Ekhaya

Chef Zweli Williams Wants People to Understand African Food at Ekhaya | Eater Carolinas

"Situated in Durham’s American Tobacco Campus, this recently opened restaurant—whose name means a sense of being “at home” in Bantu—serves as a deeply personal expression of the chef-owner’s childhood and cultural roots. The dining room mixes sleek black tables with African gourds, straw mats, Zimbabwean fabric cushions and metal plates sourced from Zimbabwe to support local villages, creating an intimate, homey yet stylish atmosphere. The menu is unapologetically authentic and intended to educate: expect childhood favorites such as Scotch eggs and traditional bobotie (a sweet-and-savory minced beef topped with an egg souffle served in a primitive metal mug), Dovi rice bombs (peanut butter rice) with pepper sauce, and a rotating roasted whole fish presented upright with plantain tortillas and a fennel-and-dill slaw. There are no freezers or microwaves on site, and sourcing is intentional (the chef shops at a local seafood market); cocktails and wine are similarly curated, highlighted by a Tamarind Old Fashioned, a passion-fruit–forward Bantu Bellini, and South African wine pairings. The overall mission is to put African cuisine on the map through storytelling, bold flavors, and faithful recipes—so patrons with peanut allergies should be cautious." - Jenn Rice