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| A ‘bofrot’ doughnut with smoked goat and locust seed powder |
Akoko: A taste of London’s West African fine dining debutant
Akoko on Berners Street promises to put West
African cuisine firmly on the London food map, writes Rasika Sittamparam
Akoko has all the makings of a culinary
establishment: Masterchef finalist William JM Chilila at its helm, chef
Trystan-Ross Williams of Michelin-starred Murano fame, rare wines sommelier Honey
Spencer, décor by René Dekker and a West End venue on Berners Street. Once
launched in early 2020, this will be London’s first upmarket West African
restaurant. It could even rival Ikoyi, which gained a Michelin star for its
African-inspired flavours.
Spear’s gets an exclusive tasting preview at
the home of Nigerianborn founder Aji Oluwole. ‘It’s scary,’ he says of his deep
dive into the restaurant scene, while handing over a delicately grilled prawn
dish with a smattering of Senegalese paste.
The recipe for creating West African flavours
in London, says Oluwole, are prime British ingredients such as beef and
seafood, ‘a lot of’ bell peppers for sauce bases, and a range of imported
produce such as African herbs, fermented locust bean seeds called ‘dawadawa’
and the moreish ‘egusi’ melon seeds.
‘There’s fufu too,’ he adds, describing the
soft yet springy texture of a dough that is meant to be dipped into ‘absolutely
delicious stewed meat’. Chef Williams knows a more mechanised way to make it,
while also enriching its taste. ‘That’s kitchen magic,’ he whispers.
MasterChef: The Professionals finalist and head
chef at Akoko, William JM Chilila
In the culinary pipeline is a signature platter
made up of lobster with an earthy velouté, ‘jollof’ rice smoked with African
herbs, and barbecued 28-day aged beef with a moreish sauce called ‘suya’ (it’s
the hiss you produce when you sense hot chilli on your tongue, Williams
explains).
After this tasting, Spear’s sees a promising
future ahead.
Lobster velouté
Web akoko.co.uk
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