A Culinary Journey Through West Africa: Michelin-Starred Akoko

Akoko: bringing a slice of West Africa to London

London's foodie scene just got a whole lot spicier, and I'm not just talking about the scotch bonnets! Tucked away in Fitzrovia, Akoko is smashing culinary boundaries and proving that West African cuisine isn't just ready for the fine dining spotlight – it's stealing the show.

With its freshly minted Michelin star (2024), Akoko isn't just another pretentious tasting menu spot where you leave hungry and broke. This is a place that delivers a proper feast for both your belly and your Instagram feed. Think rich spices, bold techniques, and plate presentations that'll make your followers hit that like button faster than you can say "jollof rice."

The Tasting Menu

Our taste adventure kicked off with a beef tartare that would make traditional French chefs clutch their pearls. Amped up with sosu kaani (a Senegalese hot sauce that'll wake up taste buds you didn't know existed) and paired with crispy plantain mosa that provided the perfect crunch factor.

Next up, an oyster that's had a complete West African makeover. Forget mignonette – this beauty came dressed with tatase relish (think bell peppers with serious personality) and a Gambian stew situation that turned a simple mollusc into a spicy little flavour bomb.

The kitchen team clearly got the memo that mackerel deserves better than being smothered in dill. Their version came perfectly cured alongside vatapa sauce (with Brazilian roots—history lesson while you eat!) and moi moi, a steamed black-eyed bean pudding that's like the silkiest, dreamiest thing you'll ever taste. Trust me, beans have never been this sexy.

Monkfish heaven

Perfectly cooked monkfish paired with a Senegalese yassa sauce that had me scraping the plate when nobody was looking. The caramelized onions with their lemon-mustard tang created a flavour party that I'm still thinking about days later. This wasn't just the highlight of the meal – it might be the highlight of my entire year of dining out.

Caviar blini West African Style

Forget everything you thought you knew about the classic blini with sour cream and caviar – Akoko's version reimagines this fine dining staple through a brilliant West African lens. Silky goat milk cream and glistening N25 caviar. Instead of traditional blinis, they serve tatale – Ghanaian plantain pancakes with their subtle sweetness and more substantial texture.

The Main Event: Longhorn beef and Jollof Rice

High-quality Longhorn beef got the royal treatment with shito XO sauce – think Ghana meets Chinatown in the best possible way. The jollof rice, while pretty to look at with its signature orange-red glow, was admittedly the one slight letdown. For a signature dish, it lacked that punch-you-in-the-face flavour that great jollof should deliver. Still, in the grand scheme of tasting menus, even a "meh" dish here beats most restaurants' star offerings.

Tongue and Marrow - tastier then it sounds

Proving that nose-to-tail cooking can be downright craveable, the ox tongue paired with bone marrow was ridiculously good. The suya spice blend (a West African superstar featuring peanuts, ginger, and various peppers) transformed potentially intimidating ingredients into something I'd happily order again – and again, and again.

It must come to an end

Just when you think dessert might revert to safe chocolate territory, Akoko serves up smoked pumpkin with ehuru (a Nigerian spice that puts nutmeg to shame) followed by a mind-blowing combo of uda (Guinea pepper), chocolate, and coffee inspired by Senegalese café touba. This wasn't your basic dessert game – this was dessert with passport stamps and stories to tell.

What really made this meal special was how Chef Adeyemi translates these traditional flavors without watering them down for sensitive Western palates. You get the real deal, just presented with enough context and finesse that newcomers can fully appreciate what they're experiencing. It's like having a really cool friend introduce you to their favorite music – suddenly you're wondering how you lived without these flavors in your life.

If you're looking to blow your taste buds' minds while expanding your culinary horizons, book a table before the rest of London catches on and the waiting list becomes longer than the Thames.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out how to recreate that yassa sauce at home, because ordinary food just isn't going to cut it anymore.

The set menu: £120 per person (£38 supplement for caviar course, excluding drink pairings). Worth every penny.

Link to Akoko website: https://akoko.co.uk/

Mocha Mousse: The Pantone Shade Making Everything Delicious

No, this isn't about your favorite dessert. Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year is all about embracing Mocha Mousse—turning your home into a chocolate-dipped sanctuary of cozy sophistication.

This warm brown hue resembles your morning latte and promises to inject comfort into interiors everywhere. It's the design equivalent of wrapping yourself in cashmere while sipping hot cocoa.

Some critics dismiss it as "80s suntan pantyhose," while fans celebrate it as the perfect antidote to years of cold, grey minimalism. Its versatility makes it a true chameleon, working as an accent, statement colour, or balancing neutral.

Try it in smaller doses with velvet cushions or ceramic vases. For the bold, imagine kitchen cabinets bathed in this chocolatey goodness with brass hardware. This earthy tone works with virtually any style, from minimalist to maximalist.

Poll: What's your take on Mocha Mousse? Let us know below!

(And remember, if your friends ask why you painted your living room the color of a Starbucks drink, just tell them you're not basic—you're Pantone-approved.)