Ayo Adeyemi from the MICHELIN Starred Akoko joins the team.
African cuisine is having a moment in London. The West African restaurant Shakara is set to open on Baker Street, Marylebone. The new restaurant showcases contemporary cuisine and live entertainment from the region.
Shakara draws inspiration from Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria. In Nigeria, the term shakara is used to refer to someone with self-confidence. The ingredients from these countries have been used to create authentic African dishes. Dishes include Grilled Prawns with Ogbono relish and grilled lime; Dry-aged Hereford beef with yaji, piperade and peppercorn uda jus; Native blue lobster with pepper soup bisque and tagliatelle; Plantain bread with vanilla ice cream and corn custard; and Salt Baked Suya celeriac with BBQ cabbage.
Spanning 6,000 square feet, Shakara includes a main dining room with shades of brown to red, from orange chairs to terracotta pillars. The restaurant boasts a cocktail bar and stage, and will welcome performers from DJs to live performers. The line-up will include Afrohouse, Afrobeats and R&B. Plus, there is a private dining room on the ground floor.
Chef Ayo Adeyemi, who worked at Akoko in Fitzrovia, will be the Consultant Executive Chef at Shakara. During his time at Akoko, it won its first MICHELIN star. The Head Chef of Shakara will be Victor Okunowo, who was a semi-finalist on BBC MasterChef: The Professionals 2020.
Founder, Jolly Cole, explains: “Shakara was born from a simple concept – to export the African palette to the world whilst maintaining international standards. Our aim is to simultaneously entice the five senses – taste, sound, smell, sight, and touch – to provide our guests with the most memorable experience.”
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GO: Follow @shakaraldn on Instagram for more information.