Poblacion’s Phoenix Restaurant Serves Exciting African Fare
There are many things to be proud of about the Filipino culture; one of which is the adventurous nature of our local palate. This is something that even Wydi Durant Ndjomaha, owner and co-founder of Phoenix restaurant, has noticed.
“Filipinos are very adventurous, they love to try new things,” he said. This works to his advantage as both Wydi and his co-founder, Hannah Margaret, serve an intriguing array of African-fusion food at their restaurant.
From the ubiquitous Jollof Rice to the exciting Egusi Soup (served with fufu, of course), Phoenix serves something unique at the heart of Makati’s party central. “To be clear, we are not the first African restaurant in Manila,” noted Wydi. “But we are the first African-fusion restaurant.”
Wydi, who came to the Philippines in 2014, hails from Cameroon, a country located in Central Africa. While most of his customers now are Filipino, he pays homage to his culture – and to that of his continent – through the food he serves.
“I figured that a lot of people don’t know [much] about African culture,” he shared. “And one of the best ways of introducing your culture to people is through your cuisine. Phoenix is our way of letting more people learn more [about us],” he added.
At Phoenix, customers can partake not just in Cameroonian fare, but in Nigerian and Senegalese food too. Dishes from all over Africa are present on the menu and items such as the Akara Fritters (black-eyed peas fritters) and the Chakalaka Sliders (burgers with chakalaka curried pepper relish) are sure to be a crowd pleaser. Of course, more exotic dishes such as the Ndole (Cameroonian spinach stew with seared prawns) and Mchuzi Wa Samaka (fresh pompano in coconut curry sauce) are sure to be an adventure for thrill-seeking taste buds.
“I recommend the grilled pompano, grilled fish, and grilled chicken. You can also try the jollof rice and the ndole,” Wydi shared.
Surprisingly, Wydi also said that the African palate has a lot more in common with the Filipino palate than one might first assume. Despite being thousands of kilometers away, both cultures share a love for flavourful foods: spices and unique taste profiles.
“Africans love spice,” he noted. “And like here in the Philippines, we have something like Bicol Express. It has a lot of different spices and it’s very, very spicy – kind of like something you’d get in a restaurant in Africa.”
Even ingredient-sourcing hasn’t been that difficult for Wydi and his team. “Cameroon and the Philippines have a very similar climate,” Wydi pointed out. “So, most of the ingredients we need, we can find here.”
For the more complicated items, he simply reaches out to the local African community, which he says is growing in the country. “We go on Facebook marketplaces and all that,” he added.
Interestingly, the number of Africans coming to the Philippines has also increased. Not only does the economy offer foreigners more exciting business opportunities, but Filipinos themselves are well-known to be hospitable. “People in the Philippines are always ready to welcome [others],” noted Wydi.
In this same way, Wydi and his team are more than ready to give us a glimpse of their own way of life. So as Poblacion continues to evolve, accommodating unique dining concepts and exciting innovations, Phoenix seems poised to welcome diners to a whole new world – or continent, rather.
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