I had a great time at Nyala the other night. Easily one of the best African restaurants in Vancouver.

The veggie pakora is light and tasty, and the mango chutney is an excellent compliment with hot sauce is an excellent compliment. There is also a squid dish served with a cucumber yogurt that I could not get enough of.

I had the lamb tagine that was served with a saffron rice and vegetables. The rice was complimented with dried fruits such as apricots and dates, rounding out the dish and making the Nyala experience very enjoyable.

Keep on making great food!!

Since I’m a poet and I love food,
Why not combine the two for a rhyming food review?
First on the list is Nyala African Cuisine,
Which appropriately enough is the first Ethiopian restaurant I’ve been.
When you first walk in you are greeted by giraffe statues and other African décor.
Djembe drums and other african instruments hung above the tile floor.
Ambience provided by soft candlelight and world music…
You can’t help but feel the positive and relaxed vibes that infuse it.
Those vibes originate from the gregarious owner Asefah,
Who has the presence of a Lion King named Mufasa.
But this lion doesn’t roar or bite,
This lion welcomes you with a smile ever so bright.
And to bring you delicious dishes is his delight!
Oh delicious indeed were the dishes we ate.
We emptied every container and licked clean every plate.
We started with scrumptious squid, hummous and mixed vegetable pakora.
With a spicy mango chutney that was so sinfully tasty I thought it was made in Sodom and Gomorrah.
But no need to revert to biblical times,
Although I must admit the experience was divine.
Bright colours danced with aromas across our table.
Our mouths salivating, our hands armed with cutlery ready, willing and able.
Salads made of tabouleh and lentil…
Cabbage, carrots, split peas and spinach with such a unique taste I thought it was experimental.
It was a creamy mixture of spinach and kale,
And yet somehow a spicy aftertaste is what prevailed.
Definitely my favourite of all the sides,
And definitely something I recommend you try.
But sides need mains to be complete
So now let me tell you all about the meat!
Juicy chicken and lamb cooked and served in a Tajine which is a pot made of clay.
I’ve never had food prepared in this way…
And let me tell you this won’t be the last time
That Tajine prepartion inspires a rhyme.
The lamb was so succulent and tender.
Protein so smooth as if it came fresh out of the blender.
But that wasn’t the only ideal condition.
The Tajine had the same impact on the chicken.
Moist and firm, so sweet it was nice.
Did I mention it came on a bed of yellow saffron and other herbed rice?
We were also blessed with the main that was last:
Boneless chicken thighs with onion and green pepper on a hot plate iron cast.
So no crunchy bones or rubbery joints.
And like all the other cuisine, it didn’t disappoint.
Oh wow, I don’t know what quite took over my head…
I forgot to tell you about the Injera, the traditional flat sourdough unleavened bread.
You use the bread to scoop up the food
And in this case eating with your hands isn’t rude.
But it should never be rude
Cuz using your hands literally gets you more in touch with the food!
So I know this review is long but a few more lines won’t hurt.
I’ll finish the food off by talking about dessert.
Homemade cheescake topped with sauce made of mango.
Dancing across our tastebuds as if doing the tango.
But my personal favourite was the South African Brandy Tart.
It left me speechless so I don’t even know where to start.
Overall, the food was flat out yummy.
You’d see a giant satisfied smile on my belly if there were teeth on my tummy.
And you definitely get more than what you pay for.
The experience was like church, the kind that you pray for.
Do what we did and get several plates meant for sharing.
And you’ll certainly taste the secret ingredient of tender loving caring.
My final grade was F but don’t think this is drastic.
Cuz the F doesn’t stand for failure, it stands for Fantastic!
And Friendly, and Family-owned and Fun…
And with that my review is Finally almost done…
The last thing I’ll say is that I realized why the giraffes are there after I left.
It’s cuz just like Nyala, they stand above the rest.

For a person who never had African food before and not knowing what to expect, Nyala has definitely open my eyes to a different world of taste. The food has stimulated my taste bud and gave me something different to ponder about. Let me begin to tell you my experience…

- The hummus at Nyala is a must try. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients. It was delicious and leave you wanting more when it’s all gone.

- Fried Squid: This is one of my favourite dishes in a restaurant for an appetizer. Here, it’s something different, the dough looks like tempura in a Japanese restaurant and I must say, of all the fried squid that I have had, I have to give this one a 2 thumbs up. It has a very pleasant flavours and it looks very appetizing. The first piece of squid that I put in my mouth, I have to savour the taste. You can taste the freshness of the squid and the dough compliment the squid so well that you can’t wait to grab another one.

- Lentil Salad and Tabouled Salad is beautifully presented on a plate. This is something different that I never had before so when I try it for the very 1st time, it gives me a flavour that I have never experience before. I never eaten lentil much but now I have to reconsider trying more. Thank you Nyala for a well learned lesson in food.

- The owner and the server are very friendly and attentive and the service I received is excellent. They will be happy to educate you on the food you eat at any time.

- The restaurant use mostly organic and ocean wise seafood with authentic African spices. If you are environmentally conscious, this is def. the restaurant for you. I was once been told that in order to make your food taste good, you need to add a special ingredient in your food. What is it you might ask? Everything you cook, you need to put 5% of love into your cooking. The chief at this restaurant definitely did that, I can taste the love of cooking in the food.

If you like me, never try African food or looking a good African food, I would encourage you to visit Nyala African Cuisine, you won’t regret it.