Seriously one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had. This place was a little ways away from the downtown area, but easy enough to get to by bus. For two people, without reservations, we waited about 30 minutes on an early Saturday evening. Well with the wait. The interior was nicely designed and the staff were very attentive. Ordered the Kumuhana and tried the Ji Hibiscus beverage. The drink was good, but on the sweet side. The food was amazing. Chicken was super tender, rice was cooked well, corn salad added a nice touch of freshness, and the plantains were good too. A very filling meal, I'm surprised I was able to finish it all. Would definitely come back again, if in town. read more

Baobab Fare - Kumuhana - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

It required two visits, trying different dishes to finally have enough 411 to write a review. Tried: Sambusa, Plantains Chips & Dipping Sauce, Nyumbani, Kuku, Kumuhana, Mbuzi, Samaki, Intore, Mgoga, Tamu, Coco Mango, & Ji Passion Fruit My Favorites: Intore and Samaki - when it comes to flavor profiles, these two dishes shine over others. I also asked the waitress which dish is the most popular and they told me the Samaki is their #1 seller. I tired half/half on the rice on my first visit, this visit I went with spiced rice pilau only. I'm not a fan of coconuts, while the coconut rice doesn't have a overpowering coconut flavor, spiced rice will be my to go moving forward. Nyumbani, while decent, the meat was bit under seasoned to my taste. Kuku was the better over Kuhuhana. Mbuzi - the goat shank was lukewarm when we got it, it was bit hard to break the meat off the bone, but worth trying at least once. Service was superb on both visits, water bottle gets refilled w/o asking, and great experience. While I won't be able to make it out often, definitely will be on my list of places to revisit while in Detroit area. read more

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A true, authentic and cultural gem! Baobab Fare is a celebrated East African restaurant in Detroit, founded by Burundian refugees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere. This was my first time here but definitely won't be the last. The food is so rich in color, flavor, and ethnic tradition - it feels like a homemade meal straight from Africa. I loved the flavor of my dish called "Nyumbani", the beef was so tender it broke apart with a touch of my fork. I went with friends - vegetarian and not - we all loved our dishes which were variations of one another considering the ingredients across each dish are similar. read more

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I placed an order for pick uo from here and the staff were very friendly.. the place looked great for dinner and well decorated. Still pretty busy at 8:30pm. The food was SO good. Man I wish I could have the first bite all over again. I had zero complaints about anything. The chicken was so flavorful and tender, the plantains were perfectly sweet, and I swapped the yellow beans for an eggplant stew which was incredible as well. Even the rice was so good. I also ordered the green pudding dessert which is more fruity and tangy than I expected. It's pretty good and worth trying! If you're debating between this and another spot, I'll make the decision for you- try this place! read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Im kind of torn with writing this. After seeing all the accolades and awards, I couldn't wait to try Baobab when visiting home over the holidays. The service was great and the servers were all wonderful. I just feel like the food could've had a little more spice. I've tried East African food before, so I could tell they held back on some of the flavors. I did get the chicken, so maybe I ll try and order something bolder next time. read more

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Customers there actually switched their table so that our group of 5 could be seated! What kind people eat here! Service was great and food very tasty. read more

Never tried East African food before, so I'm glad this fast casual spot exists here in Detroit. There are only about three vegan options, but I quite enjoyed the Mboga, which was a spinach and peanut stew, served with fried plantains, beans and a pulao (spicy rice). It was enough for lunch and a second serving to take home. I also liked the African tea, which was pretty similar to a chai. Would recommend making a reservation because the restaurant was bumping during Sunday lunch time. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Absolutely one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. I have never had Namibian food before but I would drive all the way back to Detroit every weekend if I could to have it again. The restaurant was packed when I arrived around 3 o'clock with a nice atmosphere. My waiter was very pleasant. read more

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My husband and I took our aunt and uncle here for dinner over the holidays as their Christmas gift. We picked the restaurant for a few different reasons. They have been on Yelp's top 100 list and Yelp Detroit top 25 places to eat according to Yelp Elites list. They were also James Beard nominees. They also are part of OpenTable's Exclusive Tables program. We planned to make a reservation, but by the time we got all of our details ironed out, they only had an 8 PM, so we decided to do a walk in. We chose 6 o'clock on a Friday night and were seated immediately. Our experience was great from start to finish. Our server, Tima, took great care of us and told us that it was her job to make sure we had a wonderful night and the best chance at loving everything we ate and drank. We started with appetizers and ordered both things: plantain chips & dip and sambusas (a chicken and vegetable filled puff pastry. It was somewhat like an Indian samosa.) We really enjoyed both appetizers. I read the menu before we visited and noted. They had a fun drink selection. My husband ordered an espresso (and got a bonus Americano when the server misremembered his order at the last second). He said both were delicious. Our aunt, uncle, and I all ordered the house fizzy drinks, which come in flavors, passionfruit, and hibiscus. I was surprised to see them come out in a fun can. I wonder if you can purchase the drinks anywhere else in the city since they are canned. The drinks were delicious. I highly recommend if you don't mind a lot of sugar. For dinner, we decided to split three meals between the four of us as the portions looked pretty generous. All three things we ordered came with the same sides, so we swapped some out to make sure we could try as many dishes as possible. This dude beans were good. As was the spicy rice pilaf. I really enjoyed the corn salad. It would make the perfect side dish at a summer cookout. My favorite sides were the peanut spinach and the coconut rice. The platters we ordered were: kuku (chicken in a tangy mustard-onion sauce), kumuhana (Tender marinated chicken grill-roasted with onion, garlic, and lemon) and mbuzi (Slow-roasted goat shank). The goat was cooked, incredibly perfectly! It was fall off the bone, tender, so juicy, packed with flavor, and so rich and comforting. I would eat it 100 times over. My uncle was really excited to try goat for the first time as it has been on his bucket list. This was definitely a great first experience. My next favorite was the grilled chicken. It had amazing flavor and was tender and juicy as well. The kuku was good, but didn't stand out as much as the others. I appreciated that the menu was on the smaller side so by ordering a few dishes I really felt like we got a good taste of what the restaurant has to offer. A highlight of the whole meal for the sausages. We ended up asking for extra so we could pour them on everything. I highly recommend a meal here. Even if you aren't usually an adventurous eater, I think you will enjoy yourself. read more

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Finally made it back to Baobob Fare in Detroit, and let me tell you--it was everything I hoped for and more! This was only my second time at an African restaurant, and the flavors, vibe, and presentation blew me away. We kicked things off with crispy plantain chips and a tangy, savory dipping sauce--so addictive! For my main, I went with the Mboga, which is tender spinach and finely ground peanuts braised in warming spices, served with fried plantains, stewed yellow beans, and your choice of spiced rice pilau or coconut rice. I got half pilau, half coconut rice, and WOW--the flavors all blended perfectly--rich, comforting, and just the right balance of spice. The service was absolutely amazing--friendly, attentive, and genuinely enthusiastic about the food. Our server took the time to explain the dishes and make sure we were enjoying every bite, which made the whole experience feel extra special. Generous portions, beautifully prepared dishes, incredible flavors, and top-notch service--Baobob Fare is hands-down one of the most flavorful, fun, and satisfying spots in Detroit. Can't wait to go back and try even more! read more

Baobab has such wonderfully made food. The restaurant is busy, friendly, cozy and filled with folks from everywhere. If you haven't been, go, eat, try something new and enjoy. Also, don't sleep on the avocado dessert. They were out when we went, otherwise there would have been a picture of that too read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I had read that East African food, for the most part, is not spicy, but had never found a restaurant focused on the cuisine. We had the Kumahana, which is served with corn salad. fried plantains, stewed yellow beans, spiced rice pilau. The chicken was very tender, and flavored with salt and pepper, and no real other spices we could discern. The corn salad was good, plain, tasted exactly like nice cooked corn, I don't think it had seasoning. The fried plantains tasted like plantains that had been fried, the yellow beans, maybe had a bit of onion and garlic that you couldn't see or taste. The rice pilau was exactly as it should be: perfect light texture, not much flavor, as rice pilau is sometimes supposed to be mild to go with very flavorful main course and other sides. There was nothing wrong with the textures or the appearance, it's just that flavor was lacking. For people who like their food bland, everything would be delicious. read more

Baobab Fare is truly a standout in Detroit's food scene! As someone who hasn't had much East African food before, this was a really nice experience. The portion sizes are incredibly generous -- you'll leave feeling satisfied as I was completely stuffed. The two main dishes that we got were the Mbuzi and Nyumbani. Both dishes are rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, showcasing depth and warmth. The beef and the goat meat were extremely tender and flavorful. For the appetizer, the sambusa, it was also fairly good but it didn't wow me as much as the main dishes. Also their hot sauce that they give in the small containers is really good and pairs very well. Overall, the flavors of each dish was quite good and given the huge portion sizes, I think it's definitely worth a visit! read more

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We really enjoyed our time here. The restaurant was able to seat us right away, and our table was cute. The food was great and came out EXTREMELY quickly. I would highly recommend getting the Ji Passion Fruit as a drink and the plantain chips as an appetizer. The whole menu looked yummy- I will be returning! read more

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This place is soo cute. The staff were nice and the food was delicious. I had the fish and my bestie had the beef. The flavors were on point: the food came out hot. read more

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We had been eyeing this restaurant for a long time because we love african food. They do give you the option to do half coconut and half spiced rice. I wish I had done that. The flavors were delicious but my plate with the fish, rice, and plantains was eating a little dry. I wished it had come with more sauce that the samosas came with. I might have been happier with the vegetarian meal since it seemed like there were more stewed and fewer dry items on the plate. read more

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I hat a fun and delicious dinner. Loved the tasting menu! Warm and inviting and a true experience! read more

Baobab Fare - Delicious tasting menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

From the moment we walked through the door we were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm. We certainly felt at home! We started with the sambusa appetizer, its crunchy pastry exterior filled with a delightful savory chicken that shouted out for more! We ate it so fast we forgot to take a photo! That was followed by mbuzi, a slow roasted goat shank accompanied by yellow beans and two types of rice and fried plantains. We also ordered mhogo, only available on Wednesdays, a spread including yuca, sautéed spinach, shredded pan fried chicken and yellow beans. The flavors were so unique, they carried us to a far off land, making us feel like time travelers. Everything was delicious! Our only regret was not being in Detroit long enough to return for another meal. Be sure to add Baobob Fare to your must visit list. You'll be glad you did. read more

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We came here for my mother in laws birthday as it was her to go spot when they first opened up so we wanted to surprise her with a visit here again. Service was good, our waitress didn't really do much. The food was good but very pricey. Restrooms were clean but was next to the kitchen so you can hear a lot of butchering going on. They have a cute little shop that I thought was a good touch. read more

Overall this is a pretty casual restaurant with a more intimate ambiance. The service was good and they allow you to do walk ins, but you will have to sit along the windows in the high chairs. If you want a regular table you have to make a reservation. The food was decent, but it was lacking some flavor according to my friend and the appetizer Sambusas were so small for the price. They tasted good though! The plantains were not ripe enough so they weren't very sweet. They were a bit dry. read more

Baobab Fare - Nyumbani - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I am a repeat customer to Baobab Fare. I Love it so much!! While I waited for my friend they offered me a table where I enjoyed ginger tea for almost 20 min before friend's arrival. Never rushed and friendly service! Kumahana grilled chicken was perfectly moist and delicious with their wonderful beans, chose spicy rice (deliciousness!) with corn salad and replaced plantains with spinach. So amazingly satisfying and crave able!! read more

Baobab Fare - Kumuhana w spinach instead of plantains. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Had to try this place and it did not disappoint. I tried the Nyumbani. The beef was very tender and the tomato sauce was delicious. I had it over the spiced rice but you can have the option of doing both the spiced rice and coconut rice. There were fried plantains for a nice sweet accompaniment. It's always pretty busy here so I recommend making a reservation. read more

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It was a busy Friday and mist if the tables were full at about 4:45pm. I order the fish dish. All of the food comes in bowls. It was a young man who provided the service. It did not take long for the food. In my bowl was a piece of fish, rice, beans, corn salad and plantain . I felt the plantain was more firm and not as sweet. I would have like my food a little hotter, but other than that it was a nice portion. I agree with others that it was not as spicy as I thought it would be. It seems it is a popular place and unique to the area. This was my first experience with African food, it overall good. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Been on my list to try for a while. Nice casual ambiance with friendly waitstaff. Waitstaff is very soft spoken, I couldn't hear them most of the time haha. We made a reservation for a Saturday lunch. 90% of the tables filled. We loved our entree and dessert a lot. The sambusas were okay to us. I personally wouldn't get it again. But the entrées are so filling and flavorful. Simple but not simple. I only ate half and packed the rest. I would love to come back to try more dishes! Definitely recommend. read more

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I'm shocked that I haven't reviewed Baobab yet. This place is phenomenal. It was founded by refugees and one of the co-owners won an episode of Chopped on the Food Network. The food is amazing - and they have good vegetarian options (not MANY, but the ones they have are great). My favorite by far is the Intore. Talk about comfort food. If I knew how to make this, I would make it alllll the time at home. I would recommend not sitting at the bar seats at the window, only because the service tends to be slower when sitting there. Service in general can be a little slow sometimes, but the staff have always been kind and the food is so good that I don't even mind. The restaurant is in a good location (close to Fisher Theatre if you want to go before a show). read more

The food is to die for. The ambiance reminds me of a cramped NYC restaurant. Decor is chic and bright. Most street parking nearby is free and typically easy to find. Service is efficient but not overly-friendly/welcoming. Prices are great for portions received. I've been here a few times now. You truly come here for the delicious food, not so much the "experience" like some restaurants. Reservations are encouraged, especially if there are more than two in your group. It doesn't really seem like they can accommodate more than 4 at a table because space is very limited. Expanding into a larger space would be a godsend for this business! I've ordered the Mbuzi (goat shank) and Kyumbani (simmered beef) a couple times. I've determined that, while you get a HUGE portion of meat with the goat shank, the simmered beef is wayyyyy more flavorful and much more joyful to eat. The yellow beans are a perfect complement to the bold flavors of their dishes. I also love the coconut rice. My husband really likes the corn salad, too. (Everything is served on one big plate, so if you're funny about food touching, request them on smaller plates but be prepared to run out of space on the table.) I've gotten the sambusas as an app once and tried to order the last time I went but they were already sold out for the evening (it was around 5pm on a Saturday.) They're very good if they're available when you go! Drink choices are extremely limited. You can get one of their specialty drinks like juice, tea or coffee or a glass bottle Coke or Sprite for $4. A friend recommended the tamu, a creamy avocado/passion fruit dessert for us to share. I was turned off at first but it was love at first bite. Definitely give it a try if you have any room after your awesome meal. Service is sufficient but hasn't been very friendly in all my visits. They focus on correct orders and getting them to you quickly. It's not the kind of place where you'll become besties with your server but you will fall in love with their food. read more

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Absolutely PHENOMENAL! 10 stars! So of course we had reservations, and I would suggest you do the same because this place gets packed quickly and the dining area is not the biggest. Parking on the street wasn't too hard to find. Customer service was top notch. Everybody was delightful and very pleasant. The interior design was beautiful; simple yet modern with antique charm. The menu has a nice variety of foods. Now I will say, the samosa appetizer was good but much smaller than expected, especially for the price. Our entrees came out within a decent time frame and tasted better than our wildest dreams. My goat shank was the absolute best! The entire meal was so pleasing to the palate. My fiance ordered the catfish and enjoyed every bite as well. Even the eggplant dish was delicious! Something I also recommend is the corn salad. It gave the dish some freshness and tasted perfect with everything! For dessert we shared the coco mango. My fiance ate majority of it since my sweet tooth isn't as big. I am honestly so excited to return here for more East African excellence! read more

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Other than the plantains which were hard and dry (which they did warn us happens sometimes), the food was delicious! I had the kuku and the sambusa, talk about flavor! Both were truly phenomenal, the meat was hot and juicy and the spiced rice was cooked perfectly. I also enjoyed the hibiscus soda which, other than it being in a can (the menu implies its "homemade "carbonated house hibiscus), did not disappoint at all! Service was pretty good, a bit slow, but friendly and the ambiance was great. Would definitely recommend! read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The good and drinks were VERY tasty. Food came out extremely quickly, glavorfil and delicious. My hibiscus tea was so very tasty I should have gotten another to go. Now....the service was meh . The individuals weren't rude or anything just a bit MEH to me. I know some days are off/better than others so I won't let that affect the overall rating. The restaurant is a bit on the small side so this is not a large party location. You will be close to the next table too. So don't share any secrets lol I'll be back read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I was visiting family in Michigan and was so happy I had done my research. After reading the reviews and accolades for the chef, I knew I had to make a trip to Detroit to taste the amazing fare here. Parking is plenty on the streets but signs sometimes are confusing, so I decided to park in a lot 2 blocks away. It was $5 for the whole day and coming from LA, I was thrilled for this!! Parking in downtown LA is close to $40, so this is a steal. I came early and there was plenty of seating. I had the coffee which blew me away as well as Nyumbani. I loved this dish, especially the Swiss chard. I usually fast till 2 pm but broke my fast at 11:15 am for this amazing dish! I came here alone and portion sizes are big, so I ended up taking some home. If you are visiting Detroit, come here for a fantastic meal and superb service. I love the people of Detroit, everyone was so friendly and I will definitely be back when I'm visiting Michigan again. read more

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Wow. Just wow. Every so often you have a dining experience that makes you look forward to writing a review. Our dinner tonight at Baobab Fare was one of those occasions. We arrived close to 6pm on a Summer Saturday evening and were fortunate to skip the estimated 40 min wait for a table by sitting at the small bar. My wife started with a refreshing passion fruit drink while we reviewed a short menu where every dish looked fascinating. I went for the house specialty Nyumba and never looked back. read more

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Baobab Fare is a beautiful restaurant serving East African cuisine. Immediately upon entering, you feel embraced by its welcoming atmosphere. "More than a restaurant, Baobab Fare is a gathering place where all are welcomed and embraced" is printed in bold yellow letters on the wall behind the bar. We started with the sambusas, fried savory pastries filled with marinated grilled chicken, served with dipping sauce. These were delicious, especially with the dipping sauce. For my main dish, I had their signature dish, the Nyumbani. Tender beef, slow-simmered in ripened tomato sauce, served with fried plantains, peanut-stewed spinach, and your choice of spiced rice pilau or coconut rice. I loved the beef, the fried plantains, and the spiced rice pilau. I do wish the beef came with more sauce. Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the peanut-stewed spinach. It tasted like cigarettes to me. However, I had three friends that ordered the same dish and devoured everything, including the spinach, so it might be an acquired taste. For dessert, I had the coco mango, which consisted of coconut cream with mango coulis and fresh mango chunks, topped with roasted coconut flakes. It was the perfect way to end the meal. Also, the service was amazing! read more

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Some coworkers and I came here for dinner around 7pm on a Tuesday night it was 5 of us and the place was packed so wait time was an hour. We decided to just come back next day for lunch around 1130 which we were able to be seated right away (although it was filling up as we left) food was good and flavorful and friendly staff. The hibiscus tea (hot) was amazing. Me tried the sambusa for appetizers which were good and had a really good sauce with them. I had the samaki (fish) dish which was flavorful and love that I was able to get half and half of both rices as I couldn't choose however enjoyed the pilau better. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Wonderful ambiance and great food and service. Love the vibe and energy of the people who go there. Can't wait to go back!

Excellent fresh food. It came out very fast. I would definitely come back for the Samosas. It was about $26/entree. We also got the hibiscus tea and ginger tea. I like that they give you a water jug for the table. It was very busy for a Friday afternoon but the service moved quickly. read more

Baobab Fare - Mbuzi - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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It was super easy to make a reservation on Google. The restaurant was accommodating of my friend and I having luggage and allowed us to pick a seat with an open space next to us for our bags. I got the spiced coffee which was great, and my friend and I shared a dish so that we wouldn't have leftovers as well as an additional corn salad side. We still didn't finish all of the food! Good portion sizes, so tasty, flavorful, and balanced. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

A few friends and I stopped by Baobab Fare this past Saturday for a late lunch. I haven't had East African cuisine, but one of my friends really hyped this place up so we were all quite excited. The service was good and friendly, and the food came out rather quickly. NYUMBANI - 21 This is the slow roasted beef simmered in tomato sauce, and it comes with a few pieces of fried plantains, a hearty portion of peanut-spinach stew, and some rice (I chose half/half spiced rice and coconut rice). Besides the beef being a bit tough (and not as tender as I hoped), the flavor was so homey and rich. With the coconut rice, I got a mix of natural sweetness of the tomatoes, and the subtle tropical nutty sweetness of the coconut that made a great combination. The spiced rice was also very delicious but it's not actually spicy. The peanut-spinach stew was also quite flavorful but a tad salty. The plantains were great for something sweet to balance all the savory flavors. One of my friends got the MBUZI here and I'd say that one is quite worth. The goat shank is generous with lots of flavorful meat. He had a lot of leftovers. I'd recommend trying this here. We had a good experience and I'd come back in the future. read more

Baobab Fare - Nyumbani - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The beef and chicken very good. service very nice. Reasonable price. Come very good. No regret read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We came on a Sunday evening and were seated right away. We ordered at 7:40pm and the food came out at 7:53pm. Service was excellent! They were very attentive to us. Food was delicious. 5/5 easy. We got the mbuzi (goat), nyumbani (beef), and kumuhana (chicken). They were all delicious, but the goat was my favorite. Loved it so much, I was tempted to order another mbuzi dish. read more

Baobab Fare - Nyumbani, kumuhana, mbuzi - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Food: Yum! It's clear they know what they're doing in this department and their 2024 James Beard nomination was well deserved. They must have a bunch of veteran grandmothers cooking in the back because everything was seasoned to the edge but also felt so homey. We got the sambusas, an East African rendition of the samosa, the signature nyumbani, and the samaki. The sambusas were a good appetizer, not bad but nothing too crazy. Both the main entrees were so well balanced and packed with so much food. The slow cooked savory beef of the nyumbani was a tad on the dry side but made up for its robust, unctuous flavor, the rice was well spiced, the spinach had surprisingly intense smokiness, and the fried plantains made for a nice sweet palate cleanser. This might be crazy but the LeBron James of the entire meal was the fish of the samaki. So fresh, so tender, so tasty! The sides of the samaki were so freaking good too! I'm never one to pick sea over land but this won me over. Service: Welcoming for sure! We got everything we requested in a timely manner. Shout out to the homemade salsa they were passing out. Holy crap, that little spicy cup was life! I need that salsa recipe pronto! Ambience: Baobab has a lot of modern and inviting touches to let everyone know how hip they are while maintaining their roots with East African decor sprinkled in here and there. Not too fancy but not too casual, the environment rides the fence well. Overall: Wow, it's nice to see an establishment put so much care in every part of the plate. If I had to pick one restaurant for someone to try in the D to represent the city, it would def have to be this. A seemingly unambiguous sleepy corner at first glance that gives way to amazing depth of tradition, culture, and food. read more

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