London’s First High-End Nigerian Restaurant, Ikoyi, Will Open In July

June 18, 2017 naijalife

This is very good news, although it’s not necessarily surprising. People (read: Nigerians) are always looking for Nigerian food abroad. But this title says “high-end” so go pocket-ready before you have to wash luxury dishes to pay your bills.

Ikoyi is the brainchild of longtime friends, Iré Hassan-Odukale and Jeremy Chan, and the new restaurant was established to offer a unique and contemporary take on West African cuisine to central London – the bold heat and flavours of Nigeria, Senegal and beyond.

The restaurant will open at 1 St. James’s Market on Saturday 15th July. Co-founder and Director, Iré, was born in Ikoyi, Lagos, which is the inspiration for the name of the restaurant. Perfect name really, Ikoyi is as high-end as it gets.

Head Chef Jeremy is bringing his fine dining experience from lots of luxury restaurants to create highly skilled dishes. The restaurant boasts of meals combining high-quality produce combined with West African seasoning to create dishes such as Rare Breed Lamb Ribs with Asun Relish (£7.5, N3600), Octopus Pepper Soup with Coastal Herbs (£11, N5300),Wild Nigerian Tiger Prawn, with Banga Bisque and Corn Grits (£27, N13000), Suya Blade of Beef, Jollof rice with Smoked Bone Marrow and Groundnut Miso (Chef Jeremy’s take).

I’m all for contemporary reinvention and all, but, like every Nigerian, I get very, very nervous when people start offering their take on our dishes. Mostly born out of the sentimental logic that if you admire Nigerian food that much, why not cook it as is; and bad memories of Jamie Oliver’s Jollof rice. Because while there’s something to be said for innovation, surely there’s more to be said for adhering unapologetically to the traditional methods of the people whose food you deem interesting enough to sell; also spraying Suya pepper on food doesn’t make it West African – there’s lots of that going on.