A guided tour of Nigerian staples.
If “feel-good” were a food genre, Naija Jollof would embody this perfectly. Though the blank screens and neon blue fridge are momentarily off-putting, it’s all heart and big smiles in this joint at the head of Enmore Rd.
There are no menus or labels here, so the crew talk you through each dish in the bain-marie section with care and personal attention. This is already a winning move. Menus are all too often sticky and riddled with unavailable items, so the lack thereof at Naija Jollof is a welcome curve-ball and it forces meaningful conversations, adding to its warmth and hospitality.
After some deliberation over the many seductive choices, a plate is put together for you and malt is firmly recommended as the accompanying beverage.
As it all comes out, it’s like an international convention. The UN of carbs. Jollof rice, cassava chips, semolina, black eyed beans, and plantain all have a seat at the table. The Jollof rice is cooked with obvious scrutiny, and later revealed that it isn’t steamed. Rather, it’s “boiled” to extract more moisture and interestingly match the fattier meats.
The main pieces included the supersaurus fried chicken, Asun (spicy roast goat chunks), red beef stew, Egusi (melon seed soup with unorthodox cuts of multiple animals), and the peanut stew with more meat. The red beef stew is stunningly smoked and deep in flavour, extracted from capsicum and a confidential blend of chillies.
The West African flavours at Naija Jollof are complex and multifaceted. Heat and slow-cooking with bountiful spices form a large part of the food’s soul, and it goes superbly with the plethora of neutralising carbohydrates on offer.
If you need some personal restoration, grab a plate here and you’ll leave a different person. Full and feeling good.
Ibis Tip: If you order the semolina fufu, note that it is very dense and may leave you partially incapacitated towards the end of the meal.
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