Amazing Alheri is truly amazing! Best new addition to the Redding food scene, if you enjoy…read moreauthentic lovingly prepared Nigerian cuisine you've got to check them out!
I recommend you do what I did - grab some friends and feast here next Saturday - they're open from noon till 5pm in the pop up restaurant space - we ordered one of everything on the menu and shared everything! Gosh what a way to celebrate a birthday, with a delicious handmade feast!
I like how they kept the menu really simple, just 4 meals, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert. Each meal includes the famous jollof rice (rice cooked in a tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion chicken broth, Nigerian spices, bay leaf and thyme), fried plantains, and a side of a spicy red sauce; each meal has a different protein:
#1 Chicken Meal (tender stewed chicken thigh) $18
#2 Fish meal (seasoned grilled salmon) $20
#3 Suya Beef (oven grilled thinly sliced beef) $20
#4 Fufu $18 (Fufu is a starchy side dish usually made of a pounded yam (also called "pando" or "poundo") or boiled pounded cassava and served alongside a rich stew, which in this case was the divinely flavorful egusi stew (the pureed seeds of a West African melon) with wilted spinach leaves and surprisingly tender and wonderfully flavorful goat meat. My friends taught me to pinch off a piece of pando/fufu/poundo with my right hand, make an indentation in it with the thumb to scoop up some of the egusi stew, and enjoy! It was simply amazing, this was my favorite of all the delicious dishes we tried! (Note that this meal is gluten free, for those with sensitive digestions.)
#5 Meat pie (savory pastry filled with seasoned ground beef and sautéed onions, carrot, and diced potatoes) - this has a beautiful pastry shell with glossy egg wash, and a savory filling. We let this cool down too much before enjoying but it was delicious even cold!
Each of the proteins were delicious, as was the jollof rice, but for me the egusi with the goat meat and fufu stole the show! Make sure to enjoy it right away when they serve it hot, to catch all the wonderful flavors! That's why we didn't have any photos, we didn't want to waste a moment of enjoyment!
The jollof rice was moist and flavorful. Each meal was a generous portion and very filling - the rice was about 3 cups cooked, topped with a handful of sliced fried plaintains, and the proteins were generous too! It was nice that each meal came in a to-go container (spicy sauce in a separate container) so if you can't finish it you have a ready to go meal for later!
We were intrigued by the Zinziber and the zobo tea, because the ingredients are so healthy and good for the digestion. Both come in ready to go bottles and were clearly hand made in small batches, with lots of love!
Zinziber: this is the golden yellow one! Has filtered water, pineapple, organic ginger, orange, lemon, organic cane sugar - super refreshing with the citrus and pineapple, a tiny zing of ginger! So good for the digestion with the pineapple enzymes, citrus limonene, and gingerosides. Light and bright.
Zobo tea: a beautiful deep red color from the hibiscus flower, filtered water, pineapple, organic ginger, organic cane sugar, cinnamon, cloves. This is also a wonderful digestive due to the combination of pineapple enzymes, gingerosides, and according to some traditions has blood nourishing properties due to the hibiscus flower. They don't skimp on the ingredients - the hibiscus is a deep red purple color, so they used a good amount and high quality petals to get such a rich color due to the high concentration of antioxidants.
Both were refreshing, lightly sweetened just so, not too sweet such that it is still healthy and you can feel good about enjoying it. It was so fresh.
I love that cultures the world over know how to combine foods to enhance health and nutrition! Such a delicious way to stay healthy! I will pick up extra bottles next time, at $6 they are a steal for the quality you are getting. The best handmade beverages to be found in town, I hope they start selling these at Holiday Market or Sprouts. No way you can make it as easily or combine the ingredients this perfectly to get the right flavor profile.
Parking is easy and plentiful in the adjacent lot.
Pro tip: Enter from the main door facing the sidewalk on Placer, remember they are open only from 12-5pm on Saturdays. Call ahead for to go orders, they aren't on Door Dash yet.
I predict they will do very well and will soon graduate to their own restaurant space, because their food is simply delicious! Go support them! You won't regret it! What a great addition to the Redding food scene!