This is a quick review for Open The Gate in Dalston, London, UK.
West Africa cooks will visit this cafe bar again and give a full account the next time having an African meal. This time we had a Saturday night's drink and vegetable patty with hot pepper sauce; wishing also to sample the atmosphere of the place.
Yes it is a great establishment. Had a mixture of customers a wide appeal is good for business.
DJ Music. African Fela Kuti, then it got European with a few stale, tacky tracks. Patty snack very tasty. Please play African music or music directly descend from. Top level has food. There was a Jamaican independence dance downstairs.
Shame we had to pass through Tottenham riots later on. The causes of the riots are many including racism, lack of education and despair, but I think the lack of opportunities in business for the community and further a field is one of the main ones.
If you have a restaurant or catering business that is your own why would you destroy it? I would love to see more African restaurants rather than chicken, burger and kebab shop where British African, Caribbean West Indian descends live. Businesses owned by African descendants are need in much greater numbers. Where is the African Brick Lane? Here there are Asian restaurants. Where is the African China Town feeding the world? See West African cooking courses where are they? If the second generation community knew the history of African food together with business and catering skill we would have our African China Town. The Tottenham riots and looting represented a rare opportunities to vent anger created by racism, lack of education and business opportunities and acquire goods which you could never buy.
More to come about the cafe bar come restaurant Open The Gate on a full visit...
West Africa Cooks
Editor