The heat inside Ikoko Buka was no fault of theirs but man, did I want to undress and run into a pool or stream or fridge even. And the whirlpool fan we sought refuge close to was like something from a Pacesetters novel or a Stephen King plot….. vicious, hot, unyielding.

But that didn’t matter. Having drooled all over my phone each time I checked out the ikoko buka IG handle, I was prepared to swim through a leech and croc-filled river to get my first taste of the ikokobuka promise.

First off….. the earthenware bowls are as much a hit in reality as they’re cool in pictures. Well until you scrape the bottom with your cutlery to greedily get the rest of the ewedu in one scoop (I know, Amala with cutlery is a sin. Forgive me, I wasn’t going to run back to the office with lingering olfactory evidence ). Still a hit and a hoot though.So yes, I liked my Amala and ewedu with barely a smidgen of gbegiri. My colleagues liked their party rice and nicely fried chicken and Titus fish, and the unplanned for gizdodo. All good? Unfortunately, nah.

When we got in we were greeted by the welcoming view of Amala being turned in a huge pot. That’s always cool. On getting to the eating area, there was only one other customer who was placing or had placed a takeout order. So service should have been as smooth as a Double-O-Seven villain takedown but noooo, we waited, and waited, and then we waited some more. Range of foods was limited. Soups limited. Swallow options limited. The frustration began to build.

First off all I ordered Amala, my co-diners ordered rice. Accompaniments weren’t served as ordered. And they had both finished their meal before the Amala I ordered came. The same Amala I ordered before they did theirs. And our waitress seemed to not know what exactly was on the menu. She had to keep returning to the kitchen because she either left an item out or forgot what was available. Not a good sign at all.

And then service was a weird dance. She had to use one large basket that looked like a cross between a Moses basket and a tray, to serve the food. Even for just a bowl of Amala. That I didn’t get especially with said basket being in a separate location. I kept watching our waitress go back and forth until the hunger was slowly replaced by open mouthed wonder and simmering anger.

What did me in finally was this: so she eventually comes to ask what ‘protein’ I wanted with the Amala. Like a true follower I mouth off the kinds of ‘assorted meat’ she had earlier  said available. She comes back minutes later to say there’s no assorted. This is midday (1pm biko) and I ask her to just gimme fish. Babe comes back when I’m halfway through the Amala with two very unhappy looking pieces of stewed beef. At that point I did a Dido and waved the white flag in surrender.

So….. lemme just rate. Tired already.

Location

It’s Maitama….inside a park. Weekday parking not an issue at all. But it would be interesting to visit over the weekend. So it’s a 3/5

Ambiance

A bright yellow hits you when you walk down the stairs into the restaurant. It’s off to the left delineating the holy room that the food is sorta sneaked out from. The walls of the eating area are lined with pictures of African fabric. I think having actual fabric would be better. One of the pictures had come slightly unstuck. And in my hunger my eyes kept wandering. It’s a stark looking place. Not unwelcoming but there’s a buka or restaurant vibe that’s missing. A major thing is the missing aroma. Seated, we didn’t perceive anything until our food was smack on the table in front of us. People, the smells are part of the experience!!For ambience I’d give a 2.5/5

Service

2/5. I’m not going into that again

Taste

Amala and ewedu… no surprises there. The gbegiri though I didn’t get. Was too tiny a quantity and wasn’t the creamy consistency I’d once hated but grew to like. The smokey party rice? Meh, tasted ok. The fish well fried, etc. etc. Good food. 2.5/5

Value for Money

Meal for 3, plus a bowl of gizdodo and drinks came to about N4k. Not bad, not bad at all. It’s a 3/5

Verdict?

With bukas upping their game all over the FCT, Ikokobuka needs to do a lot more about service, for starters. Follow them on instagram and you’ll understand my confusion. It probably was an off day but that was my first visit. I’m counting on subsequent visits to show the ikoko buka I’d drooled over on IG.

They also offer catering services and what I’d call a cookforyou service where you order pots or bowls of soups, stews, etc. As at the time of this draft I hadn’t ordered their bowls of soup. I eventually did and a review of those will follow. By then I would have tried out the following and if you’re good, you just might come with me.

xoxo

Nkechi

Ikokobuka details