WELCOME TO KEJE GRILL, ABUJA!

REVIEWING THEIR OFADA RICE, CHIPS, ALA-VEG AND JUICY CHICKEN!

One of these has to go: a bad movie or a horrible meal. Why on earth will someone who knows he/she cannot cook, cook and sell to the public. If that is not the height of inconsideration, what is?

This is my second time in Abuja. The first time, I came to try out my hands with travel vlogging, so I went to different places and made videos of my experience (My experience at Magic Land was the funniest! You should check it out .

This time around, I have come to hunt for good food. I have reviewed movies so much so that I talk about almost everything in my life like it is a review, with constructive criticism. The last time I discussed a meal I had with a friend, he enjoyed it so much, he turned on his camera and made a video of me. At that very instant, I knew I had to tell more than just my friend about my food experience and I am starting in Abuja.

My girl, Efosa, had talked so much about Keje Grill; their meal, drinks, scenery, everything and I decided to go see for myself. I spoke to Dagogo, who owns the place, about making a video with me tasting his food for the first time, while I film my honest and unbiased opinion about it. He said he was up for the it and we fixed a date.

THE REVIEW

Keje Grill is one of the hangout spots in City Park on Wuse 2, Abuja, so it wasn’t difficult finding my way there. On arrival, Dagogo asked that I gave him some minutes to round things up, which was perfect for me because I needed to make a video of the scenery before we started the food review. So I turned on my camera and walked round the place.

Keje Grill has this warm and cozy feel; it is an outdoor space decorated with colorful tyres serving as tables and bamboo-like chairs. All its greenish decoration had me feeling proud of being Nigerian. DJ playing subtle music as people sat in pairs and couples, eating, drinking and unwinding. I instantly fell in love with the place. Keje Grill is that place you go to for that chill out weekend vibe with your boo or even your group of girlfriends because there are some eye candies there.

 

Anyway, I walked up to my friend, Efosa’s table and the moment I sat down, she went,

“I am sure you will enjoy your meal here.”

“Efosa I will find that out in few minutes, now, let us discuss their menu.” I replied as I faced my camera to her and we discussed Keje Grill’s drink menu.

Now according to Efosa, who has a soft spot for strong drinks, the stronger the better. She says that when you are in Keje Grill, you should begin with the not too strong drinks and raise the bars as high as you fit. Sounded scary but tempting to me; however, today wasn’t the day for drinking so I moved passed the temptation and we talked girls talk.

My eyes caught Dagogo blessing a table with sumptuous meals and I got up and walked towards him. When he told me they were our testers, I began to take lovely pictures for my Instagram page. Oh! how I love to share my experiences with the world. 

Pictures taken, table set, lights on, Dagogo and I seated right in front of the camera, then action! My intention is never to just review the food but to also have a good conversation, so the moment I said,

“We have everything here” and he replied,

“Yes we do.” I knew it was going to be a great interview and boy, was I right!

I was going to be tasting four different meals: Ofada rice with red oil sauce properly garnish with beef and pepper, a plate of Keje Grill’s special chicken, AlaVeg and finally, Golden brown fried potato chips and pan fried chicken with pepper sauce and mayonnaise tucked to a corner of the plate. Yummy right?

The idea of having Ofada Rice, which is a Yoruba man’s food, in Abuja, a northern state, was my first bother. I wasn’t sure if they were going to get it right, so I started with that. One spoon and all my senses were up, but it took long to hit.

Keje Grill’s Ofada was sauced intentionally. You get the taste really slowly, as though she is a high class lady, walking to meet her crush for the first time and then it hits you! There is nothing off about it; spices just right, pepper not to scare you off but to remind you that it is a Yoruba man’s food and you know what they say about the Yoruba’s and their pepper…

My next taste was the Special Chicken. He said it is your regular barbeque chicken with a twist. Hmmm, the sound of the twist had me munching on my first bite, and yes to twists!

Close your eyes and imagine I slipped into your mouth, a small piece of moist chicken, moist with spiced up ketchup and something too sweet, you can’t explain it. After you have rolled it around your mouth for some seconds, you bite it and it grinds easily, allowing the juicy taste of the sweet nameless thing flow round your mouth. That, my darling, is Keje Grill’s Special chicken!

Now, I was excited!

“I know you like my food but I just want to know that one meal that will have you going in nonstop.”, Dagogo said.

“You will get to find out at the end of the video, I guess.” I replied as I drew the plate of the AlaVeg towards me. I could see different greens; Carrot, Green leaf, Pepper all mixed with red oil, chicken and onions.

I took my first spoon of the veges and they took me down memory lane, to my mother’s cooking pot. When I got myself and opened my eyes, I started to share my experience of the little journey to my mum’s Yam and Vegetable sauce with Dagogo and he instantly gave me a high five, then looked sternly at the camera and went,

“Do not listen to what she just said guys, that is the secret recipe of this meal!”

I had nailed it but I wasn’t the winner, Keje Grill was, for cooking up such a good meal.

Last, was the Golden brown chips and chicken. On this plate, I learnt something new: If the chips are not golden brown with fluff and fullness to it, then it was most certainly fried with over-used oil.

I had never tried eating chips with Mayonnaise, so that was new; asides that, the chips were just fine. It was the chicken that got to me. Soft, fluffy, well sauced, not overly fried; it was my best chicken on that table.

Over all, I love Keje Grill’s food. The Ala-Veg is my favourite dish and I score it a 4 and a half over 5. Next the Special chicken, this one I will also give a 4 and a half over 5. The Ofada Rice is a 4 and finally the Chicken and Chip, I will give a 3, not because it wasn’t tasty but because I am trying to stay healthy and it is not the healthiest food in the world.

If you are ever in Abuja, make sure you visit Keje Grill and share your experience with me in the comment section and if you would like me to review any restaurant for me, leave the names below and I will see to it.

It is always lovely gisting with you, till next time.

See Ya!