A Taste of Nigeria: Suya Joint Restaurant (All African Cuisine), 25 Poplar St. Roslindale, MA 02131

www.suyajoint.com

The hum and drum beats of music in the background, the chatter of native Nigerians sharing a meal reminiscent of their homeland and their mothers' kitchen, the shutter sound of my camera as I attempt to immortalized the second best oxtail soup I've had in all my life with flecks of black and red pepper swimming in a translucent broth that bathes coccygeal vertebrae snuggled in tender meat and slippery cartilage of oxen.

Oxtail Pepper Soup

I purposefully submerged each item on our sampler platter into the broth, heightening the flavor experience of the bright orange Akara (a deep fried crisp fritter of black-eyed peas, onion, and peppers), flaky-crusted seasoned ground meat pie, and both chicken and beef suya (skewered and grilled spiced meat kebab) which was already brightly seasoned with ginger and garlic amongst other spices.

Beef Suya, Chicken Suya, Meat Pies, and Akara: The Joint Sampler

Joloff rice with stewed goat and fried sweet plantain

Moi Moi- same ingredients as akara but steamed versus fried.  Nice spice!

The restaurant is relatively bright inside, yet intimate.  How could it not be as you eat with you hands and converse about the food and the culture. Rich, a brand new acquaintance whom I was happy joined us, shared stories about his family- his Nigerian family: a mother who loves to cook for him and his brothers. He likes Egusi and ordered it.  I follow suit. He chuckled as he recalls uncles who pull larger than life (or presumably incompatible with life) pieces of fufu. He marveled at the memory of how he thought they would most certainly choke but somehow survived to continue the meal.

Rich demonstrated how to knead my pounded yam fufu and explained that the large red bowl of water provided by Jeff (restaurant partner) is meant to clean the hands.

Me, kneading my pounded yam fufu.  Egusi soup with stewed chicken is to the left.

Fufu can also be made from cassava, rice, oatmeal, or farina.

Egusi is melon stew made with rich tomato sauce and spinach.  I enjoyed my soup immensely, though I did have difficulty initially understanding the proper way to place its order. The chicken was buried beneath the light, tangy stew.  

I dove for the chicken with my fingers, with all the enthusiasm of a toddler in a high chair with a sloppy meal (though I was a tad bit more composed).  It was divine, yet, I had to be cognizant of the space left in my belly because I had my taste buds set for the fried whole snapper entree!

The fish--

The most intimate dining experience you will ever have is not necessarily with the love of you life, at a swanky restaurant, over candlelight. It is when you devour your meal as the protein blankly stares back at you.  

There is no greater respect imparted to an animal, sacrificed (humanely of course) for the benefit of providing you nutrition, than to see its face or to consume its vital organs-  not just muscle.

Below is a picture of culinary genius and our esteemed third and fourth dinner guests:

Fried Whole Red Snapper with Onion+Pepper Hash simmered in Spicy Tomato Broth and a side of Joloff Rice

Leaving the body intact (as with traditional Asian cooking- think heads left on ducks when roasting), truly does change the chemistry and dynamic of the protein, preserving the natural juices and allowing the meat to harbor the added spices and broths.  This snapper's meat was moist and flaky and fresh.  Its crust exterior crackled between your molars as you chew and savor it.  Tender sweet onion and red bell pepper hash adds a softening texture as much as flavor and bright pop of color.

I also enjoyed the Joloff rice, particularly the tenderness of the plump grains stewed in rich, savory, mildly acidic tomato sauce.

There's nothing like a whole fish!

I predict the Suya Joint (which opened in February of 2012) will remain a staple of the Roslindale neighborhood and a beacon for African cuisine for many years to come- great service, the ability to be appreciated by those who know best, and high quality ingredients at good prices.  What more could you ask for?

More red snapper please!


Have you tried Suya Joint?  If so, let me know what you thought.  If not, head over and report back :0)