The menu description of the side dish as steamed rice with salsa was possibly a mistranslation. All rice are cooked via water (i.e., steamed) but this has also been worked over with oil and spices. It was a good plate and I would probably return to Cassava for this.
The stew was a big struggle for me. I hesitate to negatively rate someone's cultural dish, as opposed to some chef's invention, but the egusi was a hard-sell. The immediate aroma was strong and off-putting. I couldn't quite place its unpleasant but oddly familiar smell. Then I made the association with the live barnyard smell of a farm or an agricultural fair.
The mashed melon and gourd seeds with fish chunks may be good on its own. But the seafood flavour often clashed with that of the beef, goat, and chicken pieces. The meat were uniformly tough and hard to chew. At first, it had a smokey sausage feel (making the stew reminiscent of caldo verde) but that good taste didn't last long. Overall, without that jollof rice and some extra veggies from my fridge, I wouldn't have finished the egusi.
I have returned to Afrobeat for some incredible jollof (with chicken) and had planned on sampling its Egusi entrée, too. It will be interesting to try a different take on this dish and hopefully, I will have an easier time of it.
The evening did end on a high note as I enjoyed Uma Nota's online show with Ahmed Moneka, his newly-arrived sister Tara, and numerous musicians playing Middle-Eastern (Iraqi) and Afro-inspired songs.
Update (04/04/2021): On Easter Sunday, I finally had Egusi from Afrobeat Kitchen. The chicken was definitely superior, the aroma muted, but the taste was still strong if less pungent than Casava. This dish is not for everyone. I eventually got used to it and actually enjoyed the leftovers mixed with with steamed rice and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. I think as a side to a neutral base is the way to make it appealing to the North American palate.
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