By Avneet Takhar
Show your support for Black businesses this month and beyond and prepare to savour the flavour with some lip-smacking, traditional and modern fare.
These are some of our top picks of Black-owned and operated foodie hotspots in Metro Vancouver:
Van Suya
Nigerian cuisine that’ll “spice up ya life”, alright! I have eaten here on numerous occasions and owner, Ekaose Nwadiani hits all the right notes every damn time. So, a moment of confession here, I usually go for the chicken suya or jollof rice and for the first time I tried the Egusi soup (thickened soup with smoked fish, eggplant and goat meat), with Poundo Yam. I was mildly dubious of the Poundo Yam as I’d not encountered anything like it before and was seriously about to whack on a saucepan of rice, but thankfully refrained as I remembered myself- it just isn’t right to taste test if it’s not done the authentic way.
I dug in, hands scooping up the soup with the Poundo Yam. And never was there a more perfect pairing. Case in point- don’t wimp out and eat food the way it’s supposed to be appreciated!
The team at Van Suya leaves a little card wishing you Happy Black History Month with every purchase from their website, and there’s 15% off your Hibisberry drink order, when you use the code “berrynice”.
Available online for delivery or pick-up, and via Doordash, Uber Eats and Skip The Dishes.
1370 E Georgia St, Vancouver
Transit: 22 bus, hop off at Venebles St @ Clark Dr and then it’s a 4 minute walk.
Dehls Gourmet
Providing wholesome Afrocentric cuisine, there isn’t anything that Delali Adiamah can’t cook you up: vegetarian, fish and meat dishes are all her specialties- and even local athletes have her on speed dial! It’s the Red Red, fried plantain and black-eyed beans stew and Waakye (cooked eggs, meat, rice and beans the Ghanian way) that gets me.
Available on Fridays and Saturdays as a meal delivery service, call or text 778 953 4734 to order ahead of time or email akwaaba@dehlsgourmetfoods.ca.
Calabash Bistro
The Caribbean vibes come in like an island wave here, with live DJs playing every Friday and Saturday evening at this intimate late night spot. As for the food, it’s all about the Jerk Fried Fish with Calabash coleslaw and Oxtail with rice and peas. Save some room for the Coconut Dumplings and Rum Punch!
428 Carrall St, Vancouver
Transit: Number 3 bus, and arrive at W Hastings St @ Carrall St or a 10 minute walk from Waterfront Station
Taste of Africa
West African dishes served up by couple Isaac and Becky; they opened up shop to keep the community spirit with them. Hailing originally from Ghana, their menu reflects their roots. Fufu (protein and carbohydrate), Jerk Honey Chicken and Banku (dumpling) with okra soup and meat are all featured.
10663 King George Blvd, Surrey
Transit: Just under a 10 minute walk from Gateway Station
Northpaw Brew Co
This industrialized yet cozy brewery owned by Courtney Brown is a chill hangout spot and has beers as well as food, from local artisans and butchers. Choose from meat and cheese boards, oven-baked pizzas or Jamaican patties and pretzels for snacks. Crowd pleasers, like Gimme The Loot Black IPA and Creme De La Creme Coffee are worth a guzzle!
2150-570 Sherling Pl, Port Coquitlam
Transit: From Coquitlam Central station, hop on the R3 bus and get off at Lougheed Hwy @ Ottawa St. It’s a 16 minute walk from there, heading southeast
D Roti Shak
Every kinda yummy roti you want is available here, from curried goat and beef to shrimp and channa (chickpea). They do curries with rice too!
Available in-house, on Skip The Dishes and Doordash.
808 12th St, New Westminster
Transit: Grab the 112 bus from New West station and get off at 12 St @ 8th Ave
Chop It Up
And last but certainly not least, check out Chop It Up if you want to take part in community-based cooking classes managed by Vancouver heavyweights Asha Wheeldon of Kula Kitchen (who just recently starred in Doordash’s campaign with Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet) and Chris Boreland of Elbo Patties, who also sells merchandise at Afro Queer where with each purchase, proceeds are donated to the 2SLGBTQIA+ black community.
Note: they do virtual and sometimes in-person classes too depending on the health protocols, so follow them to keep track! And get yourself 10% off at Kula Kitchen’s website this month with the code: “Future10”.
We recommend enjoying some of these whilst flicking through shows on The Africa Channel, or if in-house, secretly scrolling through @thecanadianafrican’s IG for inspo on your next meal.
Feature image courtesy of Van Suya.
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