Nicki M.
Yelp
My cousin and I had lunch here a few weeks ago, just before my return trip to Houston. She was in the mood for Nigerian food, and so was I. We're both Nigerian, so we definitely know what to expect when it comes to the food.
The decor itself is definitely more lounge than restaurant, with the dark lighting, and lounge area with the couches and low tables (not very comfortable for sitting and eating lunch). During the day, they have a tv tuned to soccer. What else would it be turned to?!
Service is cafe style, you order at the counter, and they bring it to your table. We didn't interact with much of the staff, but the guy that took our orders and brought them to us was actually quite pleasant. When ordering, you have the choice of tap water, or buying bottled water for $1. (this option is typical in Nigerian/African restaurants). You can order stew and then select the kind of meat you want to go in it. My cousin ordered rice and stew, and I ordered fufu and egusi stew with chicken.
When our orders came, I immediately noticed that the chicken in my egusi stew had come from the pot of stew that my cousin had with her lunch. I noticed this because the stew she ordered is tomato based, and my soup was NOT. Say what? They couldn't have just rinsed that off before plopping it on top of my soup? Tacky, tacky.
Anywho, I hadn't had fufu in a few months, so I was excited to dig in. Then, not so excited. Our bowls of stew were drenched in oil, which was pretty gross. Nigerians typically cook with palm oil, which adds a certain overall flavor--not bad by any means, just one that I'm used to. Whatever the owner uses, it's NOT palm oil, so this threw the flavor off slightly. My cousin said a friend of hers mentioned that the owner uses vegetable oil since it's cheaper. I'm inclined to believe the friend's statement. I understand wanting to cut costs, but I'd honestly rather pay a little more for the food if it'll mean that it taste more authentic.
Another Yelper was spot on about the egusi being drenched in pepper. Actually, it's more like the bowl of pepper had a little bit of egusi stew in it. I wish they'd just cook the food and let the patrons season it to their individual tastes. But I guess that would be too easy. I seriously thought my mouth was going to burn away; on the bright side, my cousin and I did actually leave the restaurant with very clear sinuses. No joke.