What You'll Get
Jump to: Reviews | Tongue Knowledge
Though the world has been completely Google-mapped, there may still be realms that the tongue has yet to chart. With today’s Groupon, send your tongue to Africa without undergoing the expense and annoyance of having it removed and shipped express. For $20, you get $45 worth of authentic Nigerian and Ghanaian cuisine at Bolat African Cuisine. Conveniently located in Lakeview, Bolat specializes in authentic African fare.
Next time you’re asked your opinion the intricacies of Ghanaian cuisine, you won’t have to pretend that you have a court date on Judge Reinhold as an excuse to avoid answering. Bolat’s menu features a wide variety of dishes, many of which are vegetarian-friendly. Try the fried yam appetizer ($4.99), rice and plantain ($8.99), or the curried vegetables over rice ($7.99). For dishes with a more animate history, start with the flavorful goat pepper soup ($4.99), then move on to the hearty fufu (big, doughy dumplings made from cassava) with fish ($8.99), or try the rice over curry chicken ($9.99). Also offered on the menu are a variety of stews ($8.99), including West Africa-favorite Egusi soup, as well as specialty dishes like yam porridge, cooked with tomatoes and spices ($8.99).
Your Groupon is also good for drinks, so sample a glass of the Nigerian Palm Wine ($5.99) or a refreshing coconut juice ($1.99). Bolat’s kitchen is open until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 p.m. on Friday, and midnight on Saturday. Bolat is not open on Mondays.
Reviews
The Chicago Reader reviews Bolat:
- Don’t assume the big colorful balls of yam, cassava, and maize served at Bolat are just simple sides on a par with dinner rolls or mashed potatoes. Rather, amala (ground yam, purple and glutinous), fufu (beaten yam or cassava, white and firm), and kenkey (fermented maize) are integral to Ghanaian and Nigerian meals. Big as softballs, these doughy dumplings are to be ripped, shaped into small scoops, and used as eating utensils whose absorbency is a major consideration with many stews and soups served here. We had egusi stew, clumps of ground watermelon seed in tomato-spinach sauce, and ewedo soup, goat in whipped jute leaves, herbaceous and gooey. – David Hammond, Chicago Reader
Metromix users give Bolat 3.7 stars, and Yelpers give it four stars:
- Come here if you're adventurous and open-minded and know that food comes in more forms than just fried or barbecued. – Josephine L., Yelp
- If you are looking to enjoy African food, especially Nigerian, Bolat is definitely the way to go. – amberjohnson, Metromix
- My first foray into african [sic] food and it was a success! Bolat had been recommended to me by several friends, one of which is Ghanian so you know its good stuff. – Jenny D., Yelp
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Jul 4, 2010. Amount paid never expires. Dine-in only. Limit 1 per table. Not valid with other offers. Tax and gratuity not included. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Bolat African Cuisine
Chefs at Bolat immerse diners in West African culture via savory stews and tropical ingredients served at a slick black-and-red café. A mild dough known as fufu accompanies most dishes to balance spiciness and scoop up morsels of wisdom hidden under ingredients such as tilapia, plantain, or goat. Provided in place of silverware, rounds of fufu are meant to be pulled apart and remolded into small discs that can, like chopsticks or dining pliers, pinch bites of food and deliver them to the mouth's main opening. Bolat's table minders provide diners with sudsy bowls of water to rinse fingers between plates, elevating the authenticity of the West African dining experience.