West African cuisine is a treasure trove of vibrant dishes defined by their heat, complex spices and intense flavours. But deeply misunderstood and often riddled with stereotypes and misconceptions, it is not typically renowned for its crossover appeal. That is, until recently. From London to New York, a wave of new chefs with exciting concepts is pushing the boundaries of African cuisine. Some are even gaining Michelin’s weighty seal of recommendation. This movement is spreading and, in Ireland’s evolving and increasingly diverse culinary landscape, three chefs and entrepreneurs are taking a creative and modern approach to sharing west African cuisine with new audiences. Here are their stories.
Tolu Asemota, Ibílè, Dublin, Ireland
“When people think of fantastic restaurants in Ireland, I want people to think of African cuisine,” says Tolu Asemota, the one-time data analyst, model and entrepreneur behind Ibílè, a modern West African dining concept that first popped up in Dublin back in June.
Asemota, who is from Nigeria and moved to Ireland when he was a child, had the idea for Ibílè seven years ago during a brief stint as a waiter at a fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles. During this time, he noticed a lack of a strong African presence on the upscale dining scene, particularly in Ireland. “When I travel, I always see nice Italian or French restaurants but where are the African restaurants?” Confident about the excellence of African cuisine and inspired to rectify this situation, Asemota reached out to his aunt, Olufunke Oroyinyin, a veteran chef and entrepreneur, and executive chef Nehemie “Nemo” Kibabu, from Congo, to host a series of pop-up events in venues such as Hen’s Teeth, Airfield Estate and the Fumbally Stables.
Ibílè, which translates as ‘indigenous son or daughter of the soil’ in Yoruba, brings together the distinct cultures and cuisines from various regions in Nigeria to create a truly cosmopolitan menu celebrating the intricacy of west African cuisine. Asemota prefers to label Ibílè's dishes as west African rather than strictly Nigerian, pointing to the diversity and shared flavours beyond Nigeria and across west Africa.
On Ibílè's menu you will find what Asemota describes as “west African flavours reimagined in a modern way”. The unique four-course tasting menu aims to be both innovatively presented yet true to authentic flavour profiles. On it, there are starters such as abacha and ugba, a salad of shredded cassava combined with bitter utazi leaves, African oil bean seed, dried fish with a palm oil sauce beloved across east Nigeria and across its borders in Cameroon. There are warming and complex pepper soup broths representing the south, and a spicy seared suya beef dish representing the typical smoky street food of the north. Ibílè's menu also features intriguing dishes that bring historically underrepresented ingredients to the forefront. For example, chicken gizzard in the southwestern asaro and gizdodo dish and cow foot in the eastern nkwobi dish. This decision is intentional to emphasise the fact that, as Asemota puts it, “there is more to Nigerian cuisine than just jollof rice and plantain”.
With word getting around and crowds taking notice, Asemota is keen to prioritise curating a polished experience for his guests. Drawing from his experience in the fine dining industry and learning from each event, this has meant offering a more intimate dining experience where quality and service are prioritised over numbers. While bookings may be limited, the vision is expansive. With a growing team, which now includes head chef Debbie Akinbami of Aduni Bites, Asemota is looking forward to an exciting schedule of pop-ups and festival appearances in 2025, with the hope of transitioning to a permanent home to plant their flag in Dublin in the near future.
Nnenna and Arinze Onuorah, Normlife, 40 Church Street, Townparks, Dundalk, Co Louth
Hinted in its name, Normlife Afro-Caribbean and Global Emporium is a one-stop shop that wants to make finding African and Caribbean food on the high street as normal as getting a takeaway from your local Chinese.
On the outside, the blue shop front seems to be the same as the surrounding speciality grocery stores serving Dundalk’s migrant and diasporic communities. A home for spices, staples and a selection of essentials. But when you venture inside and pass the well-stocked aisles, a waft of spices lures you to the back of the shop. And there you’ll find Igbo Nigerian co-owner and chef, Nnenna Onuorah, busying herself amid a hiss of smoke and steam in the open kitchen of Normlife’s deli counter. While butcher counters are familiar sights in the many halal grocery stores dotted around Dundalk, a deli counter offering fresh and fast Afro-Caribbean food is a unique offering that makes Normlife stand out.
“I like to taste different foods and I’ve tried foods from India and China,” says Onuorah, “But apart from what I cook for myself at home or what I get at parties, I’ve not been able to just go out and get African or Caribbean food in Dundalk when I want to.” Seeing a gap in the market, she decided to start her own business with the support of her husband, Arinze Onuorah, a respected local entrepreneur.
Veering from traditional west African sit-down establishments, Normlife takes a casual approach to sharing Afro-Caribbean food. Their west African staples are served quickly and are designed to go. Snacks such as puff puff, the sweet pillowy-soft fried dough balls, are fried fresh to order and savoury sweet jollof rice is readily available for any customer looking for a gateway to west African cuisine. They regularly collaborate with local chefs to keep their offerings expansive and inclusive of the shared culinary cultures across Africa and the Caribbean. They also offer a rotating menu of traditional soups and stews that can be pre-ordered – perfect for those feeling a bit homesick or just up for trying something new.
For Nnenna, a former early-years practitioner and healthcare worker, another important mission at Normlife is the preservation and sharing of food methods that she believes are healthier than the typical western diet. “Here [in Ireland] there is a different kind of lifestyle that is more sedentary,” she says. “Back home you go to the farm and move around a lot.” She believes that food is medicine. She hopes that by selling wholefood ingredients like yam, plantain and west African vegetables and incorporating them into the dishes at Normlife more people will have access to nutritious and culturally relevant food.
The Onuorahs admit that the journey of starting a food business has come with a steep learning curve. From finances to regulations, marketing to managing teams, they’re not surprised that many Nigerian food businesses hardly make it past these first hurdles. But, after more than 20 years in Dundalk, they are proud to be branching out and committed to highlighting the exciting flavours of their illustrious culture.
Funké Egberongbe, FUNKÉ Afro-Caribbean Restaurant, 6/7 Grattan Street, Knappagh Beg, Sligo
In Sligo, Funké Egberongbe is the chef and restaurateur behind the eponymous FUNKÉ – a modern Afro-Caribbean eatery creating a buzz in the west coast town. Through her cuisine, which she describes as “new flavours from Africa and the Caribbean”, Egberongbe has introduced a multifaceted menu to an exciting Sligo food trail unaccustomed to scotch bonnets, bean cakes, yam dumplings and spinach stews.
The restaurant is bathed in a warm and welcoming glow. Rattan chairs and intricately beaded curtains are offset with yellow ochre, eggplant purple and emerald green furnishings to create an interior that’s undeniably modern and decidedly African in its aesthetic. An eye-catching mural of the African land mass awash in gold hangs prominently – an ode to the rich vibrancy and abundance of the continent from which she came almost 20 years ago.
Egberongbe’s unique journey in Ireland from international protection applicant to chef and restaurateur is a story in two parts. The first 10 years were underscored by the heavy air of waiting and the alienation of the country’s direct provision system. Egberongbe was unable to study or work and had little control over everyday tasks such as cooking. Struggling to eat the food that was being offered at her facility, she decided to do something about it. She asked the manager at the centre if she could go in the kitchen and help the staff with cooking and, once a week, she was able to offer the residents more vibrant flavours reminiscent of home. This is where her passion for food blossomed.
[ Mama Shee takeaway review: an incredible taste of home-cooked African foodOpens in new window ]
This determination, ambition and desire to offer her community a taste of home is emblematic of the second act of Egberongbe’s story. After getting her permit and moving to Sligo, Egberongbe went back to college – gaining the knowledge and skills she needed to start a sustainable food business. “Because I have a food background through the culinary course, I was taught that presentation is key,” she says. “I thought if I was going to get people from other cultures through my door, if I’m gonna have a business that will survive, then I can’t do things the way I have seen them done.” And, one year since FUNKÉ's doors opened, she’s making good on her intention.
Seeing food as a catalyst for cultural exchange, Egberongbe is deliberate about creating a menu and atmosphere that is approachable to non-African diners while staying true to her African palate. “I believe whatever is worth doing is worth doing well,” she says. “This is my culture and my food and I want it to be presented in a way that will attract everyone.” So while you can get authentic melon seed and spinach egusi soup, Egberongbe lets her creativity shine through dishes such as her take on a classic Irish Chinese spice bag – the chicken suya spice bag.
With a weekly buzz of dedicated diners and the glowing reviews of customers curious about Afro-Caribbean cuisine, she’s confident that, when presented well, the “flavourful, aromatic and addictive” food her culture has to offer has a place on high streets in cities and towns across Ireland.
