A while back, I had experienced the incredible food at Africana eatery. Having served Calgarians for over three years, this East Indian/East African Fusion satisfied even my picky tastes, despite the fact that I usually refrain from trying spicy Indian cuisines due to my overly sensitive palate. In fact, Africana puts a new twist on the East African dishes by integrating Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda inspired ingredients and dishes into its creations. Occasionally, they even feature platters from the Philippines. Although the restaurant does serve lunch with several soup, salad, burger, sandwiches and wrap options, their specialty is BBQ meats for an evening meal. It is important to note that also cater to the vegetarian folk! The average platter is between $10 and $30 dollars.
First off, the decor makes for a very cozy feel. I felt like and stepped into a restaurant that was indeed situated in Africa and not our frigid city.
As appetizers, we ordered Mogo (deep fried cassava, my personal favourite) and Masala Fries (slices of potatoes marinated in Indian Spices and tomato sauce). The Mogo was just right, crispy on the outside and tender inside. The fries, I saved for the main meal and they complimented the meat perfectly. There was even a range of chutneys (chili sauces) to dip them in (not for the faint of heart) and yogurt sauce for those that prefer a mild option (aka me).
I made sure to order a deliciously cool and rich Mango Lassi which is the Indian version of a mango smoothie as a knew my tastebuds would be getting quite the workout during the dinner!
And now for the main entrée, aptly named the Kilimanjaro platter – what a mountain of delicious meat it was. It included beef ribs, chicken, prawns and mishkaki (barbequed beef cooked in Indian spices). As a general warning, the chicken and shrimp was quite spicy but absolutely worth it. I could rave about the beef ribs forever. They were not entitled “Chuma’s World Famous Beef Ribs” in vain and simply melted in my mouth.
I would encourage you all visit the Africana eatery, whether you can tolerate spicy or not and whether you are of the vegetarian or “carnivore” variety. Check out their Facebook page and website for menu options and more information.
Happy Eating!