M&M African Kitchen recently opened, and I was curious to check it out. The space itself is clean, well decorated, and thoughtfully laid out for being on the smaller side. Unfortunately, my visits left me with mixed feelings.
On my first visit, I was disappointed that they were already out of a few menu items I was hoping to try, such as moi moi and meat pies. As someone who isn't very familiar with Nigerian cuisine, I came in eager to learn more about the food and culture. That's part of what draws me to restaurants like this an opportunity to expand my understanding of a cuisine not often represented in the DFW area. But I've noticed a pattern with the two Nigerian restaurants I've visited and that is the servers often aren't Nigerian and don't know much about the dishes. That makes it difficult for newcomers like me to ask questions or get recommendations. The owners and chefs clearly have the knowledge, but they're usually too busy running the place to spend much time explaining the menu.
On opening day, I ordered the mixed meat shawarma to go, since the restaurant was packed for a tasting event. It seems like members of the tasting event were prioritized and maybe the quality of the food and experience were better for them. The shawarma we received didn't quite match the picture on the menu. The photo showed more of a traditional shaved meat style, but what we got was shaved beef with what seemed to be a hotdog sausage tucked in. The flavor was just okay, but overall it fell short of expectations.
I decided to give them another try before writing a review. On my second visit, I had a brief chance to speak with the owner about the shawarma. He explained that the sausage was their way of setting their version apart from others in the area. I expressed my concern about how most people wouldn't expect a sausage in the shawarma and I also offered other suggestion for some things that might help the place run more efficiently as service was a bit slow. He suggested we try the Egusi soup, so we ordered that along with a meat pie. The soup, unfortunately, was served cold in the center despite the bowl being warm on the outside. After sending it back, it returned lukewarm. The flavor was actually good, but serving temperature really hurt the experience. The meat pie was decent, but it arrived after the soup instead of beforehand, which was surprising since I had expected it as more of an appetizer.
I wanted to like this place, especially since it's within biking distance from my home. I was really looking forward to making it a spot where I could explore Nigerian dishes and culture more deeply. For now, though, the execution isn't there. I hope they'll iron out these issues with time. I gave 3 stars because while the place has potential, the food execution and lack of knowledgeable guidance made for a bit of disappointing experience. read more