I have never been to a West African restaurant in my life before and had almost zero knowledge about their dishes, until a friend of mine mentioned this place, called Akadi. It was 3 of us, on a Friday night, decided to go to for dinner in Akadi.

Without much of an extravagant exterior, Akadi has one of the most beautiful and spacious interiors as a restaurant in Portland. With its grand entrance and high ceiling, this has an open vibe to it. We didn’t make any reservation, but luckily had to wait only less than 15 minutes to get a table.

My friend and her other friend already came to Akadi before and they knew right away what they wanted. My friend ordered their special fried chicken wings, called Suya chicken wings from the appetizer, her friend ordered a meat and fish stew that came with a side dish, called “fufu”…mashed yam.

The Suya chicken wings, rubbed with peanut and other spices, were spectacular. I don’t think I have ever tasted chicken wings like these before. They had a nice kick but not too overpowering with spices. It can be a bit dry for some people but yet very tasteful.

The okra (or spinach?) stew with goat (and I think she mentioned it also had fish?) and a side of yam was not particularly made for my taste buds, but I can understand why some people love the side yam, “fufu” and the stew together. I’m not a big fan of yam either…so, yeah.

For my dish, fried whole red snapper with salad on top with a side fried plantains was my favorite. It passed my expectation with its flavors and texture, especially with the onion, herbs, bell peppers, tomatoes, and on top drizzled with vinaigrette. The fried plantains that came with it was the best…I could have a couple more plates of those.

Overall, Akadi was an experience for me. It was a perfect place to hang out with the girls. My friend also told me, on Saturday nights, Akadi opens its whole floor for dancing. I guess, next time, I just to be go there on a Saturday night then.