What if rudeness wasn't talking with your mouth full but with a full table?
Chishuru
, in the Hausa language—which is spoken by 85 million souls in West Africa—means “the silence of respect that falls on diners before a delicious meal.”
And Adejoké Bakare (Nigeria, 53 years old), the first black African
chef
to obtain a Michelin star in the United Kingdom and the second in Europe, chose that name for her restaurant because for her food has a religious, almost sacred component.
“Everyone remains quiet, and concentrates on the plate.
And that moment has a point of communion,” she explains in a corner of the small kitchen, while she observes out of the corner of her eye how the small battalion of assistants under her command work.
Joké
's restaurant
, as everyone knows it, is in the Fitzrovia neighborhood in west London.
An elegant and simple two-level establishment, with a £40 (about 47 euros) menu that includes a contemporary version of West African recipes.
Because the chef, who moved to London 25 years ago, refuses to have her or her dishes described as Nigerian.
Mafe is a goat stew with coffee and yají sauce, ground peanuts and uda and uziza sauce.Manuel Vázquez
“It's regional food from West Africa.
In the north they have the same ingredients, and they use them in a very similar way.
On the coast they cook with the same fish.
In Nigeria we use
egusi
, the ground melon seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
But if you go to Benin, Ivory Coast or Ghana, the ingredient is the same,” he explains.
“They all come from ancient empires like Asante or ancient kingdoms like Oyo.
Among them there were commercial exchanges and a common taste for food.
“Those are the roots I want to return to.”
Sinasir
, the fermented rice cake so popular in northern Nigeria, becomes something completely different when it is layered with subtle layers of jasmine rice, a purée of boletus and
shiitake
,
and ground nuts in coconut milk. and grains of paradise (called African pepper for years).
Interior of Chishuru, in the Fitzrovia neighborhood of west LondonManuel Vázquez
Ekoki , a Joké creation inspired by the traditions of
the
east of his country, is a spongy corn cake, with tamarind paste and coconut cream.
Three pieces of caramelized chili on top manage to alter, seconds after putting it in your mouth, the deceptive childish flavor.
The rise of West Africa
It's time to take away from Frank Sinatra that memorable line that said "if you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere."
The global laboratory is today called London, where each culture reinvents itself, exploits itself and makes itself known to the rest of the world.
West Africa's time has come.
Second and third generation Britons, such as the actors Idris Elba or John Boyega, the model and presenter Aj Odudu, or the designer Yinka Llori, monopolize the spotlight.
And their chefs too.
The same week that Joké achieved his first Michelin star, the same recognition was granted to Ayo Adeyemi and his restaurant Akoko.
Also inspired by West African cuisine and also located in Fitzrovia.
“The restaurant world has much more diversity.
Until now there was only one standard, and if it was not achieved, the rest of the proposals were worthless.
"Other parts of the world have their own style of cooking, with their own master lines, their overlapping layers of flavors and spices, and with techniques and experience that must be mastered...and celebrated," defends the
chef
, who sees in the Michelin star a recognition of all this.
“I wouldn't say it's a validation.
It is above all confirmation that she was right, that if she managed to show the food in all its authenticity, it would be accepted,” says Joké, explaining what the award meant to her.
“Many of the young chefs from my region believe that if they don't give their dishes a French touch, or now an Asian touch, they won't be appreciated.
But if you can show the public that what we do has intrinsic value, the reception is good.
For me, that has meant the Michelin star.”
Sinasir is a fermented rice cake with porcini and shiitake purée, ground walnut and paradise ganos.Manuel Vázquez
“His style is unique and the restaurant is a wonderful reflection of his personality and his cuisine: something full of life, generous and enormously pleasant,” the Michelin Guide has defined Joké and his project.
The Biology university student who earned some money in Lagos with a
fish and chip cart,
the girl who collected cookbooks and enjoyed every family meal prepared by her maternal grandfather, never thought about devoting herself professionally to catering.
Some of her friends had to encourage her to enter a contest.
Shortly before the pandemic, he won the opportunity to show his creativity in a
pop-up
restaurant (temporary restaurants in homes, premises, or even in an already consolidated restaurant that gives up its space) in the Brixton Village market, a hospitality and retail conglomerate. , bohemian and popular, where European, Asian, African or Caribbean cultures come together.
“The pandemic stopped everything.
But I had already decided that I wanted to go ahead with this.
He had some money saved, and after several attempts we settled on this place,” the cook smiles.
She always smiles, like someone who still can't believe her luck.
“I think confinement pushed many to leave their comfort zone.
When we started to come out of that, it was our best moment.
People wanted to try different things, and word of mouth increased our popularity.”
Adejoké Bakare inside his kitchen.Manuel Vázquez
Maafe
is a stew from the Mandinka and Bambara peoples of Mali
.
It is a staple food throughout the region.
Joké makes it with goat.
“We got it from an English farmer who produces goat milk.
When the animals no longer perform and he sacrifices them, he tells us.
It is a delicacy, you know, because they have led a good life, they have been well fed, and their meat is tasty,” he explains.
She presents it in three square tacos, with coffee and yají sauce, ground peanuts and uda cream and uziza leaves.
And the flavor of the animal, intense like that of old lamb, transforms into something creamy and bittersweet.
Adejoké Bakare dish of grilled painted chicken thigh, with caramelized onion, lemon sauce and yaji spice.
Garnish of jasmine rice, banana and vegetables.Manuel Vázquez
There is a story to tell in the tricks and cunning of many immigrant communities, when the supermarket offering was not what it is today, to search for the closest substitutes to their traditional flavors in the ingredients and raw materials at their disposal.
Joké
only worries
to have
Always good supply of African spices.
Their menu is seasonal, and the English coast and pastures give you almost everything you need to bring out the ancestral spirit of your land.
Chishuru
Address: 3, Great Titchfield St. London
Hours: Monday to Friday, from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 17:30 to 21:30
Price: Lunch menu, 40 pounds (47 euros approx.).
Dinner menu, 75 pounds (87 euros, approx.).
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