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| - I was a little nervous about what to expect. I couldn't tell you where west Africa is on a map unless you pointed out east Africa first, much less hazard a guess about the cuisine. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
I was with the large group of Yelpers last night. And let's face it, we can be a difficult bunch to please sometimes. We can also be a difficult bunch to serve, especially in a small shop such as Bantu that is probably not used to a crowd such as ours. Drink orders were a little tricky. They ran out of several of the beer options. I believe they only had once choice for red wine. I had that, and I was disappointed that it had been refrigerated. However, it was clear that their focus is on the food, not on the libations, and I appreciated that they were able to offer alcoholic beverages.
Although one of the servers was unfamiliar with the menu, I was impressed that Bantu actually brought in an additional server to accommodate us. The staff was so welcoming, and the owner not only cooked his heart out for us, he paid us a visit as well. I never once felt we were an inconvenience as I have at other events.
The complimentary fried plantains were served with a spicy chili sauce that nicely balanced the sweet, tender plantain. I opted for the traditional groundnut stew with chicken. It was a tomato-based stew with mixed vegetables in a rich and nutty sauce, very satisfying. I was not a fan of the fufu which I believe was mashed yams and corn. It reminded me of grits. I did try a few other bites of my neighbors' dishes and enjoyed them as well.
Upon leaving, we were able to just tell the server what we ordered and pay separately. I thanked her for taking the time to allow us to do this and for coping with the crowd. She remarked "we love this, it's like a big family." That is reason enough for me to say, "yay, I'm a fan."
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