“African cuisine hasn’t had the same level of exposure as some other international cuisines like Italian, Chinese, or Japanese,” says the 29-year-old, citing a lack of marketing, promotion and media exposure of African cuisine. “This limited visibility can hinder us from scaling up. Stereotypes and misconceptions about African food, such as it being too spicy… make potential patrons reluctant to explore African flavours.”
On a mission to rectify the situation, Sogunro started a food stall nine years ago, playing around with fusion ideas such as jollof katsu curry. People took notice and soon brands such as Nike came calling with catering requests. He upgraded to a food van in Westfield Stratford, the first-ever African food outlet there. Inspired by Bao London and pan-African chef collective Future Plates (“I love what they’re doing… they are changing the face of fine dining”), Sogunro launched his Afro-Asian bao buns, including tempura prawn and efo (spinach stew) bao; moi moi bao and chicken bao.
It was these innovative twists that drew the attention of the Africa Centre which invited him to a six-month residency, starting this August. Customers now get to enjoy Sogunro’s specially formulated “Shi-tuan sauce”, a blend of Chinese Sichuan chilli oil and ‘shito’, the famed Ghanaian condiment comprising fish or vegetable oil with ginger, dried fish, prawns, tomatoes, garlic, peppers and spices.
The Africa CentreJonathan Banks
