Bolat African Cuisine

It is always so exciting to discover a new cuisine: new spices, textures, aromas. Awhile back there was a Groupon for Bolat African Cuisine. Have you heard of Groupon by the way? It essentially offers a discount for various local businesses: you get to try some place new for less, and the business gets to bring in new customers. The Groupon is available if enough customers opt into the deal, which it seems, always happens.

One of my classmates is Nigerian, and ever since he made his fish pepper soup, I had been eager to try more dishes from his birth country. We started off with a sauteed goat dish over rice.

One of our favorites, however, was Jollof Rice. Even though our bellies were full at the end of the meal, we found ourselves wanting more, so we ordered another Jollof Rice!

It's also always exciting to try a new cuisine with the help of a guide, and at one point my friend asked the waitress for clarification on a dish, and she mumbled something about how it was a typical Nigerian entree. He paused, and said that he had never heard of it before, and then half-jokingly, half-seriously inquired as to her own background. Ah, a Kenyan.

I can see how the Egusi Soup with Pounded Yam would not work for everyone, particularly the pounded yam. The yam is pounded into a glutinous paste and then molded into balls. It has a bland consistency, and is one of those local staples that arguably has stuck around out of habit than any intrinsic merit. Not unlike poi from Hawaii.

I actually appreciated it as a foil to the generally greasy, highly spiced meats.

We broke down and decided to hedge our bet with some Nigerian inspired cuisine for those not eager to dive into wholly "classic" dishes. This is the Berber Spiced Rack of Lamb, and though it was good, it seemed ordinary and slightly passé in comparison to the other dishes.

Finally Ayamshe. I would highly recommend going to Bolat. As I said before, the food is on the greasy side, but trying a new cuisine is like travelling in a single meal. It's an easy way to experience something new without having to go to far outside one's comfort zone. And you can still go home to your own bed and not have to stress about whether or not you've remember to bring your glasses or pack enough underwear.

Bolat African Cuisine, 3346 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL