So today instead of class we had to go on a little field trip to this restaurant downtown called Le Petit Dakar.
It's true Senegalese food! Rich in taste and flavour.
We brought my friend Julie along because she's a great food appreciator and loves to try new things and I figured we're supposed to speak french when we get there to the chef Bintou...Julie speaks french. It should be great! And it was!
I had the Domoda (Senegalese beef bourguinon which is kind of like a stew) and it was absolutely delicious. I also just threw caution into the wind and ordered some couscous as well! I had never had it before but it is super good. Perhaps I will buy some the next time I go shopping and try making it for myself. Sadly they did not have corn bread today which was most distressing as it is one of my favorite things to eat but you can almost never find it! I guess I will just have to go back one day when they do have it. Maybe I'll buy a whole loaf.
The restaurant was really small but also cute and colorful and it seemed pretty busy with all the downtown workers coming in on their lunch break!
We met Bintou and she was very kind, asked us all about schooling and where we learned french, told us a little bit about Senegal.
Senegal is a country in the West of Africa and Dakar, for which the restaurant is named, is the capital city of Senegal. Once a colony of France it became independent in the 1960s but there are still many influences on their culture like the french language. The food they eat though it may be customized for the other cultures in the country. Senegal for example is largely Muslim so they don't eat bacon or drink wine which would usually go in a bourguinon. They give it their own Senegalese twist with spices and lemon juice.
One of the greatest things I think about how Bintou runs Le Petit Dakar is the traditional dress her and the other woman wore. It brings a certain feeling to the restaurant of friendliness and the idea that they care about the food they make and the service they provide. You might get the impression that the two women are right at home there in their little restaurant.
It was probably one of the best field trips I've ever gone on and I can't wait to go back!
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