I have been to Kitchen Near You many times n a decade and it never disappoints! I love the music and ambience of the restaurant. I come here to eat their Soya and Jellof rice only. And I always dine in. I will one day try their fish. The food is freshly cooked. I love the soya meat. Great flavor never dry to me. It comes with raw white onion which is awesome. I love the powder spice that it comes with. I always ask for extra powder because it's so Spicy. The jellof rice is good in flavor and taste. read more

Kitchen Near You - Jellof Rice and Soya - African Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

Best suya in DC to someone who never had it before in the motherland. I've had every suya in DC at restaurants, kickbacks, home cooks, and even tried to make my own. This is the good stuff. Try it you'll love it-if your mama never made it: my husband being from Cameroon says it's just ok and he prefers the kickback house suya. It's my review though. Have the tilapia grilled, planarians and suya. read more

Kitchen Near You - Moscato - African Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

Music was great. Live band was good. I enjoyed the DJ, he definitely kept the crowd dancing.

Good food overall the Okra is amazing . But the SUYAAAA Oh the suyaaa is amazing !!!!

Nasty service and poor courtesy. I had a horrible experience last Thursday......... waiting for over 40 mins after placing my order by phone regardless of frequently reminding the waitress of my arrival. Will never go back there. read more

While Kitchen Near You may generally serve "African Cuisine," as the signboard out front indicates, it is really a Cameroonian restaurant. Cameroon, which borders Nigeria and which is located in the so-called "Armpit of Africa" where West and Central Africa meet, shares many traits with the cuisines of its neighboring countries (relying on fish, roots, tubers, and vibrant use of spices). I, certainly, wanted to focus on these traits and was determined to have a unique and authentic meal when I arrived. Of course, the menu only reinforced my convictions because nothing looked at all dumbed-down for the uninitiated. Many of the menu items only offered transliterations of their original names and did not include any descriptions (suggesting that the usual clientele need no further explanation). Yet, as I am not well versed in Cameroonian cuisine, I had to enlist the help of my waitress. "These are village foods," she remarked as we discussed a few possibilities. "This is what people in Cameroon eat in the village. You want that?" "Yes," I replied. "I want to eat what the local people eat." "Okay," she answered. My first selection, to start off, was a large bowl of pepper soup with cow feet. This hearty soup consisted of chunks of boney hooves, tender pieces of flesh, and chewy, gelatinous slabs of cow skin. Eating these really reminded me of the tendons, membranes, and beefy pieces that are commonly served in many Cantonese dishes. So, it was a rather familiar bowl of soup in that regard. However, what distinguished the soup, truly, was the broth. It was absolutely incendiary...as hot, spicy, and brutal a concoction as I have ever tasted in my life (surpassing even the hottest Sichuanese dishes that I have had). The innocent inclusion of the word, "pepper" did not prepare me for how intensely spicy the soup would be. Wow...with each sip and slurp of the seemingly innocuous light brown broth, my mouth and throat were ripped apart as if I were drinking Liquid Drano. I found out, later, that the broth was made from habanero peppers (lively, mature orange ones, and, undoubtedly, a lot of them). While I champion the fact that I can eat very spicy foods, this unassuming soup really hit me hard. I had to stop, take breaks intermittently, and rest (feeling my throat pulsating and popping each time). That the flavor of the beef (especially, the skin) and the feet were so good kept me going and returning to the soup to finish it. But, oh boy, I paid a price. "Drano," afterall, unclogs plumbing... The next dish, a delicacy called Ekwang, consisted of tubes of cocoyam that had been painstakingly wrapped in leaves, and served in an ooze of traditional spices and seasonings. Interspersed throughout the mix were pieces of dried fish (complete with small bones, jagged fins, and facial discs). The tubes of cocoyam, piled on top of each other in a great mass, were gummy and gooey and certainly presented a texture that would not have been familiar to most American palates. The closest comparison that I can think of would be tteokbokki (cylindrical Korean rice cakes that are cooked in a spicy sauce) although these cocoyam tubes had more of a pasty consistency to them. Thankfully, unlike tteokbokki, the flavors were not spicy (given how spicy the aforementioned soup was); and, while the dried fish reminded me very much of Chinese dried fish with its texture and compliant bones (but, without the salty flavor of the Chinese variety), there were many distinct spices that I could not readily identify (but that exuded a signature taste that I associated with other African dishes, mostly, of Nigerian origin). My side order of fried plantains and spinach were absolutely amazing. As pedestrian and seemingly homely as these items are, they were raised to brilliant heights in their careful handling and preparation. The plantains were so fresh and so delicately fried. The spinach was cooked to perfection, mildly seasoned, leafy, yet soft (both were among the best that I have ever had). Overall, with this memorable experience, which represented a great stop on my culinary journey, I can now tell my Cameroonian friends that I have enjoyed the food of their homeland (minus the part about the unclogged plumbing, of course). They, undoubtedly, will be proud of me. read more

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Back in the day my big sister would drag me to African clubs, to give me what she called "culture" back during my college years when all I wanted to do was listen to Junior Mafia and head out to see GOGO bands. Well over 15 years later we've both grown into now more similar people; however, we still have our distinct personalities. Coming back from one event, she had me slow down in an area that I frequently pass, but would not consider getting gas here at night. "Kitchen Near You" and I look over at her like, "Are we in the right place?" And she's like yeah! Somehow she had that let's do it for old times' sake look in her eyes! Okay, one time for the old married lady..... (You WOULD wait till your birthday, so I couldn't say NO!) As soon as we walk in and I see leather couches; basically a living room in each corner, roped off for VIP, and Christmas garland draped across the ceiling complete with bulbs... I knew I was about to be in for a memorable night! We get a table and immediately African Mack Daddies are asking to join us for dinner. So we get a bigger table, talk about all types of stuff, we find out the food is Cameroonian. We ordered stewed fish and Spicy Goat, both with rice and fried plantains. I forgot the head of the fish would be looking up at me. I just passed that right on down and asked my sister to put some on my plate and let me tell you that was some good fish! It was very mild and flavorful, although I hate bones. The spicy goat was THE BEST, never had goat that tender and well flavored. The plantains were big and dry. But the entrees were wonderfully prepared! The people were pretty nice--as the men explained, all of them were locals, on a Friday Night this was their SPOT! I felt really comfortable, and luved the videos of live African pop playing on flat screens. We're drinking Heinekens and having great conversation with our new friends. All of a sudden out of nowhere, it starts getting cloudy. Everyone gets up and starts dancing in this DRY ICE FOG, THEN LASER LIGHTS START BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS!!! It's 80's Video Hell! And we are hysterical at this point, just having fun, and laughing! So hey, If you can't beat em join em, so we jump up and find our way to the dance floor and party in laser beams and fog the rest of the night. It was too random, too funny, and reminded me of all the crazy sh*t we had done in the past, just made me realize that at 30 and 40 something we shouldn't quit now! A Kitchen Near You is actually more like a Planet Out Of This World , ONE I will never forget! We begged to pay our tab, but these guys insisted....I THINK it was inexpensive?? read more

As a Cameroonian I loved everything but the eru. But the fish was AMAZING and the broke was good as well. Haven't had everything else. The service is slow they need to work on that but nice people. read more

Recently tried this hole-in-the-wall neighborhood joint after being intrigued for months by the promise of "authentic african cuisine". The interior was MUCH larger than the exterior implies, and the booths are comfortable (although our table wasn't stable at all!). Our first waitress had quite a bit of trouble speaking English, but a second lady helped her out to take our orders. We asked for them to recommend an appetizer - honestly, I don't recall the name, but I posted a picture and it was pretty good actually. The meat was slightly overcooked, but tasty and the spice and onion gave it a nice combo of flavors. My date got the spicy goat in tomato sauce and plantains - both of which he said were "okay", but definitely not worth the price! As for me, I had the chicken in spicy tomato sauce with white rice -- which actually turned out to literally be three wings (like you'd get at a bar) in a bowl of sauce. The dish was definitely overpriced as the sauce was the only good thing about it. All and all, I'm glad we tried it, but we won't be back. read more

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Very disappointed in the service received at this place. I use to come here all the time. And figure I'd give my old spot some love. Well the sure didn't want me and my 5 friends there or our busines. How can you support the businesses of your people when they look at you like wtf you doing in here! Never again read more

Ordered only 2 dishes, they sent 1. And refuse to take phone calls to correct the situation.

I'm giving it 1.25 stars. My family is giving it a 0 and I'm giving it a 2.5. If it wasn't for the soya and Ekwang, I would also give it a 0. This place honestly sucks. I went there for Thanksgiving this week and the first thing I noticed was the smell. So those reviews were right. Also, the unknown brown splotches on the ground were, ugh. The service was fine though. But the food, ugh! at least the appetizers were good. But the eru and the ache were unedible. My grandma and sister couldn't even finish it because it was terrible. The "fufu" is still in the fridge. I'm just glad I ordered the Ekwang. Some minor things I have to complain about are the choice of music and the bathroom door being too dark. So it was hard for everyone but me to figure out that they were going into the wrong bathroom. In conclusion, I don't recommend this "cuisine" because it sucks. The sad thing is, just like one of the reviews said, it has so much potential. Especially since my mom said that it WAS clean and good. (Also, this Thanksgiving was the most "africanish" Thanksgiving out of all of the ones I have celebrated. Sad if you think about it) read more

I wish I could give quarter a star. What a waste of time..poor customer service. Never again

Whenever my friend and I come here for a night of dinner and dancing, she orders the fish and I try to pick something new from the menu. The food here is pretty good and the fish was especially delicious tonight. The service is usually horrible as it is with many foreign establishments unfortunately. When you come in you have to seat yourself and it takes forever for someone to notice you're there. It then takes forever for them to bring you a menu, forever to get your food, forever to flag a server down, forever forever.... You get the drift. The food is reasonably priced but the drinks are ridiculous --- this includes alcohol and non-alcoholic. There is no reason why a can of Sprite should cost $2 . Once it hits 11 or 11:30 you have to pay a cover fee at the door so it's best to come early when there's breathing space to order and eat in peace. There is a small dance floor in the corner of the restaurant and as the night goes on, people drift into the floor and it turns into a small African club. Overall, don't come expecting great service. The food is okay and there's a tiny bar you can get drinks from. The best thing here is the life that is given on the mini dance floor with the awesome selection of music accompanied by super thick fog that comes spewing out. You can do some thangs with your partner when lost in that fog.... read more

Kitchen Near You - African Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

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This restaurant is okay. They serve foods commonly eaten around parts of West Africa...fufu with soups, jollof rice (which was fried rice), rice and stew, plantains, etc. Generous portions are usually served. The restaurant caters to a diverse crowd and the service was good. Prices for meals start at about $8 and up. Looking to return. read more

The service was OK, the food however was extremely bland and lacked flavor! The jollof rice had random chicken bones in it, and tasted stale. Also, half the menu items weren't even available so I had to settle for something else on the menu than what I wanted. There are much better African restaurants in the area. Seems like it would be an okay club, but I won't be back. Also is it necessary to play music so loud in an empty restaurant on a week night? Goodness gracious. read more

I only write reviews if it's exceptional or absolutely terrible. This place is in the latter category. If I could rate 0 stars I would. Most recently, I returned here for a meal after saying I wouldn't ever again. Just to give them another chance. I initially stopped coming when I realized that I NEVER got what I ordered. You order something and they completely botch the order. And the orders are never ready on time. Even when you order an hour or 2 ahead. We ordered food a few days ago and it wasn't ready when we arrived. We waited for one order to be done and decided to eat there to give time to prepare the other one. They never even made one of our orders so we left without it. It wasn't until today when I went to heat up the food I ordered and see that it was way off from what I wanted. I ordered a chicken stew with rice. Instead I got a fish stew with rice. It wasn't even fresh fish - it was stock fish. Stockfish stew which I'm not even sure I've ever seen on the menu. Fish has really been upsetting my stomach lately so this was a waste of money. PLEASE CHECK ALL YOUR FOOD BEFORE LEAVING THE PREMISES WITH THEM. Have your delivery guys do the same. I didn't even bother to call them because they have never cared when I did before. Whilst we were there the husband of the woman who owns the place was harassing his own employee about not allowing people to sit in VIP seating. Whilst a line of customers was piling up. During COVID. Again during COVID - when we should be spread out via spaced out seating. He is too worried about preserving precious seats that no one is occupying and it is not even close to the late night hour when people come in for dancing or club service. I've even heard he kicks diners out - whilst in middle of a meal - to give tables to his friends or people he wants to impress. Not to mention the sink in one of the bathrooms is broken and leaking. When most restaurants are grateful for customers during this challenging time this restaurant is run by people who could care less that you pay for a service. I've decided I can't go back again until they get rid of that husband and change management - I've given them far too many chances and too much money that they don't deserve. The food is ok but this level of disrespect to clientele is worse than I've EVER seen at other African restaurants. read more

Nice, relatively new restaurant near the West Hyattsville Metro. They serve great traditional-style Cameroonian/West African food: spicy meat or fish stew with a starch: rice, fried plantains ("dodo"), or fufu. They say their kind of food is typical for most of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, etc.). My main course was a tomato sauce-based one with chicken and goat; my partner got "egusi," which seemed to be a melon-seed curry with spinach and goat meat. They have grapefruit-flavored soda from Cameroon, and also have large (1 pint or larger?) bottles of Guinness for $6. We had a tasty, filling meal for under $20 per person. The dining room is huge and was mostly empty when we went there. The family who owns it is very nice and eager to introduce newbies to Cameroonian cuisine, although it seems as though their clientele is mostly West African. I'd recommend it if you're looking for something new. read more

In Washington, DC from Chicago, a friend recommended KITCHEN NEAR YOU as our dinner destination. Being a native of the Cameroons, I was eager to have some home cooked meal. I was not disappionted. The service was good. I had the eru and water fufu that I always long for and lack the skills and ingredients to prepare at home. It met the standard set back home and I enjoyed it. The portion was quite generous and went down well with the Cameroon-produced grape fruit soda. If you are from the Cameroons and used to the traditional home cooked meals, you won't be dissapionted. If you are not, and have an adventurous palatte, give this place a chance and discover something new you may fall in love with. read more

I personally took the time out of my life to open a Yelp account just so I could post a review about this place. 2-3 years ago, it used to be a great restaurant to go to. The quality of the place and food has nosedived since! I even plan on calling the the proper food and health department to report this place! They should NOT be serving food! AT ALL! First of all, i am deeply ashamed at all of the recommendations that i've given to friends, coworkers, and family of the last year to go and check this restaurant out for "an authentic african cuisine experience". Since I'm now in Chantilly VA, "Kitchen Near You" is no longer near me so it's been a while since I had been. Last week, my akata fiancé and I decided to go eat here. We made the 50 minute drive from Chantilly and was shocked to see the slum that this place has become. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the foulest of smells. It was a little after 12 noon but the inside was still dark. They NEVER turn the lights on! The tables and table cloths are dirty and sticky. The mirrors on the walls were so fogged with mildew you could barely see your reflection. You could tell that nobody cared about the cleanliness of the restaurant at all! We decided to order anyways... (bad idea)! The Food: We ordered Poisson Braisse, sauce tomate w/ Chicken, and Jallof rice, as well as a side of plantains. When we received it, the poisson braisse was all spoiled and smelled spoiled! I can't believe they either baked a rotten fish or let it sit out for so long that it spoiled. I've been to places before that served leftover food, but for it to be leftover AND rotten!? Really!? I couldn't even eat. The only thing that was fresh was the fried plantains. When i went to use the restroom, there's leaky toilet water all over the men's bathroom floor. Nobody cared enough to even try to clean it up or get it to stop leaking. It just continued to leak... The soap dispenser was broken so i had to rub my hands on the nozzle to get any soap at all. The entire time, i'm thinking to myself, where to the employees wash their hands? My fiancé stated that the woman's bathroom is just as rundown. The employees aren't paid enough to actually care about the restaurant and i've even heard of some not getting paid at all because the owners used their legal/immigration issues as a mean to exploit them. Not cool and no wonder this place is rotting from the inside out! Literally and figuratively! Lastly, they had the audacity to build a VIP room (which honestly looks like it was built against fire/safety codes). Who in their right mind would want to be VIP in a rotten restaurant like that!? I hope management reads this, builds windows to air that place out, refresh the restaurant and seriously avoid getting shut down before they're sued for poisoning somebody w/ their rotten food! This place is nasty! 0 Stars and NEVER AGAIN AM I EATING HERE! read more

I ate here once i will Never eat here!!!!!! If the health department puts you on channel 9 news... Then you know its time to clean up the nastiness They have bugs in there basement, kitchen and in there lobby... I will not eat here again!.... Plus they showed where they keep the Food before they cook it Omg!!! I would not eat here! Warning..... The food is not fresh!!! read more

We had fish, Bobolo, soya and Ndole. The food was delicious overall just that soya was too spicy and fish's were over cooked. The customer service was good as well. We will return... read more

I had went to this place because it was close to home. The outside was not inviting. All the times I passed by the place I thought it was closed. The smell inside was of sewer, I might be wrong but it was a strong stinch that took some time to go away. The lady behind the counter was very nice and helpful. Once I got the food home, I took a few bites and saw a piece of hair in the food. I had to throw it away after that. read more

I was in the area for the weekend and decided to look for a Nigerian restaurant. Found this place on yelp and decided to check it out. The interior wasn't bad, but immediately I walked up to the girls behind the counter I was smacked with that "Nigerian attitude". A dark girl with a half sleepy eyes with an attitude that is taller than mt Everest eyed me when I asked if we could sit anywhere and ignored me. We sat and an Ethiopian lady took our order. I had ERU and fufu. The food was just ok. Came back the next morning for brunch and a guy took my order, I was sitting outside when the sleepy eyed dark girl came in. After waiting for almost half an hour, the girl came to ask me what I want? I was like really? In her usual sleepy eyed ways she said ok and walked away nonchalantly. I just stood up and left!! read more

the will overcharge you if they think you never been there before, they charge me 5 bucks for a can of coke. the bar is very smelly, the tables aren't clean, it smells like fish market. don't recommend going there unless you are ready to pay fortune! read more

Delicious food all around. Great wine. Service with a smile and excellent live band on some nights. I would this spot if you are having bad day and just want to unwind. read more

I've been here twice and find that the food is consistently good! I'm considering using then to cater an upcoming event.

First time ordering African food and the lady there was very kind in suggesting dishes for 1st timers. A goat dish and pepper soup. Took about 45 mins to get my food, but it was worth the wait. The flavors were delicious. Would definitely be coming here again! read more

This place is now disgusting! So sad how a place that I enjoyed can get so bad. Ordered the Eru and Ekwang, both tasted really bad. The food was not fresh and there was a bad aftertaste.... I'm so disappointed... read more

I'm a lover of good African food so I went to the kitchen near you to purchase some Fufu and soup to go when my food was ready pay with my credit card the young lady asked for a tip which I don't mind but first she didn't do nothing for me second when I got home there was a long piece of black hair in my food and paying almost $18 for food and can't eat a piece of it is degrading to me and to top it off my hair is orange not black so I'm sorry I'm not going to eat at the kitchen anymore read more

Food was okay. Service was bad. Our waitress was the worst, dropped food and disappeared. We ran out of drinks, finished eating some of our food and sat with empty plates next to us. read more

Used to be good when the owner was in the kitchen. I happened on the place when they first opened. Generally nice people though there have been a waitress or two that weren't too interested in explaining dishes or answering questions about the menu. The Egusi soup used to be my favorite. The last time I got it 2 weeks ago the meat was off and i couldn't bare the smell. I took a small taste thinking that some African spices and be pungent and not negatively effect the taste. I was repulsed. I had to throw it out. So sad. It's hard to find good west African restaurants so I was sad to see this one go down. I hope they can go back to when it was good. read more

I loved the music, its hard to mingle though. It looks like there is a lot of commoners. Overall it was great, i would go again but i would bring my own company read more

Took my wife out there, we tried the fish and soya..it was phenomenal...love it..Ibrahim.

I went to this joint with friends of mine from Paris-France and let me tell y'all this...I, WE WILL NEVER, EVER...EVER set our feet in that shit hole again. We were subjected to THE WORSE SERVICE ever known to humanity. Their grilled fish was OVERPRICED and NOT well seasoned and was served along with raw onions (like what the fuck?). The Ndole (Cameroonian dish) I ordered was mediocre and didn't taste fresh AT ALL, the waitress needed to be shot at cause after her lousy ass service, she had the NERVE to ask us why we didn't tip her and did I already mention that the SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE? I'm giving it 1 star cuz I don't have the option to rate it - 0 Should I recommend this place to any decent human being? HELL TO THE NO. read more

I dont like to leave reviews and wish I could talk to the owner instead so that they could fix the place because it has a lot of potential and I like to see Black businesses prosper. With that said, they need to get it together. 5 points -- Exterior -- The exterior is quite nice. 4 points -- Interior -- The interior is quite nice as well with minor need for improvements. 1 Point -- Service -- The waitresses need to be trained and in uniform. The cavalier attitude is quite unprofessional. It's hard to tell the waitress apart from the customers because not all of them are in uniforms. I asked to have my table cleaned because the guest before left it dirty and I sat myself. The lady simply took a dry napkin and wiped the content into her hands. When we asked to keep our receipt that was a problem. She flatly refused then demanded a tip even though the service was poor. 1 Point -- Food selection -- I am not from Cameroon and could not identify any of the items. There should be more of a variety. My husband is African and he could not identify the foods. There should be more appetizers. 1.5 Points -- Food taste -- The taste was bitter. The meat was not cooked long enough. It was too tough to chew. -5 Points -- Food price -- The price was $44 for two meals and 2 cans of cokes. $2.50 for a can of coke and $10.00 for a bottle of fruit punch???? Plus we paid $10.00 each to enter???? EXCESSIVE!!!!! 2 Points -- Music selection -- The music was "hit and miss". Every now and then the DJ played a good song which he quickly would interrupt with another song. Not cool when people really want to dance!!!! 1 Point -- Cleanliness -- I understand there is no running water in the building but people are expected to eat fufu with their bare hands. I used my hand sanitizer. My husband used the sink with a pitcher of water they supplied with some paper towels which wrapped the utensils, really tacky and unsanitary!!!! -5 Points -- Space -- No room to walk, stand, sit or dance. We were scared to get up for fear of loosing our seats. We dance with another couple whom we do not know seated between us. That was the closest we could get to each other. Then that couple kept getting up and walking around and sometimes dancing and we had to negotiate the space the entire night. The place was over-booked and is a fire hazard. I had trouble exiting and got separated from my husband. In addition, the seats at the boots are entirely too low. It is not comfortable. 1 Point -- Safety -- I saw no security or police officers on sight even though there was an abundance of alcohol on a Saturday night. If they are charging per entry and serving alcohol in an extremely crowed place, there should be security. I felt relatively safe until I attempted to leave and could not because of a "situation" between two men. That made me afraid because they were escalating and there was no security and I was pretty much stuck right in the middle of the mess, trapped by the crowd. 4 Points -- Overall experience -- I never went to a club in my life. Because of all the lights and gilts I felt that I was "SOMEWHERE". I liked being there. I would change the things I had a problem with if I was to consider returning. If I do return, I will not be ordering any food or drink now that I know there is no water, the items are super pricey and tasteless and I was not impressed when the server wiped down the table with the dry napkin. Made me try to figure out what maybe going on in the kitchen. I guess if one wanted to just listen to loud music and drink that would be the place. I still give it a 4, all things considered, but more than likely I will not go back. There are other places to try. read more

Some of the food is really good, but I refused to eat inside the restaurant after going a few times (my husband would just order to go). It smells terrible and the service is generally poor and slow. I finally stopped eating here completely when my husband started getting stomach aches every time he bought food here. It's a shame because it really has potential. read more

The food was okay, but there is no such a thing as customers service, they take time to attend you, they drag their feet walking like they are tired so I guess that's how they do it, the bathroom are not hygiene friendly so I'm definitely not going back there but I can recommend it to someone who wants to try the African cuisine and not with any other expectation. read more

Kitchen Near You - I don't know what I had but plantain and fufu was there - African Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

Food was okay, no customer service whats so ever. When you walk in, you will not be greeted by anyone except greeted by a strong bad odor. We said hi to the waitress, she didnt say a word beside pointing to an empty table. This was my first time and definitely my last. read more

People taking food order were nice. Dining area was clean. I ordered my food to go. Had the Achu Soup, was really good. Will be back for more and to try other things on menu read more