Nana & Naa ~ 4248 W Century Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90304 ~ (310) 674-8052

Little Belize  ~ 217 Nutwood Avenue Inglewood, CA 90301 ~ (310) 674-0696

Ever since I had read Man Bites World’s post on his Ghanaian dining experience at Nana & Naa, I’ve been wanting to check out his delicious find and with Saaris, a Nigerian restaurant close by, some foodie friends and I thought we’d do a back to back African dining day of it. As you can probably tell from the title of this blog entry, the best laid plans of mice and men, etc., etc., but I’ll have to get into that later.

When it comes to African food, let alone Ghanaian food, I hadn’t a clue. Other than reading Man Bites World’s post, I didn’t do any other additional research, before going on this culinary jaunt. Sometimes, there’s something to be said for just experiencing without having to think too much about the ins and outs or ups and downs about the food you’re going to partake in; however, if you’d like to learn more about Ghanaian food, you can click here and click here and even here for more info.

However, I didn’t go completely uninformed about how things worked at Nana & Naa. I already knew that the market was inside the building and the restaurant part which consisted of tables and metal chairs covered by tenting was behind the storefront. I also knew that getting to the back of the restaurant meant walking through the kitchen and what delicious aromas we inhaled as we made our way to the back.

Once we sat down, our waitress asked how we heard about them. Once we mentioned Noah and Man Bites World, their eyes lit up. Given how Noah was so open to their food, I think they knew we’d be the same way. With no set menu, what we ended up ordered consisted of what was cooking in their kitchen and with 5 of us, we were ready to sample it all. In fact, my group ended up sharing 5 dishes and that didn’t include the fufu and banku.

Before I get into the food, I have to mention this popular Ghanaian malt drink called Malta Hatuey that we tried. Wow, that drink was thick. One sip felt like it coated the inside of your mouth. It had an interesting flavor. Of course, the malt was there, but it also tasted a little like black licorice. I’m a red vine kind of girl myself, so this isn’t a drink I’d get again. I just thought I’d mention it in case any of you would like to experience it for yourself.

As for the food, it’s hard for me to pinpoint what spices or herbs were used. The food tasted unlike anything I’ve ever had before. Nothing I had was spicy, but everything was seasoned well and overall really flavorful. We started with the Deep Fried Tilapia on a Bed of Spinach served with Yam and Egg. The yams were a little bit dry, but the fish, fresh off the frying pan, was nice and crispy. The spinach was definitely mixed with other ingredients and at the time, I was thinking tomatoes and something nutty perhaps, but I wasn’t sure. After doing some online research, I’m pretty sure that the spinach that came with the fish is referred to as “Palava Sauce.” You can check out variations of this recipe at The Global Gourmet and Home Foods Ghana.

The next dish to arrive was a Tilapia on a Bed of Black-Eyed Peas Served with Plantains and Egg. Again, the fish was crispy. The fried plantains had a nice sweetness to them and those black-eyes beans were hearty, meaty and with a little kick to them. This dish is referred to as Red-Red. Some sources I read referred to the Bean Stew as Red-Red or the plantains themselves as Red-Red. Regardless, this is a dish where the beans and plantains seem to be forever partnered.
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La Fonda Antioqueña~ 4903 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029 ~ (323) 957-5164

Ever since a beautiful Colombiana stole my heart, and introduced me to her welcoming extended family in the birthplace of the cumbia, the process of seeking out Colombian restaurants in the southland has become a bit of an obsessive pastime. And, since going to one of these restaurants is a usually a special occasion, we tend to over-order, taking home the leftovers to make use of them for the rest of the week.

We started off the mini-feast with an appetizer of empanadas, in this case, spiced ground beef surrounded by fried corn-meal. If that doesn’t evoke enough of an idea, just think of it as the most delicious hot pocket you could ever imagine. And the condiments for this delicious hot pocket, you ask? Instead of what we might think of as pico de gallo or salsa, the equivalent Colombian condiment is a mix called ahí, which still has spicy chili bits in it, but is much lighter on the tomato and heavier on the parsley and green onion. Personally, I love the stuff and lovingly tilt a spoonful of ahí onto each bite of my empanada. Empanadas are frequently served with a lemon wedge, as many believe that a squirt of fresh lemon enhances the overall empanada experience

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656 N. Virgil Ave. ~ 323-664-7723 ~ Silverlake, CA 90004 (TACO Map)

Cha Cha Cha has major juice in this hood, as could be attested to by their locking down their entire Virgil block for a 20th Birthday jam. I don’t think Wolfgang Puck could get the street shut down in front of Spago as quickly as the Anaya family could in front of their Silverlake legend which has been serving home-style Caribbean eats with flair and heart for two decades.

Porkpie hats, chilly stunners, prestigious friends, buttoned Guayaberas, earthquakin’ booties, upscale suits, ghetto superstars, hungry freeloaders, and a very cordial Mayor Villaraigosa passed through, the latter even stopping for a peek at the ship-shape kitchen. Drummers pounded out a streetside jam with military precision and favella funk. Artwork by two Hola Youth Photographers hung from the corrugated tin walls. Carnivale dancers triggered nalgitas on bodies sprung so tight they raised temperatures in summertime Los Angeles. Then they were all dripping sweat and hyperventilating outside, which was slightly less hot….

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Cha Cha Chicken ~ 1906 Ocean Ave. @ Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 581-1684

I’ve been to Jamaica over ten times in my short life and Cuba once, both possessing a bounty of beauty in land, culture and souls, despite brutal political and economic oppression. A place like Cha Cha Chicken does not exist in either locale, although oil drums, bright colors, handcrafted artwork and shady palms are legion.

Whereas Cha Cha Chicken is a tropical oasis in a small stretch of smog-choked cityscape by the sea, most Jamaican eateries are frames in the dusty earth, with a simple grill and maybe a counter where chicken quarters are cleaved by a scarfaced butcher like ganja on a surru board, the latter often available behind the kitchen. Cuba on the other hand, has very few commercial enterprises at all and the motherland itself is not currently known for its cuisine due to a shortage of most high-quality foodstuffs, though its recipes and culinary traditions are marvelous.

Authenticity aside, Cha Cha Chicken does give you that 96 degrees in the shade escapism that we dream of when going dun south. Brightly colored bamboo fencing and pastel barrels form a perimeter from the cars zooming along Ocean; Peter Tosh’s “Arise Black Man” and Bob Marley‘s “Africa Unite” fill the space; banana leaf-fringed palapas shade diners while brightly painted masks, trinkets and artwork peek from the bushes. And the food is quite simply delicious and soulful.

Ropa vieja and jerk chicken enchiladas are soft and savory; the jerk is decent and good, though probably wouldn’t pass muster inna di yard; coconut fried chicken is crisp with its own subtle tang; and breakfasts are a scramble of soft eggs, mozzarella and hearty sauces… (continued below)

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