Brooklyn’s newest can’t-miss cuisine: Ivorian
On the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick, former cabdriver Chuck Cisse and chef Marietou Boleane are bringing the food of the Ivory Coast to Brooklynites. Cisse, born in the Ivory Coast, and Boleane, originally from Burkina Faso, opened Paradis des Gouts last August, hoping to share authentic West African food from their childhoods with those who had never experienced it before, The New York Times reported.
With each meal, expect the Ivorian staple foutou banane, boiled plantains beaten until they are stretchy, which is not an easy task. The restaurant manager pointed out to the Times that “All the women who do it are strong.” The foutou is dipped in stews and juices and soups, laden with flavors of ginger, pineapple, lemon and vanilla.
Dishes are inexpensive and heavily flavored. Okra is also a staple on the menu, paired with tomatoes and palm oil to create gombo frais, a savory stew paired with fried plantains or jollof rice cooked with onions and garlic.
