Akadi

By Mattie John Bamman
(Christine Dong)

Akadi's dishes will take you to places you've probably never been before. Chef-owner Fatou Ouattara, who moved from the Ivory Coast to attend Portland State University, churns out around 40 vegetarian, seafood and meat dishes from countries throughout West Africa. Cassava sticks ($5.95)—made from the yuca-like cassava tuber—are as crowd-pleasing as french fries, particularly when combined with the otherworldly tomato-based dipping sauce. And the national dish of the Ivory Coast, attieke poisson braise ($13.95), has a sweet-tart sauce with a hint of mustard that just might make your eyes roll back into your head. Get it with the deep-fried whole tilapia. And if you're feeling more adventurous, the goat ($15.95) is a rich tomato stew with the spicy-fruity complexity of dried chilies, plus tender meat.

GO: 3601 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 503-477-7138, akadipdx.com, Noon-10 pm daily

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Mattie Bamman

Mattie John Bamman

Mattie John Bamman grew up in a remote fishing village in Maine before writing about culinary adventures around the world. He moved from Italy to Portland in 2010. Beyond food and drink, his obsessions include grindcore, avant-garde poetry and long walks through the dystopian American landscape.

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