I started this blog in controversy but it's actually a restaurant recommendation! In light of my recent Paris trip, I was truly surprised but also comforted by the amount of Afro-Parisians that I came across.
Ugh the colour? The flavour? The beauty? It was something special and in a lot of ways made me feel comfortable while walking through the streets of Paris. There's something to be studied about going abroad and seeing your kind, something about it feels like home.
Seeing the sight of so many Africans made me want to eat some food and it didn't have to be Nigerian! Although most restaurants in Paris seem to close for lunch, I was ecstatic to find this spot called African Lounge that was open and raised the question of 'Who makes the best jollof?'
Although the restaurant itself doesn’t give away much in terms of description as a contemporary gastronomic restaurant, I found that the menu was heavily influenced by West Africa, notably Senegal with their maafe, jollof and other delicacies!
You could smell how delicious the food was inside from a mile away and when we walked in I loved the decor and ambience. The host was a little snappy and that's when I knew the food would be good. Filled with African uncles and aunties, I was so excited to be seated and try something new!
It’s quite entertaining to me when people argue over who makes the best jollof rice and to be honest, until I’d tried the Senegalese origination, I just preferred whoever could cook lmao.
Jollof rice did in fact originate from Senegal so to experience such a flavourful dish made me giggle slightly. African Lounge aced theirs with the yummy deep savoury tomato base but what stuck to me was the texture of their rice. It had a stickiness to it that was still fluffy but extremely pleasant. The grains were short, almost like a broken rice but close to jasmine. This dish didn’t need any features and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
Maafe… whew this dish blew me away. Thick, nutty, lightly spiced and full of flavour, I opted for the oxtail and it was fall off the bone tender. I devoured this stew with some semolina (which I’m usually not a fan of but it paired perfectly with the maafe sauce). Personally I would’ve preferred the oxtail to be cut smaller and perhaps grilled/fried to give more texture but that’s down to personal preference. You know the stew is cooked well when you see the oil split on top, gotta love it!
Looking at pictures I realise now that the fish came with semolina but I chose to eat it with the maafe instead of the rice that was provided. Could be the Nigerian in me but this dish definitely worked better with the swallow.
To drink I simply had something similar to fanta… for the vibes.
I wanted to try the gumbo which was okra but opted for the grilled fish instead. It was simmered in a ginger sauce and you could just tell that this sauce was cook down long enough for the ginger to become mild. The ginger was not overpowering as it can be, I’m usually a little hesitant of ginger sauces however it helped eliminate the ‘fishiness’ you can sometimes get from grilled fish. Ugh this was fantastic. The fish was cooked perfectly too and nowhere near dry.
So for me, the answer is Senegal. Y'all make the best jollof and there isn’t a doubt about it! I’m so grateful that I got to experience this delicious meal and I would absolutely go back again when I visit Paris. There were a few dishes I wanted to try but didn’t have enough space for. I may even have to look out for spots in London!
A solid 4.5/5 on my ratings and I’d urge you to give it a visit, whether you’re African or not. My Polish bestie got stuck in with her hands and devoured it all too! She enjoyed every dish and it was a beautiful experience.
Thank you for reading my review and I look forward to sharing more with you!
For more restaurant/travel recommendations, follow me on instagram @chefdominiqueo
Namaste x