A friend of mine recently asked if I had tried the African restaurant in Alexander-- Kontiki-- as it is the closest town to where my family resides. Of course, my white self thought he meant "African-American" or Soul food, so when I began to investigate the eatery, I was shocked. The first African restaurant in Arkansas, or moreover the region, had opened just a couple miles down the road from us. I was terribly excited to try their food. Rockcityeats recently did a wonderful story about the restaurant and owner, and this only added to my expectation.
The location and building for Kontiki are what you would expect for a restaurant in Alexander. The parking is limited, gravel, and right next to the old, dated house in which the establishment resides. Once inside, the decor is cultural, creative, and inviting. Aromas of food and spice drift lazily through the space, and the old worn booths and slightly off-kilter tables give the place an ambiance of diner.
The menu is short and full of words you've never seen before, but the service is friendly and helpful. They sent us a free appetizer as a first time patron. The best way to describe the food, overall, is to relate it to something more familiar. African cuisine is heavy in spices, much the same way many types of Indian cuisine are. They have a deft hand with spices most westerners would identify as "sweet" spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, grains of paradise. However, there are many spices you've likely never had before too: harissa, ras el hanout, berbere, and tabil. Overall, the heat isn't too high, the aromas can be slightly off-putting initially to a western nose but become more and more pleasant, and the colors are brilliant. As to flavor: WOW! There were many new flavors to me: the bitterness of the spinach-like cassava leaves, the lusciousness of peanut-butter beef skewers, the texture of the Fufu and the wonderful doughiness of the rice akara.
Food: ★★★★★
This is the kind of food I love-- it is unlike most other things you will eat in your life. The Rice Akara are like soft, semi-sweet hush-puppies to be dipped in a spicy, mildly salty relish. The Cassava leaves eat like chopped spinach, with a mild bitterness and mild citrus flavor. The Egusi reminds me of a slightly sweeter tika masala and has a bright yellow color. The texture of the Fufu is weird and fun, and reminds me of a soft dough melded with a mushy polenta-- and it's really just a vehicle for the sauce anyway. I can't wait to try everything.
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
These folks have obviously worked very hard to make the interior of the restaurant warm and inviting and celebratory of their heritage. Unfortunately, the location will likely make their through traffic limited. Easy to find, easy to get to, but unless you know it's there you'd never see it. Parking lot is small.
Service: ★★★★☆
Warm and inviting. Helpful with unfamiliar foods and menu. The free appetizer was a nice touch. Hard to say what it's like when the place is busy, but I was overall very pleased.
The location and building for Kontiki are what you would expect for a restaurant in Alexander. The parking is limited, gravel, and right next to the old, dated house in which the establishment resides. Once inside, the decor is cultural, creative, and inviting. Aromas of food and spice drift lazily through the space, and the old worn booths and slightly off-kilter tables give the place an ambiance of diner.
The menu is short and full of words you've never seen before, but the service is friendly and helpful. They sent us a free appetizer as a first time patron. The best way to describe the food, overall, is to relate it to something more familiar. African cuisine is heavy in spices, much the same way many types of Indian cuisine are. They have a deft hand with spices most westerners would identify as "sweet" spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, grains of paradise. However, there are many spices you've likely never had before too: harissa, ras el hanout, berbere, and tabil. Overall, the heat isn't too high, the aromas can be slightly off-putting initially to a western nose but become more and more pleasant, and the colors are brilliant. As to flavor: WOW! There were many new flavors to me: the bitterness of the spinach-like cassava leaves, the lusciousness of peanut-butter beef skewers, the texture of the Fufu and the wonderful doughiness of the rice akara.
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| Fufu and Egusi |
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| Beans and Plantains |
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| Cassava Leaves and Rice |
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| Roast Meat Skewers |
Menu: ★★★★☆
I feel that the menu is pared down enough for the inexperienced palate. We tried several things and everything I had was a delight. Food: ★★★★★
This is the kind of food I love-- it is unlike most other things you will eat in your life. The Rice Akara are like soft, semi-sweet hush-puppies to be dipped in a spicy, mildly salty relish. The Cassava leaves eat like chopped spinach, with a mild bitterness and mild citrus flavor. The Egusi reminds me of a slightly sweeter tika masala and has a bright yellow color. The texture of the Fufu is weird and fun, and reminds me of a soft dough melded with a mushy polenta-- and it's really just a vehicle for the sauce anyway. I can't wait to try everything.
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
These folks have obviously worked very hard to make the interior of the restaurant warm and inviting and celebratory of their heritage. Unfortunately, the location will likely make their through traffic limited. Easy to find, easy to get to, but unless you know it's there you'd never see it. Parking lot is small.
Service: ★★★★☆