Amala Joint — Restaurant in Bağcılar

I truly respect what Amala Joint is doing by bringing Nigerian food to Istanbul, and I appreciate their kind customer service and effort to rush my order. As a fellow business owner, I know not every day goes perfectly.

That said, my experience fell short. I ended up waiting 4.5 hours for delivery after the first driver allegedly canceled and kept the food, even though the restaurant had already paid. When the replacement arrived, the nkwobi was so spicy I couldn’t eat it (perhaps authentic, but overwhelming for me), and a few pieces of the okra tasted burnt — likely from rushing to reheat a new order after the first never arrived. Considering I spent over $160 USD (6,700 TL) on the meal and delivery, I had hoped for a more consistent experience.

Before posting this review, I reached out privately via WhatsApp to share my concerns and asked if we could meet in the middle with a partial refund due to the mishaps. Unfortunately, I was only met with a “thank you” and no further response, which was disappointing on top of everything else.

As an American, I don’t mind splurging on a special meal, but this is one of the first times I’ve truly dwelled on the cost versus the satisfaction. I do hope future customers have a smoother experience, and I still wish this restaurant success as they continue building their presence here...

Ordering from Amala Joint in Istanbul was hands-down one of the best online food experiences we’ve had. From the smooth ordering process to the careful packaging and, most importantly, the mouthwatering taste of the food, everything was top-notch.

We had Egusi and poundo, goat pepper soup, nkowbi, fried rice and goat beat. The soups were richly flavored, seasoned just right, with that unmistakable taste of traditional African cooking. The Egusi was especially comforting, with tender meat and a thick, flavorful texture that clung beautifully to the pounded yam.

Despite being a delivery, the food arrived hot, fresh, and well-packaged, with no spills or sogginess. You could tell a lot of care was taken to preserve the quality and presentation, which made the meal feel even more special.

If you’re in Istanbul and craving authentic African cuisine from the comfort of your home, Amala Joint is the go-to. It’s not just a meal, it’s a delicious reminder of how good traditional food is....

My siblings and I found Amala joint on our last night in Istanbul. We were so excited. I placed a WhatsApp order for 2 amala with abula and assorted and one order of rice and one order of pounded yam with egusi soup.

When the food arrived, I got okra with both of my Amala orders, not the abula I specifically requested.

I messaged the WhatsApp number and I was told that the abula had finished earlier and the chef just replaced it with okra. I was offered a refund for both of the soups that were wrong

I won’t say don’t order from this place but my advice; do a cash order, upon delivery, confirm that you received the right items before you pay.

On the plus side, all the food was still very warm when they arrived and the okra did taste good, was just very disappointed I didn’t get my abula...