Ngoma Restaurant

Bad service. Didn’t even explain the food when they didn’t even have the one I wanted. Didn’t bring me my soda and charged me for it. food was cold and not so tasty. Never again!

This review is from a visit in Dec 10. Been wanting to write it for a while now. We used to be huge fans of Ngoma, and insist on taking everyone who visits us, to Ngoma (mostly so that we can enjoy it once more).
But after this last visit, I can say that we are done with Ngoma for good. The food seemed terrible compared to their normal standards.
somehow, the chicken and other ingredients didnt seem as fresh as they should have.
Further, as someone else pointed out, the lady waiting on us seemed extremely dejected, and didnt seem enthusiastic about helping us at all.
Overall, a very bad experience.

Warning, this isn’t called Ngoma anymore. It’s called Lagos African Cusine. You’ll be terribly confused if you look for Ngoma.
They serve food from all over Africa. There are so many options, but we went with the Ugalina Sukuma Wiki, the Poulet Yassa, and fried plantains and fried yams with grilled fish.
Food takes a while to prepare, but according to my wife, who’s traveled to Rwanda a fair bit for work, this is par for the course.
Portions are huge. We ordered three dishes and an order of Cassava Chips and it fed our party of five. With enough to take home.
If you’re looking for something different to try, go here.
Recommended.

I dined here last week Friday with 4 friends– Malaysian, Koreans and Hong Konger. I wasn’t concerned about the food, I knew Nigerian chefs would represent when it came to cooking. This was going to be my first visit so my concerns were cleanliness and courteous services which were always awful at previous Nigerian restaurant I have dined at! I wanted my friends to leave with a good impression! The photos helped clarify the restaurant is clean, service then is what worried me!
The first thing I learnt from the menu is that the cuisine served is not mainly Nigerian. They serve some meals from the rest of the continent but the Nigerian cuisine selections were more! We were both adventurous and cautious with our selections. Knowing how large the portions at Nigerian restaurants could be, I ordered 3 portions for the 5 of us and still had left overs!
Not only was our food decadently delicious, I was impressed with how the chef slightly adapted the recipes to also favor a Caucasian palate, while in no way compromising the essence of the food. Also, dare I say the service was courteous! Thumbs up!
The soups were all made Ala carte! At Nigerian restaurants, food is made from scratch for freshness so you have to be patient! Everything was made with the best and freshest ingredients, the vegetables cooked to perfection while retaining their nutrients… you can never go wrong with Nigerian food made well which is most of the time… if you know Nigerians, you know they don’t compromise when it comes to food!
The only reason I give this 4 instead of 5 stars is because the the name of the restaurant here on Unilocal is not what’s on the sign of the restaurant which made it hard for a couple of us to find! I think it says Lagos cuisine… The address is correct though!
One thing I have learnt about living and dining in LA is that most cuisines of the world use the same ingredients. The difference is in how they are combined and cooked… When it comes to Nigerian cuisine, I saw we got it best and Ngoma represents that! Adiós!

I went here 15 days ago craving Egusi soup. I’m Nigerian and that is my favorite soup. I show up and the place was pretty empty. I thought since it was empty, I would get my food quickly and go. Umm… no. it took almost 25 minutes to get my food. And while I waited, some guy who works there shows up and he starts dancing to the Gospel music playing. As long as he was not harassing me, I didn’t care.
25 minutes later I get my food. Egusi soup and fufu = $ 18.76. Aye… why so expensive?! I didn’t care; I was hungry. And let em tell you that it was AMAZING!!! I wanted to go back and get more.
Another con for me was that the place was recently cleaned and it smelled like pine-​sol cleaner. I seriously felt like I was inside a bathroom.
And I so wish the employees looked a tad bit happy. My God, they looked so down in the dumps.
Overall, I totally enjoyed the food. I just recommended that you order your food ahead of time. But if you drop by, order your food and go shopping.

As an ex-​peace corps volunteer in West Africa, I do miss the food. I wanted to share the food and cultural experience to my friends who have not had exposure to African foods.
This is a great place because of its variety!

Like most people reviewing here, I must preface by saying that I’m no expert on any kind of African food, so I can only base my four star rating on the tastiness of the food I had and the very nice service.
Eating here (dinner) was like going over to a friend’s place and their mom just asked what you want to eat for dinner. Part of the charm, it seems, is that some of their food (or parts of the entrees) is not on hand that specific night, so you have to order around these minor issues.
I had the Poulet Yassa (chicken marinated in lemon sauce and sauteed with vegetables) — basically it was sauteed in a TON of onions, and it was extremely tasty. Wish there were more «vegetables,» but again I guess they didn’t have much in the back. Still, it was very delicious (note: if you dislike onions, don’t eat this, haha).
Friend #1 had Nyama Choma (beef with spinach, which ended up being collard greens because … you guessed it, they ran out). Friend #2 and I really liked this one, so we were happy to steal the meat of her plate.
Friend #2 had the Thiebou Diem (fish). The whole fish came out, head and all, and reminded me of eating many a Filipino dinner at someone’s house. I cannot eat seafood, but my two friends seemed to enjoy the fish.
We split as an appetizer the Chicken Sambusa (basically their version of an empanada or samosa, etc etc) — very tasty. Came with a ranch dressing that accentuated it.
I should note here that Friend #1 also had the ginger juice, which she thought was a ginger ale type drink, but in reality was this juice that was LOADED with ginger. If you’re sick or have a sore throat, great idea! She had a bit of a sore throat but really didn’t like the excessive (and I do mean excessive) ginger.
We really liked the charm of the woman who waited on us (I assume she is the owner, or one of them), and although it was disappointing that so many things were not in their kitchen that were listed on the menu, it was still a very good night of dinner.
Definitely a place to try. We’ll be back.

My husband and I recently went to Ngoma restaurant. I feel bad writing a negative review, but the experience was such a waste money, that I feel obligated.
We were greeted warmly by the owner (it seemed), we sat down to look at the menu. However, when we were ready to order, most of the things we asked for we not available. That would have been sort of ok, if the owner did yell to the back of the restaurant everytimeto ask the cook if they had what we asked for.
I used a certificate from
, which i saw a lady on here mention, which influenced my decision to go. So, we had to order at least $ 50 of food, not including beverages. We tried the Sambusa (only had chicken, veg and beef not available) which were pretty good. I ordered a West African dish of Chicken with onions and Jaluf rice. The chicken and onion sauce was very tasty. The Jaluf rice was dry. My husband ordered a west african fish stew. He didnt like it. I tasted the fish and spit it out, because I can't eat fish that has a strong, fishy smell to it.
We also ordered a side of fried plantains to help get to $ 50, but they are horribly dry and bland, as if they were sitting in the refrigerator all day and they just warmed them up in the microwave.
We still weren't at $ 50, so we ordered a a dish to go. I cant remember the name, but it was long and started with an «E». It was called a soup, but it can in a regular to go container. It included greens, goat, and fish. I thought it was extremely overpriced for the small amount of meat ($ 22). It had a little piece of goat meat and some kind of fish. I thought it was not that good. The greens were ok and the goat tasted like lamb, which was good. But, it smelled weird to me and was overpriced.
Lastly, I’m not trying to discriminate, but the cook was not African. She looked like she was from like South America or somewhere. My husband is African and one could probably trick me into thinking something is authentic, but its harder to convince him.
I honestly, was extremely disappointed by my experience at Ngoma. My husband and I really wanted a treat and went there, but will definately not go back. I am almost about to give up on African food, if it weren’t for Meals by Genet in Little Ethiopia. Talkin about good African Cuisine!

For the love of all that’s good & useful, Please update your restaurant hours. You are NOT open 11 – 9 on Wednesday. Unilocalers call ahead.

Really don’t know what to say about this place. Pan-​African is what this place is all about, and not being an expert in this matter, I’ll defer the level of authenticity to someone else.
Came here with friends to learn a little bit about africa, and for that it is a good intro to the cuisine. They have an East African and a West Africa menu, though the differences I could not say. We had an assortment, and all the foods were very tasty. I really cannot rename the dishes to recommend, though, I remember a grilled lamb being very good and a almost braised and tangy chicken also being good. The plates range about 13 – 15 each, which are perhaps a couple bucks more expensive than ethiopean I am familiar with like Awash.
Overall, it is an experience and place to try, though I am not sure if I will come back any soon. I had my tour of africa. Maybe I’ll return after going to the real place.

I came here looking to experience «non-​Ethiopian» African cuisine and Ngoma did not disappoint. Service was great. The waitress and the manager were both friendly and informative. They even brought out soap and water for us to wash our hands before we started grubbin!
We started out with a plate of sambusas. They were lightly fried with with different fillings (we asked for 1 of each: chicken, beef, vegetable). All 3 were delicious but weren’t very different from other sambusas/​samosas that I’ve had before. For the main dish, I had the Egusi Stew with goat and fufu. The egusi stew was rich and flavorful, paired perfectly with the fufu that’s dense but bland. Together, it was mindblowing! My friend had the irio stew with chicken and collard greens. From the look of the empty plate, I’m guessing to enjoyed it too!
This is a great place to go to try pan African cuisine. It’s definitely one of those hidden gems in LA. I’ll be back for more! =D

I went with two children and another adult. We ordered a side of casava chips (yucca fries) for starters. The chips were really, really crispy — unlike yucca fries I’ve had at hispanic establishments. Perhaps the crispy thing was an African twist on the preparation, or perhaps they were just left in the fryer too long. Either way, I didn’t enjoy them so much. Thankfully, that little bump in the road did not set the stage for the rest of the meal.
Between the four of us we ordered Mafe, Chipati, Nyama Choma (goat), and Irio and Stew as our entrees. Everyone sampled everyone’s plate — we all loved everything on the table. The price was right, and we had an added $ 25.00 off discount from purchasing a coupon on
.
I think I know the waitress some reviewers have mentioned. If it’s the same one, she is quite shy and withdrawn. The person I was with really engaged her and broke through her shell. In her defense, I suppose, once you break through her quite shell, she seemed to be very sweet and gave us great service. Shouldn’t have to do that much work as a patron, I know.
So, in summary, really yummy fresh food, great price, bonus discount on
, casual establishment, no kids menu, but the our kids loved the food — — –will definitely go back.

The first time I went here, they brought out a gourd with water and washed our hands. Every other time thereafter, it didn’t really happen.
Sure, the service can be slow sometimes, but the food is just too damn good to care about stuff like that. This is my favorite place to eat, and if I didn’t live in the Valley, I’d probably eat here at least twice a week.

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. having tried southern, eastern and western african cuisine before in other US cities, I was excited to try this place that has gotten so many good reviews. sadly, the place did not meet my expectations.
though the menu seemed unique and inviting, something was lost in the translation from the menu to the plate. the dishes we tried more or less looked better on the page then it tasted on the palate.
we ordered the following:
DODO: (FRIED PLANTAIN): brilliant. very yummy. we inhaled this stuff like we were crackheads. the best thing we had here, though sadly just an appetizer.
NYAMA CHOMA: Charcoal roasted beef or goat served with collard greens, african salsa, and ugali (a doughy bun made from pounded corn meal): the goat had a good gamey flavor, but it was so grossly over-​seasoned and salty that it was near-​inedible. though I have to give a big thumbs down on this preparation, something wants to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was just a bad batch, and I can’t help feeling that if I were to try this again I’d be much happier with the results.
MAFE: Chicken in peanut sauce served with white rice: just okay. not bad, but not great. chicken overcooked.
POULET YASSA: Chicken marinated in lemon sauce and sauteed with onions and green olives. Served with FUFU (another doughy bun made from pounded yam meal): this was pretty good, but perhaps a bit too spicy and the chicken was slightly overcooked. again, this was one of these dishes that seemed like the execution was to blame, not the basic recipe. that said, I think this was my favorite main dish.
Conclusion: I’m not sure why but something in me wants to give this place another try, but purely on this first visit… a bit disappointing. 2 stars.

I discovered this place from a co-​worker. She’s from Kenya and says this place is the most authentic cuz they import their spices from there. I was very eager to try it despite awful awful traffic on Wilshire around noon! Sheesh, LA people need to stop driving at some point! Ahem, rant over.
I ordered the vegetarian Sambusa, which is similar to Samosa (Indian version). Sambusa consists of thinly wrapped crispy pastry stuffed with yummy veggies and spices. So good! You must try them!
For the main course, I had the chicken Irio and Stew dish. It’s a native dish of Eastern Africa specifically Kenya. I loved the tomato sauce. I ate it with everything on my plate. The chicken was cooked just right. The spinach side was yummy! The potato, corn and peas mashed ball was good too! Very colorful and tasty dish!
FYI, service is slow but friendly. If you want to try something different, go here!

Wow, great food, horrible service.
I’ve never tried African food before so I was pretty psyched to go and try it out. Everything we got was fresh, hot, delicious and unforgettable. I’d recommend the dodo for an appetizer, though it was burning hot when it first tried it, I couldn’t stop eating it.
All was good except for the waitress. Can’t she crack a smile or at least pretend she wants our business? We were the only ones in the restaurant and yet it took her about 20 minutes to get the check to us. She wasn’t even around for most of the meal. Maybe she was preparing food in the back, but it would be nice to get a refill when you want it. I can go on and on, but forget it.
Overall, as much as I’d like to go back, if we’re going to be treated the same way, I pass. Though… I will be dreaming about the dodo…

African food can be so different depending on the region.
This restaurant is very good. The seasoning is like a mix of East Indian, Caribbean and Brazilian cuisine. I guess that’s why this is considered Pan African fare.
The staff was friendly and service was good. I particularly liked the rice and collard greens. They offer fish, beef and chicken dishes. Finally the décor is simple and the location is central.
It’s very nice!

When I was a pup, just out of college, I went to West Africa to help extremely bright African college students set up church ministries and show the Jesus film. They probably didn’t need my help, but I did it, and I liked it. I lived with a group of other American college students and spiders as big as your hand at the YMCA.
Though it was way too spicy for my taste, I fell in love with the food I was served at the Y. One of my favorite dishes was ground nut stew with chicken. I could eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner, even though it burned my tongue clear off. I still talk with a lisp.
Another favorite was jollof rice. There was some kind of diced meat on top of unknown origins. One day I looked outside my window to see the cook rinsing some pinkish, oddly shaped cutlets in a big trash can. He saw me, and startled. I said, «Hey, dude. What kind of meat is that?» He said, «Uhh…cow?» C’mon. I had yet to see a cow in Freetown. But I just didn’t care. It was tasty.
And how could I really, really complain, when children with stomachs distended from food deprivation and malnutrition lived a short distance away?
One day recently I was kicking it with my well-​nourished kid on the patio in front of Robek’s Juice on Wilshire, when I spied Ngoma. We crossed the street and checked out the menu. No ground nut stew but there it was… jollof rice! I almost did a little happy dance in front of the distinguished gentleman who’d handed me the menu, but then thought better of it. My daughter said, «Mommy, it smells good in here.» Well then by all means: she was just about to be introduced to African food.
(OK. I should admit that I did try to make ground nut stew for her once. I’m hoping she forgot all about that.)
Anyways, I ordered the jollof rice as a side to their half chicken dish. The chicken was seasoned well with unique flavors. Yes, like most everyone else whose Unilocaled Ngoma, we had to wait for-​ev-​er. Which means maybe I was just very hungry by the time I bit into that chicken, but I was impressed, especially with how juicy and tender it was.
And now, for the jollof rice. I scooped it up with great anticipation. Well. Hm. it was good, but not like what I had in West Africa. It was more tomato-​based, more about vegetables than meat. Maybe it was that questionable meat after all that gave it a special zing back in the day.
Well, since Ngoma is two blocks away from my house, I’ll be walking back over to try other items on the menu — dishes on one side are from East Africa and on the other side from West Africa. Maybe by the time I’m done, I’ll be inspired to take my child to the place where she can sample these delicacies for real.

I went here for my 22^nd birthday and I was quite pleased with the experience. The food is obviously freshly prepared and the meat is very savory. I recommend the Cassava Chips if you like French Fries. They look like fries, but are a lot less oily. The plantains are also excellent.
I ended up ordering the goat version of the Nyama Choma and was highly satisfied. It was meat at its most meaty!
If you go, check out the two women and the shadows that they cast in the large painting on the wall. I guarantee that you’ll be amused!

What does «authentic» mean? This was the question I asked myself after leaving Ngoma Restaurant.
All week I prepped for the journey: When I dine out, I have to have the full fantasy experience. I polished-​up my knowledge of Nigeria’s Lagos, Kenya’s Nairobi, Capetown, collecting photos from the web and researching African cuisine on Wikipedia.
So I was excited to try Ngoma.
Walking in, I was disappointed at first: I was expecting Christmas lights, candle-​lit tables: something more like Que Rico Cha Cha Cha in Silverlake.
Instead, the bare, overly-​bright track-​lighting threw me.
But the décor was fairly charming, even so. Nice African touches throughout, including a big mural of the Serengeti and zebra napkin holders. Just a bit Third World, that’s all. (The kind of décor you see in Ecuadorian places: chi chi by South American standards, unpolished by U.S. standards.)
Our waitress was extremely informative and attentive, going out of her way to explain exactly what each dish was like, whether it was popular, or an acquired taste, etc.
I had the charbroiled goat; my date had the beef stew.
The food was great. The crowd was sparse and mostly foreign looking.
(Best overheard line at the next table: «Nairobi is boring.»)
None of the rocker-​hipsters you see inundating (previously unknown) establishments in K-​Town, Silverlake, etc.
Little by little, my disappointment at the décor slowly turned to a kind of happiness.
The genuine, un-​hip foreign-​ness (including a TV inexplicably turned to a station showing only a foreign TV emblem), the too-​bright light, began to grow on me.
Looking back, the memory has continued to acquire sweetness.
This was fun. This was real.
Could it be I’ve been forgetting what «real» is?