Jared G.
Yelp
The 2025 James Beard Foundation Semifinalists have been announced, and Oklahoma City is at the forefront of representing Oklahoma in the Best Chef: Southwest category. Among the nominees is Tahnee Francis, whose Nigerian concept, Naija Wife Kitchen, is making waves from its home in the Robinson Renaissance Building food court.
Tahnee is a community ambassador, using her platform to celebrate diversity and advocate for inclusivity. In 2022, she was crowned Miss Black Oklahoma International Ambassador, where she became a voice for individuals with disabilities across the state.
With glowing reviews and a James Beard nod, expectations are high for Naija Wife Kitchen. Tahnee's success marks an important milestone for Oklahoma's evolving culinary scene, showcasing the state's growing diversity and innovation. Let's eat.
Dining
Naija Fried platter with suya chicken wings, fish steaks in pepper stew, plantains, stewed egg over Jollof rice.
The platter lacked depth of flavor, with each component becoming monotonous after a few bites. The suya chicken wings had a lovely crisp exterior and featured a lightly seasoned flavor profile, highlighting paprika and garlic with a subtle sweetness at the back end. The fried plantains had a soft texture, were underseasoned, and bland. The Jollof rice carried mild notes of paprika and mild spices, but was on the dry side. The tilapia fish steak had an beautifully crispy exterior and a light fish flavor profile. The accompanying red pepper stew on top tasted primarily like cooked pepper, with no real depth or consistency.
Peanut Butter Soup, Okra Soup, Efo Riro Soup, Banga Soup, and Egusi Soup
The "Friday special" featured a soup sampler, served with "fufu", a starchy ball of kneaded yam used for dipping. The"fufu" has a neutral flavor profile with a soft slightly gummy texture. Each soup was sampled individually and dipped with the fufu. Almost all the soups had a considerable amount of palm oil that pooled at the top, making them unappealing and heavy. The two options are to stir the orange oil back into the soup or drain it slightly.
The peanut soup boasts a flavor profile dominated by peanut and chicken, with little variation in between. It had a slightly sweet and salty taste that was pleasant. The texture was thick and gelatinous. The addition of the fufu amplified the chewy, gelatinous texture, but it did help cut through some of the heaviness of the soup.
The okra soup features a milder flavor of fresh okra and vegetables. Its texture was rustic and provided a pleasant mouthfeel. While it also had a lot of oil, it worked more harmoniously with the fufu and one of thee highlights of the other soups.
The Banga soup had some savory notes, but lacked seasoning and depth of flavor. After a few bites, the flavors became one-dimensional. The Efo Riro soup was refreshing and crisp with notes of spinach, tomatoes, and pepper. Overall, it had a pleasant flavor profile. The Egusi soup offered the greatest contrast in texture among the soups, with its nutty and umami flavor profile. Finally; the goat was fork tender, heavy with oil, and under seasoned.
Overall, much like the fried platter, the soups lacked the bold, rich flavor commonly associated with African cuisine. It's not the heat level being critiqued, but the balance, intensity, dynamics, and richness that each dish was missing.
Final Thoughts:
Tahnee's dedication to her craft and her commitment to bringing something special to Oklahoma are undeniable. She is a true ambassador of West African cuisine. However, passion alone does not always translate into exceptional food. At Naija Wife Kitchen, muted flavors, textural inconsistencies, and uneven preparation were noticeable across multiple dishes. While the spirit of authenticity and warmth is deeply embedded in the dining experience, the execution did not consistently meet the level of excellence expected.
