Radio Africa Kitchen - San Francisco

Ahhhh, now THIS is SOULFOOD. My taste buds were tantalized by the delicious dishes! I had the prawns, spinach and couscous dish with the beets side salad. Absolute perfection. The chef (owner) was warm and welcoming. I came for the 1st Tuesdays Spoken Word event. It was cozy and warm inspiring. I'll be back.

I had been meaning to come here for the longest time because beyond Auntie April's, it was the only restaurant I had really heard of in Bayview. I remember reading about chef/owner Eskender Aseged's back story in an old SFGATE article how he escaped Ethiopia on foot with his family, how he started as a busboy at the legendary Square One, how he worked his way up at the tonier restaurants in town like Boulevard and Campton Place, and how he managed to open this place nearly a decade ago. It's quite an impressive journey, and I didn't know I was meeting him when I walked up to the counter to look at the menu. It was after 2PM, and he was busy in the back washing the dishes. He didn't hear me come in, so I cleared my throat. Yes, I know that was a rude passive aggressive move. Although everything was tempting, I selected the $15 Saffron Prawns over Couscous with Vegetables and Chermoula (photo: [hidden link] . I didn't know chermoula was a North African variation on a cilantro olive oil marinade with a discernible chili kick. The combination of flavors was quite delicious and surprisingly familiar, a bit like a Cajun style seafood stew. The $3.50 Iced Hibiscus Lemonade was a refreshing complement to the homestyle dish, more compatible than a Coke Zero would've been (photo: [hidden link] . I heard he changes up the menu, but I hope the chicken jambalaya and pistachio baklava are still around for me to try. The ride on the T Line was pretty easy, as the restaurant is right at the Oakdale/Palou stop in front of the portrait mural of Barack and Michelle (photo: [hidden link] . FOOD 5 stars...the saffron prawns clearly reflected a broader palette worth trying AMBIANCE 4 stars...contemporary concrete and clean SERVICE 4.5 stars...Eskender was doing everything himself TOTAL 5 stars...a proud accomplishment in Bayview RELATED Exploring Bayview/Hunters Point? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: [hidden link]

Great tasting food! A neighborhood gem! The fresh prawns were divine and excellent flavor profile.

Everything was GREAT about this establishment, the Owner Entiendere (sp? , service, presentation, professionalism and FLAVOR!! I will visit the restaurant again and tell my friends

Don't know anything about the store itself but my husband's work has gotten meals ordered from here and they are delicious!! Love the prawns and couscous entree the spice blend of the sauce is unique and flavorful and the shrimp are cooked perfectly just done. Hoping to try more from here or to visit the actual store soon.