YPSILANTI – Ypsilanti’s latest cafe brings a unique taste of West Africa to Cross Avenue.
Newlyweds Kenisha Warford-Diallo and Ismael Diallo opened Bon Appetit Delicacies in July, bringing her Ypsi roots and hospitality and his cooking techniques and Ghanian ancestry collectively to introduce a new and special menu of dishes from international locations like Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
The flags of individuals West African countries line the walls of the renovated restaurant, which was residence to Golden Wall just before it shut past September. Every single nation’s regular foods are represented on the menu, with Ismael’s mom Marima Kaba, who immigrated to the U.S. from Guinea, crafting most of the recipes and the restaurant’s signature dressing.
Shoppers common with African cuisine will quickly identify fried plantains – a Senegalese custom – as well as Jollof rice, a staple throughout West African cooking. Entrees include things like Dibi – tender lamb shoulder that’s grilled and served on the bone – as well as kabob, an African-fashion jerk rooster and even a fish entrée showcasing full grilled tilapia or red snapper served with African spices and Yassa – an African caramelized onion sauce.
As the city’s very first West African restaurant, the couple needed to craft the menu and the reliable cooking driving it to convey a absolutely new cuisine to Ypsilanti.
“I believe people today are just definitely excited to have a little something various, primarily due to the fact the pandemic,” Kenisha claimed. “Then when they appear in, they have a great working experience and the foods is great… that’s why we’re escalating really rapidly.”
The restaurant also serves refreshing residence-made juices produced from pressed, spiced ginger, as effectively as Bissap – a hibiscus punch.
Considering that the grand opening, Kenisha has included a vegetarian bowl dish which is proved pretty well-liked, as nicely as a university student menu geared towards Japanese Michigan College learners on the lookout for reduced-price meals on-the-go.
Before the restaurant’s delicate opening in June, the couple hosted a no cost local community barbecue at the close of Ramadan – a custom they system on continuing every calendar year and just a person of the means they plan on offering back again to the community as “ambassadors” of West African food items.
“We’re for the group – we’re listed here to remain,” Ismael Diallo claimed. “Our door’s open to everyone.”
Bon Appetit Delicacies, 421 W. Cross St., is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Phone 734-221-5525 or put an get on the internet for pickup or supply by using DoorDash.
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