Pizza and suya night - an update on Abuja restaurants and fastfood centres

Once in a while, after a hard and not so hard week at the office, I don't mind having a treat for myself. One of the places my colleagues and I go to is the clubhouse of Dantata and Saowe, which serves pizza and suya on Saturday nights. The pizzas are baked in a wood-burning brick oven, making them a bit of a rarity here in Abuja. Unfortunately I cannot recommend the place to everyone because I heard that the Dantata Clubhouse caters only to the staff of Dantata and their guests. Oh and JBN staff are allowed to enter also... 

Shoprite shopping mall opens in Abuja

Finally had the chance to visit the newly opened shopping mall, SHOPRITE, here in Abuja sometime last month and took the above pics. The supermarket / grocery store is well stocked, but many of the shops are still empty.  

The place officially opened to the public about a couple of months ago. That was when everyone in Abuja wanted to see the place that traffic movement became a huge problem! But I think now that the people's curiosity has been satisfied, there's no more congestion.

A few of my favourite things - a local fruit known as African pear or ube

It's called native pear, ube, African pear, and many others. It has a sourish taste  (and I guess that's when they are not yet fully ripened when plucked), but these are some of my favourite fruits in Nigeria. It's a fruit, but it is not eaten raw. First it has to be dipped in hot water for about 10 minutes before it can be eaten with a dash of salt. Hmm, yummy.

The Bukka - an update on Abuja restaurants and fast food centres

One of my favourite restaurants in Abuja is THE BUKKA at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The food is a combination of Nigerian and continental dishes. I think this is the place where you can have the best Nigerian buffet in town - with a wide variety of choices, including the meanest pepper soup in the whole of Abuja... and I mean it literally burns your mouth! 

Bukka is actually a local term which means 'roadside restaurant.' So anything you want to eat in a roadside restaurant, you can find it at THE BUKKA.  

The ambience is great and the waiters/waitresses are very courteous and friendly. It's expensive though, at 6,500 naira per person, excluding drinks. But it's worth it. 

Abuja Dining and Entertainment: Food Festival at Tandori Inn

TANDORI INN is organizing South Indian Food Festival on Wednesday, 5th September, 2012.

Menu includes the following:  idlee, dosa, sambhar, lemon rice,chutnies, Rasam, mixed veg cooked with coconut, chicken Madras, and hyderabadi Biryani.

PRICE: 3000 naira per person....

TIME : At 7pm onwards....

ADDRESS: 93, Aminu kano crescent, 805 restaurant,, wuse 2 Abuja or call 08050779933

Breakfast at the Protea Hotels Asokoro

INSIDE TRACK ABUJA won a free breakfast at the Protea Hotel in Asokoro during the Indonesian Kartini Day celebration on April 21, 2012. It was only on August 21 - last day of the Muslim holidays - that I was able to redeem the price.

I must say that the croissants were absolutely divine! So soft and tasty.

Normal buffet at the hotel, breakfast or lunch (I didn't ask about dinner), costs N4,500 per person, which is around $14.00. I think it's worth the price whenever you feel like pampering yourself. 

I took these photos before I ate the whole thing. L.O.L. (Except the napkins and the flower of course!)

Abuja International Women's Club: Cookie Exchange and Christmas Bazaar 2011

The Abuja International Women’s Club (AIWC) is organizing a COOKIE EXCHANGE AND CHRISTMAS BAZAAR on Thursday, 15th December 2011 at 10am, in Asokoro. For directions on the exact address and if you would like to sell something at the bazaar or know somebody who has nice thing to sell, please contact Petra at petra.leukert@yahoo.de or call 07064324048. 

Abuja International Women’s Club is a non-political, non-religious, non- profit making organisation established for women from the international and local community residing in and around Abuja. The main purpose of the club is to promote friendship and understanding amongst women of diverse nationalities by organising social, recreational and humanitarian activities. For further information email abujaiwc@yahoo.com. 

How to Become a Member 

Ladies from all nations, including Nigeria, who are living in Abuja can be a member of Abuja International Women’s Club. For information, send an e-mail to abujaiwc@yahoo.com. You can become a member by joining one of their social events where you put down your name, address, phone-number and e-mail-address and pay the membership fee which is Naira 5,000 for one year. (When you join from January 1 you pay Naira 3,000 for the rest of the year.)

Members of the Executive Committee, Abuja International Women's Club,
during their monthly lunch on September 27, 2011; at The Clubhouse, Tak Life Camp, Gwarimpa.
Photo by Araceli

Abuja International Women's Club at their monthly lunch, held on September 27, 2011
at The Clubhouse, Tak Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Photo by Araceli

Sweet tooth in Abuja

I'm not a great fan of cakes (not these days anyway), but I got tired of staying indoors during the last Muslim holidays, so I decided to venture out, towards Wuse, near the Sheraton Hotel, and ended up at the Cherry Plus Bakery, one of the more popular outfits that sell cakes and pastries here in Abuja.

I had a slice of their chocolate cakes, but what I really wanted to do was to take some photos, so I asked the manager if I could, and here are some of the photos I came up with....

Assorted cakes at the Cherry Plus Bakery,
Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja

Assorted cakes at the Cherry Plus Bakery,
Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja

Assorted cakes and pastries at the Cherry Plus Bakery,
Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja

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Posted by Araceli

Thai restaurant opens in Abuja

The Sawadee Oriental Cuisine which serves Thai foods and located at No 42/45 Kumasi Crescent in Wuse 2 has just opened for business here in Abuja.

I was invited to the Grand Opening on 13th October 2011 and had a chat with Dr. Ratanaporn Dhamakosol (co-owner) and Mrs. Supporn Jong (manager) who gave assurances that they are fully prepared to satisfy their customers with authentic Thai dishes prepared by cooks from Thailand, and using only the finest ingredients.

Sawade is owned by Dr. Dhamakosol from Thailand and her Nigerian partners, Mr. Feyi Agagu, and Mr. Oluwadare Bello, Chairman of Citec Group.

Sawadee Oriental Cuisine is definitely worth a try for those who are looking for something new to satisfy their palate as well as those who are familiar with Thai cooking.

I took these photos during the Grand Opening.

Posted by Araceli Aipoh

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