I’m no stranger to ethnic food. Growing up, my mom exposed me to a lot of different cultures and I’ve always looked at international food with the mindset that “ If everyone in this ethnic group raves about this dish, it can’t possibly be that bad.” So when the internet began to flood with videos of people trying fufu, a traditional West African dish made of mashed cassava until it reaches the consistency of a soft dough- I had to try it!
Prior to the dish taking the internet by storm, I was already familiar with it thanks to some of my high school friends who were West African. Despite, being ahead of the trend, I didn’t get the chance to try the dish until recently. The dough is typically served with a variety of stews and eaten with your hands. Although fufu doesn’t taste like much on its own, the many stews and soups it can be served with are described to be robust, flavorful and filling.
With this in mind, I had high hopes for Sambou’s African Kitchen. 
Located on County Line Road, in Ridgeland, Missi., Sambou’s is in an unlikely location and is kind of hidden, but I assure you the restaurant is well worth finding.
Upon entering the restaurant I was greeted by their friendly host and offered a menu to order my carry-out order. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. It had a modern appeal to it all the while still displaying their proud African heritage.
Although I had my heart set on trying fufu with one of the several stews they offered, some issues with that arose. The dough is offered with egusi soup or okra-beef soup. Egusi soup is made with crayfish and I have a shellfish allergy. So I was going to opt for the okra-beef soup. They were kind enough to let me sample the soup along with a little portion of the fufu prior to ordering an entire plate of it and I’m glad they did.
The okra-beef soup was just as delicious as I imagined it to be. It was very well seasoned and balanced. The fufu was soft and a great device for devouring the sample of soup I had been given. However, it was just as bland as everyone described it to be and I don’t like okra. I truly did enjoy the soup, but not enough to order a whole portion of it. I definitely could have ate the dish and made the best of it but I wanted to thoroughly enjoy my meal so I decided to order something else.
In addition to traditional West African food, Sambou’s African Kitchen also offers a variety of Caribbean cuisine.
After having further reviewed the menu I decided to order the curry chicken. Now, I’d like to consider myself a curry chicken connoisseur and although I wasn’t getting a dish that was entirely new to me, I was excited to try their take on it.
In addition to the curry chicken I also ordered their Gambian meat pies and a dessert called chakery. The meat pies were described as “an African style fried pastry filled with sauteed beef and vegetables”. You get two in an order and I anticipated them being similar to Jamaican beef patties. The chakery was described to be similar to yogurt with millet granules, sweetened condensed milk, coconut and spices. With a description like this I imagined it being some variation of rice in pudding.
The food took about 20 minutes to receive and I spent a total of $42.28. Sambou’s was a little pricey but I know that international ingredients such as scotch bonnet peppers which they use in their jerk chicken aren’t easy to come by in the U.S so the cost is understandable.
My curry chicken meal came with white rice, stir fried cabbage and fried plantains. I was looking to substitute the rice for fufu but I was told that wasn’t allowed.
The entire ride home the food smelled amazing and I was really excited to try it.
I tried the Gambian meat pies first and they were probably one the greatest things I’ve ever ate in my entire life. Think of an empanada—but greater. It was spicy and savory and so well seasoned! The description was so simple and I’m sure that it was accurate in its simplicity; I’ve never had something so simple be so delicious though!
I’ve always been told that life is short so you should eat dessert first, so I then tasted the chakery. When it I read the description and it was noted to be yogurt like I thought they were referring to the texture of the dish, not the taste. The dish was sweet and tangy, much like: yogurt! The millet granules reminded me of small pieces of rice and the coconut added a nice texture. It wasn’t bad but I wouldn’t order the item again.
Saving the best for last I then tried my curry chicken. Much like all the other versions of the dish I’ve had: it was spectacular. It was filling,delicious and had a slight spice to it. The chicken was extremely tender and juicy. I didn’t have high hopes for the rice considering how plain it was but it was cooked to perfection and had some floral notes to it. I’d never had stir fried cabbage before but I liked it. It was salty but not in an overwhelming way and the fried plantains added a nice sweetness to the dish. Each part of the dish was great on its own but together they were a divine culinary experience.
Overall, Sambou’s African Kitchen gets a 9/10.Although I wasn’t a fan of the chakery, everything else I ordered was phenomenal.
The staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean and the food was top tier. I’m already trying to find an excuse to go back and try more of the items on their menu.
If you’re looking to try Sambou’s African Kitchen, they are open from 12pm-8:40pm and you can place an order online, over the phone or in person at 1625 E County Line Rd, Jackson, MS 39211.
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