Dijah's Kitchen - African Restaurant — Restaurant in Mill Creek

This place has great African (Senegalese) food! My personal favorite is the Red Jollof Rice with Fish which I think everyone should try especially since it is also the owner's favorite dish. My wife and I are both fans of the empanadas. We've tried all three of them. The first time we visited, we liked the shrimp empanada. This time we liked the meat empanada (though I personally like the fish empanada more). During our first visit, we ordered the Chicken Yasra with vermicelli and the Red Jollof Rice with fish. The rice was amazing, but the Chicken Yasra was overpowered by the amount of pickled onion so it was difficult assess the flavor of the chicken.

I would like to point out something regarding the portion sizes of the meals. When I ordered the Fish Jollof Rice the first time, I was give a whole fish with the rest of the entree. This time I was given a less than half of the fish (head side so there isn't as much meat there). My wife's meal, Lamb Jollof Rice, was delicious but she was only given three pieces of lamb. The Chicken Yasra only had a couple of pieces of chicken (that were not so big) as well.

During today's visit we tried the Chicken Afra which we thought was well balanced. We also ordered the Red Jollof Rice with fish (I really do like this) and the Red Jollof Rice with lamb. My wife enjoyed the lamb, but we both agreed the rice felt more on the burnt side today. There is also a White Jollof Rice which is just the absence of tomato paste, but we haven't tried it yet.

Our biggest concern is the amount of time it takes to make each order. While most restaurants typically take about 10-15 mins per order, we expected our orders to take up to 30 mins or so. However, it took over an hour for each of us to receive our meals. We received the empanadas first, then my mother received her meal (which was incorrect, so they had to fix it), then my father, then my wife, and finally me. By the time my parents finished their meals, my wife was just starting hers. By the time, my wife was half way through her meal, I was just starting mine.

The staff does not write down the orders when taking them. In both of our visits, we've had the incorrect item given to us. So I would recommend double checking your order with the staff or HIGHLY recommend writing down the order. This time, they forgot to give us our rice pudding and fries, so we just decided not to mention it since we didn't want to wait any longer for the food.

I strongly recommend ordering in advance and ordering the food for take out unless you are okay with the long waits. The food, however, is quite delicious. Whether we will come here again only...

The young man running the front end this evening is one of those kind, inviting personalities who makes you glad you chose to stop.

We shared a shrimp pie which was surprisingly delicious. The crust of the pie was nice and crisp. It was baked well and was a golden brown. The pie was particularly nice because the pieces of shrimp were not chopped into tiny bits but were a nice bite size. The seasonings and remaining ingredients were what made this stand out. I will definitely be trying more of the pies next time I'm here.

For an entree I had the benachin with fish. The peppery seasoning on the fish was fantastic. It had me picking that fish apart to make sure I got every last edible bit. The fish (tilapia) was cooked properly, was not dry and had a nice moist texture. The rice was very good as well and I was happy to see the seasoning was not as heavy as I thought it may be. This let it pair nicely with the rice. To round out the plate there was a small little bit of greens and a serving of cabbage and carrots. It was outstanding.

My friend had the lamb dibi. She raved about the onions. I have to agree they were delicious. The yellow ones with the mustard sauce were so good we imagined all the other foods we would enjoy putting them on. The other warm onions were equally delicious but played second fiddle to the mustard ones. While I didn't try the noodles she was very pleased with him with the sauce and onions. She also enjoyed the lamb and I tasted it too. Again with the mustard sauce that was on it from the onions it was absolutely delicious.

We also enjoyed the ginger and hibiscus beverages. Much like the food these drinks pleasantly surprised us.

For a small place on a busy street next to a bus station it was remarkably clean and felt like a nice respite from the busyness outside.

Again the young man who was the host tonight was a delightful fellow and very friendly and welcoming.

We both agree that we want to come back. She's going to bring her parents next time they visit her. And I will definitely be trying to convince others to join me on my next trip to...

I will definitely return. I ordered the chicken and rice in peanut sauce and it was Amazing - a half a game hen smothered in a bowl of medium spicy goodness - yum, yum, yum - served with a large helping of rice on the side that was filling and helped balance the heat. My friend had the Empanadas. She loves African food - seeks it out, actually - and she said it was exceptional.

Because the food is fresh, it takes a while to appear, so bring a friend for good conversation or a good book to read. It's what you make of it 😉: most other restaurants push you out the door as soon as possible. This place is meant to be low- pressure, and it is! If you want to hang out for a bit, it's a good option.

Friendly staff...be sure to start a conversation with them...they respect your privacy, so at first they might seem stand-offish, but it's actually respectfulness.

Dijah IS the chef. I spoke with her on the way out at the entry to her kitchen. She's a lovely restauranteur... it's apparent she loves her small restaurant and wants to serve the best food she can, so give her positive feedback and gentle constructive criticism if necessary...thank her, too, if you're inclined... it's apparent a small business has a lot of responsibilities, and it seemed to mean a lot to her that I sought her out to thank her personally.

PS: The coffee served "is authentic Gambian culture," which is a large decanter of hot water served along a container of Folgers Instant," so my table enjoyed numerous self-served refills...it was a refreshing alternative. Please do not be put-off (to be honest, it wasn't bad at all and reminded me of breakfasts with my grandparents 😊)! *Should you want or crave fresh brewed or something fancier, grab one first to-go from the Kaffeehaus located south along Dijah's sidewalk (...another great find BTW...check it...