Had a wonderful experience at Dakar this past week in New Orleans which highlights Senagalese food with fresh local Louisiana seafood and produce. Very homey feel in the small dining room with personable service from all the staff.
The welcome ginger tea with a mint foam was a refreshing palate cleanser and the buttery rolls to start came with a nicely spiced butter.
Highlights were the cassava bread in picture 3 which was a unique preparation of the root vegetable I hadn’t encountered before. It was fried but soft and pillowy on the inside with an herbaceous aioli.
The shrimp and grits packed a ton of flavor and the gulf fish (redfish or red drum) was perfectly prepared and came with a flavorful mustard sauce. Only item on the menu (seen in last picture) that I didn’t take a photo of was the jollof rice which was a bowl of white rice with a few diced peppers. Definitely a let down from all the photos we had seen prior of a prior iteration which was much more seasoned and colorful.
The pre dessert cantaloupe cream filled buns were a welcome palate cleanser after the hot chili sauce I over sampled on the prior course (thankfully served on the side) while the dessert packed a ton of blueberry flavor in the sorbet.
Overall a fantastic meal with a country’s cuisine I have had no prior exposure to in my life.
by Irecanusadian
8 Comments
1. ataya – green tea with ginger and a mint foam
2. Dakar bread – Palm oil rolls with a spiced butter
3. Cassava – smothered with onions, herb aioli and mushrooms
4. Salad – west African millet with carrots, cucumber and grilled peach vinaigrette
5. shrimp & grits – with a coconut tamarind
6. Red fish – onion mustard sauce and summer squash with a hot pepper mix on the side to add to the jollof rice
7. Blackberry cantaloupe profiterole
8. Blueberry sorbet with creme fraiche and crisp
As a New Orleanian who loves fine dining, seeing this on this sub makes my heart so happy! Thanks for sharing.
This place is great
Oh man, I gotta go to New Orleans
Loved that place. Will always always always hate wet shrimp I have to peel myself.
Went in June 2023 (before the award) and absolutely loved it! Glad they got their recognition and can’t wait for my next visit
Kind of a dumb question — but, how do you eat shrimp when it has some of its head and legs on like in picture 5? It looks amazing, but I have no idea how to tastefully eat it lol.
Looks wonderful!
Mind sharing what it cost you all told?