I first tried Jollof rice in lockdown. There’s huge debate about which country does the best version of the West African specialty, with many, naturally, arguing theirs is superior.
While I’m not about to get in the middle of this debate, I will happily tell you why you need to try this rice dish made with tomato, onion and spices.
When I first sampled it two years ago, I’d just picked up my order of West African cuisine from Funmi Adejuwon of Aberdeen catering firm, FHA Kitchen, during the pandemic. The flavours were incredible. I’d never had rice like it.
Gidi Grill
When we broke the news last year that Dundee’s Gidi Grill was going to open in Aberdeen there was a huge outpour of excitement from our readers. So when it opened in November 2022 I knew I’d have to get along to try it out.
I’d visited the brand’s Dundee home before, so kind of knew what to expect. However, my sister, who accompanied me on a recent cold Tuesday evening, hadn’t, so was excited to find out what was in store.
When we stepped through the door of the Union Street venue I was taken aback at just how vibrant the interior was. It had a real street food vibe, with window panels, tin roof panneling and lots of greenery and wooden fixtures making up the interior. It was also bursting with colour with every hue of the rainbow almost featured through seating, painted walls, the bar and more.
I ordered a Diet Coke (£3) while she opted for a ginger beer (£2.60).
We’d built up an appetite so I was ready to eat. The loaded nachos sounded like we’d get a decent feed, so we ordered those (£14.95).
Our server asked if we wanted chilli sauce on the side or in it, so we asked for it to be included – not realising this would cost an extra £2 at the time.
We had a good natter before we saw the big plate of nachos paraded our way.
The food
Tortilla crisps were stacked high with a big piece of juicy charcoal grilled chicken fillet which had been sliced up on top.
There was chopped peppers, red onion, spring onion and pickled jalapenos throughout and more importantly the cheddar cheese was melted all over. There were big blobs of guacamole and sour cream, too, but the salsa was basically chunky pieces of tomato, whereas I’d have preferred a saucier salsa.
A small pot of chilli sauce came on the side, and although I’d have preferred more, it was lovely.
Other starters that had caught my eye were the prawn skewer, pork belly and the jerk chicken wings.
For our mains I’d ordered the slow sizzling sticky smoked pork ribs with jerk barbecue (£17.95, however £21.95 on the menu) and my sister opted for the Gidi Grill spiced mac and cheese with jerk chicken (£15.95). We ordered jollof rice (£4.25) and fried plantain (£4.25) as a side, too.
The mac and cheese at Gidi is legendary. It’s a homemade spiced Cheddar cheese sauce they use which, as creamy as it is, has a beautiful heat to it.
A fillet of jerk chicken was served on the side, and it was only after my sister tucked in that the server advised she broke it up and mixed it in. I can only encourage you to do the same if you order it.
My ribs were excellent. The tangy, sweet sauce on the tender meat was heavenly. They glistened in the light and also came with a side of fries and salad.
I didn’t enjoy the ramekin of jerk barbecue sauce on the side as much, so left it off the ribs, but boy was the meat delicious.
The plantain was a new one for my sister. She enjoyed the sweet, big pieces and liked how the savoury flavour balanced it out. Jollof rice had been a must for me and I was delighted to see it was a deep rich orange/red colour and boasted plenty of flavour.
It was tangy and fragrant, but very different to FHA Kitchen’s, showing just how diverse this dish can be.
As if we hadn’t eaten enough, we were convinced to order dessert (£7.95 each).
The African cinnamon flavour plantain cake with salted caramel ice cream and rum cream sauce, and the Captain Morgan’s Afro Caribbean rum cake with brandy sauce and vanilla ice cream both came highly recommended.
And I understand why.
While they looked quite similar – like two slices of cake – they were both very different. The rum cake was boozy and incredibly moist having been soaked with rum, but the plantain was packed with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and was much sweeter.
Both were delicious and the accompanying sauces and ice cream paired well.
I had loved the vibe of this place from the moment we stepped inside, and the atmosphere only got better and better as the night went on and the restaurant filled with customers.
By the time we were leaving around 8pm, it was bustling with people and the place felt very alive with funky, contemporary music playing, too.
The verdict
It is great to see more West African venues pop up in the city. The food was great, service attentive and the interior is fun and vibrant, which really adds to the overall experience.
They have plans to open up a bar downstairs, which I think will be really fun, and I do hope they run cocktail making classes and that sort of thing out of it as I think there would be a big appetite for that – especially in this lively venue.
There were also lots of families and groups of friends catching up when we visited, so it is clearly somewhere everyone is welcome.
I’d definitely encourage you to go and get your Gidi Grill fix. And don’t forget to try the Jollof rice!
Information
Address: Gidi Grill, 263 Union St, Aberdeen AB10 1TL
T: 01224 002187
W: www.gidigrill.com/locations/aberdeen
Price: £80.60 for one sharing starter, two mains, two sides, two soft drinks and two desserts
Scores:
- Food: 4/5
- Service: 4/5
- Surrounding: 4/5
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