Twenty years ago, the typical West African restaurant in the city was a small, badly lit room with mismatched furniture, and little in the way of décor besides a tribal mask or two. The shades were often pulled down tight, and the gates barely raised, discouraging casual visitors from barging in—though those who persevered received a warm welcome. The bill of fare was limited to three dishes per day, and there was no printed menu. For outsiders, dining in these semisecret enclaves was exhilarating, filled with fascinating flavors that included bright-orange palm oil, unfamiliar green herbs, and smoky dried stockfish. I spotted my first Ghanaian restaurant in University Heights in 1994. Located in a region north of the Cross Bronx Expressway whose steep hills and step streets might remind you of San Francisco, African American Restaurant was a tiny steam-table joint that offered the inspired combination of Ghanaian mashes and American soul food, mainly to cab drivers. Two years later, another place, Ebe Yie Yie, opened under the IRT 4 tracks on Jerome Avenue. Leap like an antelope forward to 2011: The area has become a hotbed of Ghanaian eats, serving a burgeoning commercial community that manages import-export houses, textile shops, hair salons, and groceries.
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