Vola Foods — Restaurant in Melbourne

Not too far from Brunswick Station along the backstreets from Sydney Road lies @VolaFoods, a cosy food truck with undercover seating to feast on West African cuisine from Cameroon. There's plenty to choose from with vegetarian options available too. I chose the Jollof Rice & Tomato Stew, Fried Plantains, Cassava, Suyu Beef

Meat on the barbecue is called 'suyu' so suyu beef has been prepared on the charcoal BBQ, the flavour is evident in the tender beef. The mild spiced rice is tasty but particularly enhanced with the refreshing tomato stew. I like the cassava chips, like potato but more chewy and firmer and a mellow flavour. The fried plantain is like the cassava but less chewy, a little sweet, but nowhere like that of a banana. Along with the salad this was quite a hearty meal and interesting to eat something from a completely different culture. I'm keen to try some other items on the menu.

I visited again: Beans with Puff Puff Sounds boring, unimaginative, think again. The simple menu description belies the dish and the flavoursome beans and spice mix which make this such a hearty meal. Throw in these deep fried dough balls with a hint of coconut oil (puff puff) to sop up any of the dried mix and this becomes the ultimate meal. Totally satisfied.

#blackbeans #spice #puffpuff #deepfried #dough #Africanfood #Cameroon #jolloprice #tomatostew #friedplantain #cassavachips #bbqmeat #suyubeef #foodie #melbournefood...

Really flavourful and decadent food!!

We got the Jollof with the lot - the tangy tomato stew complemented the jollof rice perfectly!! The cassava chips (made me cry) and plantains added a beautiful textural bite to the dish. Would go back just for them. The BBQ suya was perfectly smoked - but was a bit on the chewier/tougher side. The chicken was delicious but could’ve done with a bit more marination so the flavour could’ve been steeped in the meaty part instead of just the skin/surface. Overall though, still a solid meal (8/10) that I would go back for - even at a fairly hefty $31.

We also got the fufu with Lamb stew. This was hands down some of the best fufu I’ve have in Melbourne. The Lamb Stew was a bit oily, but damn it packed a punch and was suuuuper delicious. (7.5/10).

The venue is also such a vibe - music blasting, outdoor seating - ideal summer sitch. Ashley was super lovely (and so was the new employee she was training!). Absolutely recommend if you’re up north and in the mood for a...

Have been there a couple of times and we had issues with them every single time, bad customer service and miscommunication. We liked their food, however their service was incredibly poor and ridiculous. We will not go back there.

The first time we had to wait for over 45 min for two standard meals. The menu they had on the wall was not correct and misleading. Besides, communicating with their staff was not easy. We ended up with over a dozen plentine which we didn't ask for in the first place.

Another time we went there about 1.5 hour prior their closing time. We ordered meals with meat and waited for over 20 min, no one came to us to tell us that they ran out of meat. They just let us sit there like idiots and waited for nothing. We left with empty stomach and frustration.

This was the worst dining experience we have had in Melbourne. We will not go back and will not recommend...