Sophisticated West African restaurant Akoko has named Ayo Adeyemi is its latest executive chef, the third to have been at the helm of the restaurant since it opened in 2020. Adeyemi has previously worked at Heston Blumenthal’s renowned restaurant The Fat Duck. He intends to use his own West African heritage to develop the menu at Akoko.
Akoko is already well-known for its elevated recipes that draw influence from Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria, prepared with seasonal local ingredients. It’s gained quite the reputation over the last two years and in 2021 was included in the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards top 100 list.
The new executive chef will be introducing some new West African-inspired dishes to the menu. Diners can expect waina – a snack made from fermented rice – served with caviar and a smoked goat dish. There will also be a new incarnation of the classic jollof rice, this time served with barbecued native blue lobster alongside pepper soup prepared with the claws.
