west african in Paris?

[dumbobruni]

Hello everyone. I'm moving to the area in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if there were any good West African restaurants, or stores where I could purchase ingredients so I can make some dishes myself.

Thanks!

[Ptipois]

Le Bamboutos on rue Sauffroy (17e), Cameroonian. All good. Try poulet DG (Poulet Directeur-Général, a combination of chilli-roasted chicken and fried plantains).
Fifa, rue Joseph-Dijon (18e), Beninese. All dishes are good.
La Tontine d'Or, rue Amelot (11th). Cameroonian (unless I'm misinformed).
Rio dos Camaroes, 55 rue Marceau, Montreuil-sous-Bois, métro Robespierre. Cameroonian, excellent reputation. Not been there yet but would gladly cross the périphérique to try.
Babylone Bis, rue Tiquetonne (2e). Afro-Caribbean. Doubles as a night bar.
La Jungle, 56 rue d'Argout (2e). The usual Western/Sahelian fare (Senegalese-Malian) - yassa, gombo, maffé - but the highlight is the secret-recipe "lait de panthère" cocktail.

Poulet braisé recommended everywhere.
Many more that I haven't tried, especially in the 10th, 18th and 17th on the Clichy-Batignolles side.

For shopping and groceries, just like vielleanglaise said. The shop at Jules Joffrin (not so new, or there is a second one) is really good. A few more shops in the middle section of rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis (between rue du Château-d'Eau and boulevard de Magenta), upper part of Sébastopol, and of course in the burbs (93, Saint-Denis, Aubervilliers...).

[Parigi]

Many Chinese restaurateurs go to Babylone Bis after midnight, when their own resto is closed. They can't even pronounce the resto name and just refer to it as African chicken on rue Tiquetonne.

[Ptipois]

The poulet braisé at Babylone Bis is indeed wonderful. And cheap. But the recipe sums up West African gourmandise so well that most restaurants do it well. Then have a lait de panthère at La Jungle (not cheap).

[John Talbott]

"The shop at Jules Joffrin (not so new, or there is a second one) is really good."
The old one (10 years old maybe) is on the south side of the Rue Ordener next to a bar/brasserie/cafe and the new (several months old) one is just feet away from the corner of Barbes-Ordener at Portes Blanches-Boinard. As Pti says, the Rue Ordener one is quite good and I can find all sorts of stuff (plaintains, all sorts of hot peppers, okra, etc) there.

[Ptipois]

"The old one (10 years old maybe) is on the south side of the Rue Ordener next to a bar/brasserie/cafe"
Yup, that's the one I know. I haven't seen the new one yet.
African shops in the Château-Rouge market district and on rue Ordener (I think there are a few more along boulevard d'Ornano) have very fresh stuff, especially in Château-Rouge. If you want to shop for crispy fresh okra, by all means go there. Also yummy manioc greens and habanero chillies. Fresh fish such as grouper (thiof) and barracuda can be found at the fish markets on rue Dejean (near the Château-Rouge métro exit). Go on Fridays and Saturdays, when the imported fresh foods arrive.

[John Talbott]

"the new (several months old) one is just feet away from the corner of Barbes-Ordener at Portes Blanches-Boinard."
I have a pix of it if anyone wants to really know: it's called Doban(EiffelTower)i.

[John Talbott]

dumbo: There are a large number of restos on the West and North of Chateau Rouge (not as many as to the East and North - the Goute D'Or) but I only pass them on my limpies and have tried only a few which seem like other restos in Paris, vulnerable to changes in ownership. There's a guide you may want to get if you haven't already called something like the Guide Routard to Exotic Restaurants" here we go, it's Le guide du routard : Paris exotique, Hachette, ISBN 2012437931, Prix : 8 € environ.

[Ptipois]

Careful with Le Routard which is not always updated properly. Information may be a few years old with only the phone numbers changed. I think the Parigramme city guides (incuding "L'Afrique à Paris") are more up-to-date.

[lagatta]

Yes, La Goutte d'Or is more Maghrebi (North African) but these areas blend into each other.

[croissantaimecafe]

I second Rio dos Camaroes. Best bet is to go for lunch.

Also, this restaurant is located 2 min away from a "foyer africain" so if you want authentic, your best bet is to go there and get a 5 euro plate.

[Ptipois]

Great tip, thanks
There is also "Taf et Maffé" in Aubervilliers, which is an African food coop.

[vielleanglaise]

Right Bank, go to the Chateau Rouge Metro station, where for groceries I think you'll find everything your looking for.

[John Talbott]

Right and a bit farther north at Barbes and the Rue Ordener is a very new place and another selling African and Troprical stuff opposite the Jules Joffrin Metro.

I rather liked my meal at a Cape Verde place Titalina in the 18th (I don't know W African food but this is a nice neighborhood place.) http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/...