Suya Spot opened a couple of weeks ago in the space on Somerset West that Indian Express used to be in.
I dropped by on the way home today. I learned that Suya is an African dish that consists of meat marinated in peanut oil and then grilled. Accordingly the menu has no vegetarian options, so bewarned if that's your preference. My preference is for a mostly vegetarian diet with one to four meat dishes per month. Suya Spot seemed exotic enough for me to make it one of those meat dishes.
The place is definitely designed for takeout service as there are only two tables with two chairs each. When I arrived one of the tables was taken by an individual who was clearly enjoying his meal.
I looked at the menu and decided on a small order of chicken suya and a small order of beef suya. I was told it would be about ten minutes which was almost exactly right.
Back at home we first tried the chicken suya. It consisted of rough cuts of chicken with bone, marinated in sauce, grilled and accompanied by sweet onion and fresh tomato slices. It was very good but chicken often does not absorb flavours well. On its own it was good but greasy and nothing special. However, at one side they included a dollop of African spices and dipping the chicken in the spices made a world of difference. The spice was medium hot with the character of harissa but not so punishingly hot.
The beef suya was another matter entirely. The beef was cut in strips less than a quarter inch thick and they were bursting with flavour. It was similar to Thai crispy beef but not crispy, just firm, and with a tinge of African spice. As with the chicken, there was additional African spice at one side. It wasn't necessary as the beef was so flavourful but it did add a nice hot tang. I can eat medium to medium-high hot and I enjoyed it very much.
Small orders are $10 (I can't remember the price for large ones) and I'd say that one is more than enough for a meal for one. Even with a bit of late snacking we still have a bit of each order left in the fridge for tomorrow.
tmadison
Suya Spot opened a couple of weeks ago in the space on Somerset West that Indian Express used to be in.
I dropped by on the way home today. I learned that Suya is an African dish that consists of meat marinated in peanut oil and then grilled. Accordingly the menu has no vegetarian options, so bewarned if that's your preference. My preference is for a mostly vegetarian diet with one to four meat dishes per month. Suya Spot seemed exotic enough for me to make it one of those meat dishes.
The place is definitely designed for takeout service as there are only two tables with two chairs each. When I arrived one of the tables was taken by an individual who was clearly enjoying his meal.
I looked at the menu and decided on a small order of chicken suya and a small order of beef suya. I was told it would be about ten minutes which was almost exactly right.
Back at home we first tried the chicken suya. It consisted of rough cuts of chicken with bone, marinated in sauce, grilled and accompanied by sweet onion and fresh tomato slices. It was very good but chicken often does not absorb flavours well. On its own it was good but greasy and nothing special. However, at one side they included a dollop of African spices and dipping the chicken in the spices made a world of difference. The spice was medium hot with the character of harissa but not so punishingly hot.
The beef suya was another matter entirely. The beef was cut in strips less than a quarter inch thick and they were bursting with flavour. It was similar to Thai crispy beef but not crispy, just firm, and with a tinge of African spice. As with the chicken, there was additional African spice at one side. It wasn't necessary as the beef was so flavourful but it did add a nice hot tang. I can eat medium to medium-high hot and I enjoyed it very much.
Small orders are $10 (I can't remember the price for large ones) and I'd say that one is more than enough for a meal for one. Even with a bit of late snacking we still have a bit of each order left in the fridge for tomorrow.
We'll definitely be back for more.