Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen
Restaurant · First Hill
1009 Boren Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Highlights
Authentic West African cuisine with jollof rice, goat peanut soup, fufu
Authentic West African cuisine with jollof rice, goat peanut soup, fufu
"In a city where West African food can be hard to come by, Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen is a pop-up-turned-restaurant that serves excellent traditional dishes from Liberia and Ghana. Dishes like the handpies and nuggets of ripe caramelized plantains are pure comfort, particularly when followed by a smoky goat peanut soup that should always be ordered with fufu. Take advantage of the small cozy space with just a few hungry friends. You can always keep the night going by grabbing drinks on Capitol Hill afterwards—or use Gold Coast as an impromptu date night if sharing the last bites of a hand pie is your version of fairytale romance, like it is ours." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"Tina Fahnbulleh’s restaurant is a gateway to West African cuisine. The menu teaches diners how to pronounce waakye (wah-che, a rice and beans dish) and tells them to eat with their hands; they can use fufu, a starchy, almost mashed potato–like side to sop up the creamy, carefully spiced broth from the soups. The user-friendly experience here is a recognition that many Seattleites aren’t familiar with food from countries like Liberia (where Fahnbulleh was born) or Ghana (where she spent her early childhood). Come to Gold Coast Ghal, though, and you’ll soon start craving potato greens. Must order: Get the fufu if you haven’t had it before — while West African food is becoming a bit more common in Seattle, it’s still not something you commonly see." - Harry Cheadle
"When its doors opened in late 2023, Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen wrote a new chapter for West African cuisine in Seattle. Owner Tina Fahnbulleh’s Liberian origins and Ghanaian upbring are reflected throughout the innovative menu that offers contemporary twists on West African classics served in a chic setting. Come hungry and with company so you can dine family-style. Must-orders include jollof rice with apple cabbage slaw and fried plantains, goat peanut soup, and red red — a dish of black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and peppers served with plantains. Pair your meal with a cocktail featuring regional ingredients like palm wine, passion fruit, and plantain." - Alicia Erickson
"In a city where West African food can be hard to come by, Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen is a pop-up-turned-restaurant on First Hill that serves excellent traditional dishes from Liberia and Ghana, forging a plantain-lined path that’s well worth following. Although it’s located in a busy, hospital-dense neighborhood you’ve probably only headed to for an annual checkup, there’s a mix of people from all over town wearing more dress shoes (which in Seattle is really just a nice pair of sneakers) than scrubs or stethoscopes. And the artful balance of spice, bright flavors, and comforting dishes here blends well with a laid-back atmosphere that rivals noise-canceling headphones for escaping the non-stop sirens outside. photo credit: Nate Watters photo credit: Nate Watters photo credit: Nate Watters photo credit: Nate Watters photo credit: Nate Watters Tables are pretty easy to come by in the evenings despite the steady stream of diners sipping palm wine cocktails and having a great time among colorful paintings and woven baskets. In the background, R&B plays softly as servers whiz by, juggling heaped plates of green pepper sauce-topped grilled branzino with plantains and a rainbow of vegetables tucked underneath. Or bowls of restorative waakyé, a one-pot lightly seasoned rice and black eye peas dish with a spicy beef stew. We love that waakyé in particular, as well as the flaky hand pie filled with peppery ground beef (or chunky vegetables—both are fantastic). Since there’s limited dining room space, coming with a big group may require some table rearranging. We’d recommend keeping the feng shui as is and coming with just a few hungry friends—you can always keep the night going by grabbing drinks on Capitol Hill afterwards—or using Gold Coast as an impromptu date night if sharing the last bites of a hand pie is your version of a fairytale romance, like it is ours. Food Rundown Kosua Ne Meko The dish is just a single hard-boiled egg cut in half, but it’s topped with a bright scotch bonnet pepper jelly that absolutely steals the show. It’s a quick small bite to prime your stomach for all the great stuff that’s about to come. photo credit: Nate Watters Hand Pie Although these half-moon-shaped golden pastries can have a heavy sheen of oil, we’ve learned to look past that after tasting the delicious ground beef filling that stuffs each one to the seams. And the cilantro lime aioli for dipping brings a nice tanginess that cuts through the savory filliing. Potato Greens With Chicken This earthy stew served over white rice is filled with potato greens cooked down until they are sweet and so soft they could be spread on toast. And the succulent chunks of chicken engulfed in the thick oniony gravy leave the bone so naked it almost feels like we should give it some privacy. We just wish this dish had a few more chopped green onions thrown on top to break up the meaty richness. photo credit: Nate Watters Goat Peanut Soup With Fufu Enjoy a glistening bowl of smoky soup with hidden chunks of okra, tender goat meat on the bone, and a plump mound of fufu as the centerpiece. And use the starchy-pounded plantain as a vehicle to scoop this deep tomato-y and creamy soup (thanks to the peanuts) in order to get it in your mouth as fast as possible." - Kayla Sager-Riley
"In November, Fahnbulleh opened the brick-and-mortar location of Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen, one of Seattle’s few West African restaurants." - Charlie Lahud-Zahner
