After trying Baobab a few months ago, I was keen to eat at the competition just a few metres down the road. In the absence of a set lunch deal, we ordered three dishes between the three of us, with three different juices: Hibiscus flower, ginger, tamarind. The hibiscus tasted of perfumed milk, like a bad memory of synthetically-flavoured shakes from the 80s, the tamarind one was spicy-sweet – though I usually prefer this as a thicker sauce with Indian chaat – and the ginger juice was punchy and refreshing.
The star dish was definitely the thebou dem, a melange of fish and vegetable stew on short-grained fried rice. The thebou yape and yassa were both served on white rice, the former with chunks of juicy lamb, the latter with prawns and lamb; all were accompanied by incredible batons of sweet potato or yam. These were the only three dishes that were available at 2pm on a Friday, and we had a similar experience at other African restaurants where three-quarters of the menu was just not available on that day. Dessert was lacklustre – dry bunuelos, like a deep-fried scone or muffin without a filling.
Service might be charmless but it is certainly quick, and the food here, for my money – under 10€ each – is better than the other big Senegalese joint in town: succulent meat, hearty portions and wonderful flavours.
$-$$
Metro Lavapies
delusionaryculinary 