Memdee's

From West Africa to Southwest Philly: It's worth seeking out this tiny, friendly outpost of flavorful Liberian cooking.

October 28, 2007|By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
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Memdee's has a number of rice specialties, including a tasty fried rice filled with fresh shrimp and roasted drumsticks that crackled with spice. On Tuesday, Memdee serves "checked rice," blended with spinach and okra. The saucier jollof rice, reddened with tomatoes and filled with beef cubes, is one of Wednesday's favorites. The fufu and soup, thankfully, is the one dish that Memdee's serves every day.

If you're lucky, a pan of hot corn bread sweetened with banana will just be leaving the oven in time for dessert. As we savored our slice of the nutmeg-scented cake, its fluffiness laced with a delicate crunch, a diner approached our table from across the room. He had been one of the friendly fufu hecklers before, but now he grinned at the sparse remains of our meal.

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"It makes me so happy to see you enjoy my country's food!" he beamed.

Unexpected, unpredictable, and yet with rewards of such spirited flavors, the pleasure of this day's journey had been all ours.


Next week, restaurant critic Craig LaBan reviews Coquette in Queen Village. Contact him at claban@phillynews.com.

 

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