Monday May 2, 2022
Explore Pan-African cuisine at Morse Road's Afra Grill - All photos by Susan Post
In design, Afra integrates patriotic elements in an intriguing way, with decor that mixes celebrations of iconic American historical icons amidst its vibrant, golden yellow, bumblebee blocks of color.
The ordering process offers a high degree of creative control over combinations of starch and meat and toppings. The initial choices will feel a little familiar. While there is an option on the lines of a spring mix of greens upon which to build an entree, there will be more vegetable options later. Consider instead something on the lines of Jollof Rice, it’s a spicy, long-grain rice that’s traditionally cooked down with tomatoes and peppers. Or the house crepes make a fun choice too, they’re tender rolls with a hint of sweetness from sugar that also gives them a distinct scrawling network of caramelized griddle marks.
The choices grow more interesting in the meat department with a host of options: chicken, beef, lamb and goat ($11.99 -$16.99). There’s some goat advocacy in the house; diners can learn that goat is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than other meats, a claim that seems entirely plausible. Served on-the-bone, the goat is mild and worth a whirl. That said, something on the lines of the Chicken Suqaar is more crave-worthy. It’s an easy-eating boneless option, enhanced with turmeric and a spiked curry accent. The Habo Steak was also a good choice choice, with chunks of beef infused with aromatic earthy mix of spices.
Explore Pan-African cuisine at Morse Road's Afra Grill - All photos by Susan Post
The next layer is a brightener with the addition of cold toppings. There is a spirited chopped tomato-based kachumbari – not unlike a fresh salsa. It’s more interesting than the house corn option. The pickled red onion option is on point too – providing a zingy brightness and contrast to the other elements. Throw in som adriyad too, which is sautéed sweetened vermicelli.
Baris rice, babo steak, veggie mix, beans, corn, pickled red onion and adriyad
Then there’s sauce – which provides a final victory lap to hold things together. The Green Sauce is incredibly spicy, so start with it on the side. The house red sauce has less kick, but enough personality to bind things together. And there’s an Italian dressing option as well. At the end of the process, guests are practically guaranteed a bowl that boasts a host of different textures and flavors that range from tender to crunchy to sweet to spiked to tart.
Jollof rice with chicken suqaar, veggie mix, beans, plantains, kachumbari and Afra fantastic sauce
There are additional items to round out the menu. You can score Somali Cream Tea, Mango Lassi, or Sambusa ($1.99) – tidily packaged pastry triangles that hold a savory ground-beef-filling with onions and peppers. The Sambusa come in veggie versions too.
Beef Sambusas
For more information, visit afragrill.com.