YENDIDI NORFOLK — Restaurant in Norfolk

Update 18NOV: On 08NOV, the restaurant owner called me to talk about the below review. She was very apologetic, sincere, and welcoming of the review (despite it being negative). The passion she has for her business is amazing and was palpable throughout the conversation. She insisted we give her restaurant another chance and offered us a reservation on the house and to bring anyone that we would like to join us for dinner. We decided on 14NOV. The night of the dinner, we walked in and were pleasantly greeted by the staff and felt very welcomed which was a relief because I was worried there might have been some uncomfortable awkward tension. We had the same server as last time, and he was fantastic (I forget his name). We began with some apps which were the bread rolls and the samosas. They were incredible! Exactly the same quality and deliciousness that we remembered from previous experiences. For the entrees, I ordered the cabbage stew with the white rice fufu, my wife ordered her usual - the spinach stew with the banku fufu, and lastly the fried chicken for my son with lemon cake. All of the food was delicious. A complete 180 from the last experience. I understand mistakes and things don't always perform at 100%. The actions the owner took to bring a customer back speaks volumes, and I look forward to our next meal there again.

Original review: It breaks my heart to have to write this, but I felt compelled to share with others. We have eaten at this restaurant maybe around 10 times in the last 1.5 year or so. Our first visit was absolutely incredible and so were the next 6. Sadly, the last 3 times were very subpar and couldn't help notice a considerable taste difference in the food. We were there last night 05Nov. The first things i noticed was the overwhelming smell of mothballs mixed with food. Not an inviting smell. We were seated quickly and then looked through the menu. We thoroughly enjoy the afro pies from there, but last night something was off. We ordered 2 beef pies. When we recieved them we noticed they looked different from the last time we had them. When bringing it to our mouth to take a bite, they had a really odd smell. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was extremely unpleasant. Almost like a cleaning solution smell or something. It was to the point where my wife couldn't eat them which sucks because they are pricey at $5/pie. The next plate of food to arrive was the kid's entree - yendidi wings. They were served with sweet plantains and rice. The wings were still fantastic as I remember and the rice good and plentiful. The plantains were oddly dry despite being fried. I also suspect they were fully ripe because they weren't very sweet. Next came my wife and I'm entrees. She ordered her "go-to" spinach stew with coco yam fufu which was recommended by our server. She took her first bite and I immediately noticed her facial expression. EXTREME distaste. It also tasted like chemicals. Not the same as the afro pies, but still very chemical like. The fufu was equally bad and ALSO had a weird smell/taste. It was to the point point where we had to send them back. The server was understanding and offered to replace it or take it off the bill. We opted for it to be taken off. He then went on to inform us that it was cooked at the VA beach location and they had a different recipe. It was then time to dig in to my meal which was the grilled mackerel. It was just okay. It had a very fishy taste and not much flavor in the way of spices. This experience was so far off from our previous experiences that I'm starting to wonder if the original owners sold it at some point because what was 10/10 food is now a 2/10. We have family coming in next week and we were all excited for them to try it, but sadly we will not be going here anymore. Lastly, in the men's bathroom, there are 2 soap dispensers. One old one and one newer functional one. The server was good though. Very...

I ordered online March 13, 2021. I received an email with my pick-up time. When my husband arrived at the restaurant there were other people waiting for their food. My husband told me that a lady told him that they ran out of some of the entrees that I ordered and replaced my dishes. They never called to inform me that they could not fulfill my order. My husband did not question, why I was not notified. That would have been a more professional approach. My husband told me that food was placed in my bag and there was no offer to refund me. When my husband returned home we took the lids off the dishes. The food was not hot at all; not even fresh. The grilled oxtail was tuff, cabbage oily, beef stew extremely spicy, fried chicken extremely spicy, fried plantains were not fresh and oily, and the jollof rice was not fresh at all. I decided to try this West African cuisine because of the reviews. I was sadly mistaken. This was not the experience I hoped for.

March 16, 2021, Experience update!!

YENDIDI GOT IT RIGHT!!!

First, I truly appreciate the owner for addressing my review. She called my husband and wanted to speak with me regarding my experience. She assured that my order would be the experience I hoped for. Second, Yendidi was very professional. The restaurant was clean and eclectic with Afrobeat vibes. The owner, dressed to slay cuisine, looked professional. She took the time to greet each customer waiting for their cuisine. That moment felt personal. Third, YENDID GOT IT RIGHT!!! The aroma of the food filled my car. Oh my stars! When I arrived home we took the lids off the food and determined which dishes were spicy. Everything was amazing. The Egusi Soup is my favorite! The Pineapple and Ginger drink is so refreshing. The Banku and Plantain Fufu was soft and dissolved as soon as it entered my mouth. The grilled goat, and beef stew was delicious. The beef was so tender. The flavors for each dish were distinct, some spicy but subtle, and held their own value.

Thank you Yendidi for this amazing...

Alright, so this place is interesting! I’ve really enjoyed other African cuisines (mostly East African - props to Mesob Cafe over in VB for opening those floodgates) and wanted to check out West African for once. This place did not disappoint! Totally new flavor and textural experiences. I got the Sobolo (a cold tea that’s kinda tangy, made with a flower from the hibiscus family - honestly wasn’t crazy about it), the Kelewele (sweet fried plantains - this is listed as an appetizer but it could totally qualify as a dessert, it was super good), and Waakye (rice and beans with veg and meat and a spicy sauce - Google said this was a Ghanaian staple so I had to try it!). Pricing is midrange but fair - me and my friend both took, like, half our food home, the portions were so large! Appetizers came out relatively quickly, but our entrees took around thirty minutes to hit the table. That’s been the case at literally every other African joint I’ve been to across the U.S., though, so I expected it/didn’t mind it. Beyond that, service was good - very friendly! Place has a good atmosphere - I loved the overall setup and decor, and it was tidy and clean.

That all said, I probably would only recommend this place to people who either already like West African food or are down to try it just cause they like doing that sort of thing anyways. For the rest - for the average American - I can see a lot of the food on offer here being out of your comfort zone and you being disappointed as a result, especially 'cause it ain't especially cheap. They do appear to have (popular) options more suited towards the average American palate, but hey, where’s the fun in that? 😉

Ultimately, I’m super grateful that Yendidi is out here offering people the opportunity to try out authentic West African food and I’m super sad that I’m moving and won’t be able to come back ): Someone try out the...