Service was great and the food was delicious. I can't wait to visit again when I come back to…read moreLansing. The atmosphere was very chilled and laid back.

I was getting my hair cut at the salon a few doors down in this strip mall and when I finished I…read moredecided to pop into Kasoa to check it out since they're a relatively recent opening. As I perused the small but mighty aisles of the shop it became very clear to me that I know very little about African cuisine. And I'm so glad they've opened so close to me so I can visit and learn along the way. When I stepped inside I first noticed the freezer coolers to my right. They carried a variety of meats and seafood--whole fish, cut pieces, filets and more of grouper, goat, lamb, beef, poultry, snapper, crab and more. as well as frozen veggies like okra and . Not a ton of prepared foods but loads to help you make fresh meals at home. They also have a butcher counter in the back. I didn't interact with that a lot but while I was there I did see a customer get a large piece of some sort of beef cut sectioned off into smaller pieces. They also have a small selection of produce and a cooler of beverages in flavors like banana, tamarind, etc. The majority of their imported selection comes in the form of their shelves of dry goods which include a variety of grains, both in smaller portions and bulk. Rice, beans, corn flour, cassava flour, yam flour, Gari, and more fill one entire shelf. I made note of all of them and immediately looked them up when I got home to learn more. They also have pantry staples like peanut butter, spices like pepper, whole nutmeg, suya seasoning, bay leaves, mango seeds, kuka (baobab tree leaves), plus snacks like plantain chips, kola nuts, kuli kuli, etc. Big jugs of cooking oils and a fairly large selection of powdered milks, ovaltine, cream of wheat, and ground corn mixes. They also had several varieties of chalk, clay, and limestone which I was also not familiar with in an edible context but it's apparently popular amongst pregnant women for managing nausea and digestive issues. I learned so much just checking out their shelves! Of course, Africa is a huge continent with differences between the cuisines found in different countries and regions so I can't speak to if they specialize in one region more than another but it seems like they have, at the very least, many staples that can be found in homes from North to South, East to West. And if you're just learning about it all this is a great starting point.

This is a Takeout Place only. The atmosphere was very depressing. You walk in and it looks like a…read moremarket, but with the shelves only a third full. The order counter is across the room, with no signage or menu. They have a QR for menu access on their counter. The photos I saw on Google do not match the reality and food options are different from the pictures shown. Once clicking on the QR menu, they don't serve all the options on that menu either. I ended up ordering the Palm Butter with Chicken ($20) with fufu. Plus a side of Jollof rice ($6). The Palm Butter was like a curry with 2 giant Chicken Kegs in it. The sauce was good, but not great. The Chicken was tender and tasted fine, but the skin has a negative slimy texture. The fufu was like a mux between bread and mashed potatoes, odd sounding, but pretty good. I did not like the Jollof rice at all and ended up not eating it. The service was very friendly and they certainly tried. Overall a 2 star review. Maybe this type of food just isn't for me, but I was trying something new. Would I return? No, however if you enjoy West African food I suggest giving it a try yourself and maybe it will be more to your liking.

First place in GR that I found to offer fufu, had to try it…read more Walk up counter for ordering food. No dining inside. Limited menu posted on the wall (~8 items). Fufu is a plain tasting dough with mashed potato/mochi like texture. I tried it with egusi (melon seed) soup. The soup was more like a sauce and it was on the bitter side with a strong earthy seedy taste and loads of texture from finely minced veggies. If you don't like bitter foods, I'd avoid egusi. What you have to try is the chicken quarter and plantains with chili oil (not pictured). That was heavenly. Phenomenal flavor with a delicious spicy oil to go with. The fried plantains were soft, mushy and ultra sweet. I loved it, though it could be firmer. Excited to come back for other dishes.

Shoutout to my friend and fellow foodie Tiffany for always being down to try a new spot together!…read moreWe did a double date at El Harissa recently and it's my favorite kind of spot - welcoming and warm, with delicious food, and kind, patient employees. The cafe is a few tables inside of the market/deli, with a lot of takeout happening but I love that they offer dining in as they heat everything up for you and it's all presented very nicely. We ordered a ton of things: harissa dip, hummus, pita, spice roasted cauliflower, tabbouleh, lasagne verde, chicken tagine, and gelato. I loved that the menu indicates which menu items have a smaller carbon footprint - and we happened to be dining there on Earth Day! The food was all flavorful and the perfect temperature, which I appreciated. My favorites were the harissa dip, tabbouleh, and the lasagne verde. The chicken tagine was very good, and we enjoyed the leftovers the next day. The spice roasted cauliflower left us wanting it to be a bit more crispy, but it was a nice side. The gelato is delicious - it's made by Palazzolo's but El Harissa provides them with the unique ingredients for their specialty flavors. They were out of some but we got to sample several. We ended up with the roasted pistachio gelato and the apricot peach cardamom. The texture of the gelato was perfectly creamy and the flavors were strong. The market has lots of great items to buy: chips, tunisian olive wood pieces, spices, etc. I'm so glad we sought out this spot and can't wait to get more of their food!

Finally got to try El Harissa with Yelper Katy C and our SOs! It's fast casual style - where you…read moreorder at the counter and they bring your food to you. Had the: *Spice Roasted Cauliflower (Crispy cauliflower florets coated and baked in rice and chickpea flour and our North African spice blend. Served with Harissa Dip) Small/1-2 Portion - $11): A little soggier than I'd like but the flavors were good! I also like the harissa dip it came with! *Small Merguez Meatballs (Inspired by the Maghrebi sausage, our spiced lamb and beef meatballs are hand-rolled with onions and herbs and coated with a thick tomato sauce. Served with saffron rice or couscous - small portion came with 3 for $10): For meatballs that included lamb - it wasn't gamey at all and very tasty! I picked cous cous for my side. *Chicken Chermoula (Brined, seared, then baked to capture all of its flavor, our crowd-favorite chicken is juicy and delicious. Served over rice with our herby, garlicky, lemony Chermoula Sauce - Double Portion - $18): Our main entree to share. The lemony chermoula sauce was delish. Chicken was perfectly cooked - not dry at all! Mujadara Rice (A Levantine staple of spiced green lentils and rice. Ours is adorned with carefully caramelized golden onions for a touch of savory-sweetness - small for $8) - SO tasty! I could eat this on its own. Maghrebi Chili (Smoky and spicy. Ground beef seasoned with Harissa spices and slowly cooked with chickpeas, lentils, black beans, peppers, and loads of vegetables - Small/Pint - $9.50) - FIBER CITY! Flavors were really good! We also had SO much gelato - they basically let us sample all of them. ended up with the pistachio and tiramisu. I'll be back - especially for a salad with their wonderful chicken - seems like a great healthy option!

The fish was supposed to be grilled, but it was grilled and fried so it was kind of dry and…read moreunseasoned. The french fries was soggy the Djollof rice had too much palm oil very oily. The DiBi was excellent.

The fish and onions were the best part. The couscous was dry and unseasoned, and the fried…read moreplantains were dry with no sweetness. Sitting down to eat here in the winter is not a good idea, the sitting area is freezing with no heat The service wasn't great. No one serviced my table, I had to get up and go to the counter often and they had nothing but water to drink. Next time I won't eat in and I'll call to see if they have what I really want before showing up.

Great customer service and portion sizes. Authentic taste, will definitely return to try more…read moreitems. Got the lamb dibi and it was amazing and I was able to eat it for a meal and a snack.

Very good West African fare in Ypsi, better than the other African place it replaced in the same…read morelocation. Khadi cooks and serves herself, so you get personal attention but patience is required.

Food was delicious as always but I think I was served tilapia instead of snapper....service is…read morealways nice. I love the paintings on the walls. We dined in on a super cold day. The dining area is at the door so we kept our coats on.

Very casual spot but, boy the food is good and fresh! We have been here before but it's been…read moreawhile- usually before going to the nearby Redford theater. They do a good take out business apparently cause it was busy with folks in and out but we were the only diners. I always like to get a whole fish whenever I see it on the menu, and I was glad to see it is still on the menu, which seems more limited than I remember. My parents got chicken Schwarma wrap which comes with fries and we got additional side of fries and plantains - very yummy. No ketchup though haha! The fish was flavorful with spiced rice and pickled veggies and I couldn't even finish it all! Very no frills spot but we always recommend it for good unique and good meal! Street parking only. No bathrooms that I could see.

Amazing food and service! EVERYTIME we come it is always amazing! Tried the Sunday, first month…read morebuffet and it was divine!

Wanted to try something new with the grands. Everything tasted good. It was a nice experience . We…read moreordered take out and it good was ready and hot.