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Rachel Laryea is enthusiastic about plantains. A lot in order that in 2018, whilst she was pursuing a twin Ph.D. at Yale, she began a meals enterprise the place every part on the menu used the versatile, starchy fruit as its base. She referred to as the then-popup Kelewele, after a well-liked Ghanaian avenue deal with, and this summer season Laryea opened her first everlasting house for the enterprise within the Dekalb Market Corridor in Downtown Brooklyn.
“I’ve a love and affection for plantains,” she instructed Gothamist. “It is deeply cultural for me. My household is from Ghana, my mother migrated to the U.S. in her 20s, and an enormous a part of her migration story and elevating youngsters right here was consuming Ghanaian meals—each as a strategy to keep linked to residence, and to cross down her cultural background to us in an American context.”
The menu at Laryea’s sales space is brief and to the purpose, however primarily based on a completely satisfying meal I had right here on a latest go to, every part is nice. Kelewele, the dish, is in fact obtainable, and Laryea has it proper when she calls it “the right chunk.” It is fried, caramelized, and candy like maduro, however Ghanaians add cayenne pepper and ginger to the combo for a welcome hit of spiciness. Laryea instructed me that the dish historically comprises floor nuts, that are much like peanuts, and I think about present a pleasant crunchy, salty counterpoint to the mushy fruit.
Absolutely savory dishes at Kelewele embrace the snacky Phishcakes, which the menu describes as “fishy plantain balls with out the fish,” the Planana Boat, which is a fried plantain “canoe” full of spicy bean stew, and Laryea’s tackle tacos, referred to as Placos. I opted for the Chichinga Burger, and it was a delight. The hearty patty is constructed from black beans and spicy plantains, the lettuce, tomato, and onion toppings all do their job effectively, the housemade Shito Mayo provides a full of life kick, and the “bun” is a big, crisp, flat tostone. There are quite a lot of vegan burgers being slung round city today, and that is one the most effective.
Previous to launching Kelewele, Laryea had by no means opened a restaurant, and even labored in a restaurant; earlier than her pursuit of a twin Ph.D. (in African-American Research and Anthropology), Laryea was an analyst at Goldman Sachs. “Was it difficult to open Kelewele? Oh yeah 100%,” she mentioned. “The training curve was steep.” Particularly since she personally developed each recipe, “a few of which took lots longer than others.”
The ice cream at Kelewele, for instance, which like every part else is constructed from plantains, “took the higher half a 12 months to get proper,” she mentioned. It was well worth the effort, if the pre-packed cup I ate of her Liquid Gold flavor–basically plantains, coconut milk, and turmeric–is any indication. There are plantain-based baked items right here too, together with dense, chocolatey brownies and cookies.
The Dekalb Market Corridor is again to being totally open, however in the event you’re not able to eat inside a subterranean house, there’s seating obtainable within the public plazas surrounding the Metropolis Level advanced. And Laryea, who frequented the meals corridor when she lived in Downtown Brooklyn throughout her NYU undergrad days, is happy to be right here. “I used to be not actively seeking to open Kelewele in a meals corridor,” she mentioned, “However Dekalb Market has at all times been a favourite, and I am additionally a lover of all issues Brooklyn, so I like having a bodily location right here.”
Kelewele is positioned at 445 Albee Sq. inside the Dekalb Market Corridor (make a tough proper while you get off the escalator), and is at the moment open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from midday to eight p.m., and Friday and Saturday from midday to eight:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays (929-322-3480; kelewelenyc.com)
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