expect of a local gem. It is a fine establishment with a fusion of African, Jamaican and Caribbean home-style cooking as well as vegetarian elements. The cafe perfectly matches a welcoming ambience with entertainment, friendly service, unique recipes, an affordable beverage list (including a variety of African coffees), personalized ‘Woha’ (Ethiopian for water) and a signature Ethiopian honey wine (TEJ), produced by the restaurant. Café Africa takes reservations, walk-ins and welcomes foodies of all ages. The team has also begun catering operations for small, medium and large businesses. If you have never had African food before, add the experience to your Bucket List because you won’t have to travel too far – just visit Café Africa, open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Part of Jamaica’s rich cultural history is cuisine; matrimony among European, African and Indo-Asian ingredients as well as cooking styles and techniques. February being a celebration of Black History Month, Buzzz Magazine highlights Café Africa where eating is not solely focused on the food, but also on an authentic dining experience.
As one enters the ethnic food village in Regal Plaza, Kingston, Jamaica, the quaint setting is made more vivid by the presence of culturally motivated members of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) who were enjoying various delicacies that originated in the Motherland. Café Africa was the second restaurant started at that location by spouses, Emprezz Mullings and Steven Golding, in November 2011 after Daddy Marcus’ Fish Stop; Veggie Meals on Wheels was another entity. The location is not about glamour – it draws customers in by being a very inviting, well-kept and comfortable environment where customers can order from any three of the kitchenettes.
Enter the Culinary Classroom
A chalkboard in the shape of Africa hangs in the café’s dining area with the day’s menu: English translations accompany the names of African dishes many would quickly mispronounce. The décor is modest: walls are adorned with culturally relevant trinkets. The chairs and tables are simple wooden items; however, tabletops are in porcelain and bear printed characters from the language of the Akan people. These stimulating symbols each tell a story of historical and cultural value and culture and do much to change ingrained and often negative ideas about the lifestyle and cuisine of the different peoples of Africa. Indeed, a major popular misconception is that African food is Rastafarian food and/or ‘ital’ or of a vegetarian nature – at Café Africa, however, you will be sure to find a wide selection of meats seasoned to perfection … but excluding the other white meat – pork.
There is also the notion that African countries are all poor and so food and other resources are limited. Steven is quick to educate us on the origin of our food, sharing what he learned while operating a Ethiopian Restaurant in New York and from extensive research in African countries such as Tanzania, prior to opening the café. “Some of the foods that many Jamaicans associate with Africa such as Ackee, part of our national dish, were not popular among the West Africans, where originates from,” he explained. “Instead, these fruits grow widely in the country but were acquired in the period of slavery to serve as food for the slaves,” he continued. This is how generations of Jamaicans became used to eating ackee and other foodstuff such as cow tongue, animal tripe… and the list goes on: those items were what slave owners made available. Steven’s research allowed him to learn the health benefits of various spices, and how best to replicate an African dish with the resources he had access to in Jamaica, although the restaurant does have to import a few items such as pounded starch and Palm Oil.
Mind Your Manners
The concept that Café Africa brings is a unique cultural presentation of and exposure to the African way of life. Customers are even invited to interact in a game of trivia on African culture for a chance to win a complimentary meal – the fun begins there. When the food is brought by a waiter, it is customary that a member of staff will wash customers’ hands in a traditional practice, as eating with the hands is the norm in Africa. Forks are however provided for reluctant guests. The staff comprises Emprezz who controls Marketing and Management; Steven, the Executive Chef; a Sous Chef from Nigeria, Prince Ohia; and Musty who takes orders and also s well as assists in a supervisory capacity.
For Buzzz Magazine’s dining experience, in a matter of minutes it seemed, Musty brought a feast to our table. It consisted of Yellow South African Rice; Fufu (made from pounded starch); Kachumbari (Kenyan Tomato Salad), and main course Fish Yassa; Mauritanian Pepper Steak; Piri Piri Wings and M’Chicha – but not before Emprezz thoroughly washed our hands and urged us to dig in. We were given a short tutorial on how to eat with our hands. The Fufu is made to order, so it was a pleasure to pinch off a piece of the warm dumpling-like accompaniment and follow tentatively as our teacher carefully rolled her portion between her fingers, made a dent in the centre of it and scooped up a decent serving of a main dish. We sampled the Mauritanian Pepper Steak and it was unlike any other pepper steak – a zesty fusion of coconut jelly and scotch bonnet peppers: each morsel intrigued our palate. The M’Chicha, which appeared to be stewed callaloo, had a distinct yet not overpowering taste of peanut. As for the rice – sweet cinnamon and turmeric caressed the taste buds. The Café has a long list of dishes with fusions of flavours: Dongo Dongo out of the Congo region – a saltfish and okra stew similar to Gumbo; Imoyo – a medley of chicken fillet and okra originating from Nigeria; Liberian Palava – a beef fillet stewed with callaloo; and Mchuzi wa Samaki – a fish fillet in tamarind and curry sauce. Over twenty-five dishes from more than eighteen African countries are available at Café Africa.
Add to your Bucket List
This authentic African restaurant is exactly what you would expect of a local gem. It is a fine establishment with a fusion of African, Jamaican and Caribbean home-style cooking as well as vegetarian elements. The cafe perfectly matches a welcoming ambience with entertainment, friendly service, unique recipes, an affordable beverage list (including a variety of African coffees), personalized ‘Woha’ (Ethiopian for water) and a signature Ethiopian honey wine (TEJ), produced by the restaurant. Café Africa takes reservations, walk-ins and welcomes foodies of all ages. The team has also begun catering operations for small, medium and large businesses. If you have never had African food before, add the experience to your Bucket List because you won’t have to travel too far – just visit Café Africa, open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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