Pan-African flare

>> Farafina’s varied fare
spans the entire continent

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Kenya—and other countries that are lots of fun to say out loud, like Zanzibar and Djibouti—are but some of the geographic regions covered by the impressive pan-African menu at resto Farafina. Farafina means “land of the black skin” in Jula, a language spoken in Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. The eatery may be located on Mont-Royal Avenue’s eastern strip, but a visit there will take you on a voyage from the western coast of the continent to its eastern shores and everywhere in between.

From meat and poultry dishes to an array of fish selections, there’s a little something for every discerning palate. Chad was to be the first destination in my culinary voyage, where I had the zagaoua soup ($3.25), a deep green concoction with a texture as smooth as velvet. What seemed to be a chicken broth blended with leek, zucchini and spinach got the meal off to a good start.

Next came a brief jaunt to the Gulf of Benin, where an intriguing appetizer, akaras, awaited ($5.25). This hors d’oeuvre, consisting of four deep-fried black-eyed pea fritters, proved to be quite dense and a little on the heavy side. For some bizarre reason, I detected sour cream overtones though, to my knowledge, the recipe, incorporating cayenne pepper, salt and minced onion, does not contain anything remotely close. A tropical dip, a smoky tomato-based salsa prepared with shrimp, provided an interesting companion for the deep-fried dumplings.

My next stop was Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast, for some grilled tilapia ($16.25), and then I was off to Morocco to sample a Casablancan tajine ($14.95). Both good bets. My grilled fish scored high in both flavour and texture. Half a tilapia is sectioned off, stuffed with a potent parsley and garlic paste, then seared for just the right amount of time, imbuing it with that distinctive barbecue aroma that only the grill can produce. The fish is served resting on the same shrimp sauce as the one accompanying the akara entrée, and partly covered in an enjoyable, tangy dressing, a diced onion marinade spiked with vinegar and mustard.

As to the veal tajine, there’s nothing not to like, unless you dislike salt, that is. Veal chunks as tender as can be melt in your mouth with each bite. Other ingredients in this tomato-based stew include chopped carrots, slivers of pitted green olives and a subtle dose of prunes only detectable by the taste buds after they’ve identified the former ingredients. Both the tilapia and the tajine were served with a mound of white rice, thankfully not the bland type, but light grains that complemented the fish and veal, along with their respective dish fellows, quite nicely.

While my dining companion and I found the aforementioned main dishes to be a little on the pricey side, the wine list, with its South African, Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan selections, appeared to be rather reasonable ($24–$30 a bottle). For those designated drivers out there, I highly recommend the ginger cocktail ($3.25), an exciting beverage that packs a punch like no other. This spicy elixir incorporates the juices of ginger root, pineapple, mint and vanilla extract for a jolt that is simply out of this world.

Eco-friendly, genuine mud-cloth table coverings and napkins, along with walls covered in warm hues and an enchanting mural depicting a scene from an African village, contribute to the resto’s warm and laid-back atmosphere. African percussion instruments, like the balafon, djembe and shekere, adorn side tables and walls patiently waiting for resident musicians to pound some sound into them on the live music nights, Thursday through Saturday, when punters have been known to rise up from their seats and groove to some Afro beats.