Ghana Eats, Accra

We ate at the hottest restaurant in town, Monsoon, by virtue of requesting a reservation at 7pm, hours before the in crowd would consider dining. We were still dining when they showed up since the courses took forever to arrive. A totally white crowd, not really what I was looking for, but if the meat is good we all have to make sacrifices. The South African boar tenderloins were excellent, but then by that stage of starvation most things would. The waiter had made excuses that the stove had "finished", i.e. crapped out. That seemed possible and it was later confirmed by the owner complaining to a good customer at a nearby table about every thing breaking down all the time.

On the flip side, the next afternoon we went to "Tante Marie" for expensive Ghanaian food. Despite a problem with finding the location and a minor dispute over the taxi fare we arrived at this establishement which everyone referred to as near the Metro TV building. This place is set in an upscale residential area that included the British High Commissioner's residence and other large estates. It was pleasant to see a lack of barbed wire and army guards.

We ate on the second floor in a wonderfully airy open sided wooden structure. Covered with a high thatched roof that allowed refreshing breezes to flow through while we looked out over the leafy neighborhood. I really felt a connection to the old Accra of my long past experience.

Foofoo was not available so I had boiled yams with beef and eggplant stew, just wonderful. Of course the beef was in tough chunks but that's what it is. Also some of my favorite Kelewele's (deep fried ripe plantain with a touch of ginger and hot pepper). Too chicken in my old age to buy it from the street vendors, this was my fix.

I had bought some Fante kenkey along the road, but forgot it in the hotel fridge. Oh well, it supposedly available around here, have to look. How about with a sauce of ground tomato and hot pepper with some pilchards? Good stuff, although your gut may make you pay later!