Since we live in Mainland, Lagos, my husband and I decided to celebrate Val’s Day at one of the many fine restaurants on the Mainland.  My husband had planned for a quiet dinner at the Sheraton Hotel restaurant, but wanting to try new places, I suggested we check out New China Restaurant at the OPIC Plaza next to the Sheraton.  My husband had his reservations, but since it’s Val’s Day, I get veto power with little discussion so New China Restaurant it is.  When we arrived at the restaurant, the first sign that the restaurant may  not be so fine, was the blinking, flashing neon sign with bright red and blue lights and rotating chinese lanterns at the entrance.

We go down a set of stairs and arrive at a poorly arranged reception area and we were promptly given a number to wait our turn.  We reviewed the menu and realized it was a set menu with no options for sit-in and a limited take-away menu that was printed with the cheapest printing option possible.  Both the dine-in and take-away menus clearly and boldly stated “NO DISCOUNTS” and the sitting arrangement was completely cafeteria style.  At this point, my husband gently reminded me again that it was not too late to go to the Sheraton next door.  I was adamant and determined to see what New China had to offer.

To go straight to the point, the New China Restaurant Valentine’s Day special is a racket to get couples to pay N10,000 /person for a minimum of 2 people with no options; clearly, no self-respecting guy will admit to his chick that N20,000 for a basic, run-of-the-mill Chinese food is outrageous.  I flatly refused to be robbed of N20,000 for special fried rice and spring rolls so I opted for take-away instead, after which the servers completely ignored us, since we were not contributing to their targets.  I had to complain to the managers before we were finally granted our beef with green pepper and fried rice.  Needless to say, my husband and I enjoyed a relaxing Valentine’s Day at home with take-away Chinese food, scented candles and the company of each other.  He was kind enough not to say, “I told you so”.

However, I quickly realized that life does not stop simply because one has decided to take a break and I was trying to dig myself out of the work pile as fast as I could.  So, it was a relief when a couple of friends suggested having a business meeting outside the office.  I was glad to take a break from the glass walls of the office.

Lunch at Bogobiri Restaurant in Ikoyi, Lagos was decided upon and eagerly awaited my appointment with a sense of anticipation.  Bogobiri Restaurant is a boutique guest-house, with a bohemian, artsy sense, and a generous dose of African culture thrown in.  You either love or hate this place. The entrance is decorated with African art, authentic wood carvings and almost evokes a sense of entering a shrine.  The interior decor is an extension of the described exterior.

We ordered Jollof rice and deep fried chicken, fried plantains with roasted chicken, and plantain with peppered goat meat. We had to wait for 45 minutes for the food to arrive.  However, we were not disappointed when the food finally came. The roasted chicken was tender and well-seasoned and must have been delicious judging by the speed with which my colleague wolfed it down. The fried chicken was not too greasy and the peppered goat was just right.  The meal would also have worked with fried rice or cooked beans. Bogobiri Restaurant has an eclectic, yet casual atmosphere for a meal with friends, but note to self – do not plan a quick business lunch at Bogobiri Restaurant.

I knew the trip would be eventful when we got to Murtala International Airport in Lagos and realized that we did not have our passports with us.  My husband waited at the airport to schmooze the airline staff into not closing the check-in counter, while I frantically rushed back to grab the all-important documents.  Half-way back to the airport, I decided to actually check the passports since, in my hurry, I had simply grabbed the closest-looking document  to a passport.  I realized that I taken my brother’s passport instead of my husband’s and had to make another quick U-turn back to get the accurate documents.

Anyway, finally made it back to the airport with the 2 passports in-hand, breathlessly ran into the airport lobby, only to learn that the flight had been delayed; it was delayed for 3 hours! My husband and I were relieved when we got to Accra late in the night, with the hotel pick-up driver waiting in the lobby. We enjoyed a cool drive to our hotel.

The wedding was absolutely stunning, but the highlight for me was the Ghanaian food.  It was completely heavenly.  There were several events throughout the week, but my favorite was brunch hosted at the Ghana Artist Alliance Gallery at Omanye House, La before LaPalm Beach Hotel, Accra.  I strongly recommend visiting the gallery when next you are in Accra.  It has modern and historic pieces ranging from fabric, to beads to contemporary artworks for sale.  The brunch menu included a traditional Ghana soup, jollof rice, rice and beans, chicken and beef cooked in several different ways, “pomo” and other types of “orishirishi”.  The food was tasty, had variety, and very well made.