Op-Ed: Home away from home: Yakoyo restaurant in Burnaby, BC Special

Burnaby - I recently asked Nigerian business woman Yinka Olaiya the meaning of "Yakoyo" her restaurant’s name. She smiled and said: "It means come in and be filled." It's from the Yoruba language of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

Yinka is co-proprietor of Yakoyo restaurant, in Burnaby, British Columbia. The other proprietor is her husband Ademola Olaiya. I think the name Yakoyo (come in and be filled) is appropriate because a friend and I were quickly filled when we recently visited this haven of comfort after a hard day’s work . We had steaming Jollof rice (a famous West African dish) with huge Tilapia fish (common in West Africa) and fried plantains. As I said, we were filled half way through the meal and my friend ordered a fresh "consignment" to take home. Yakoyo indeed. Yinka was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where she picked up her culinary art from her mom. She later became the household’s favourite cook with her dad asking her to prepare food more and more often. She later emigrated to Texas, USA, a couple of years ago and is now in Vancouver, Canada, with her husband, Ademola (another great cook) and her three children. Yakoyo restaurant, situated at 7677 6th Street in Burnaby, is, at first appearance, just like any other African-Canadian restaurant until you pick up the menu and soak in the sweet African music flowing around you. Then you will see several mouth-shaking goodies from Africa: Pepper soup with goat meat and fish, fufu and egusi sauce, beans and meat, Jollof rice with fish and meat, pounded yam, Amala and many other African delicacies. You can select or choose from a wide array of drinks to go with your meal, to make you feel not too nostalgic about Mother Africa. Yinka is also specially trained in continental cuisine after attending a number of professional schools in North America. She told me she is an expert in Italian food too.

Gibril Koroma

Yinka and her husband, Ademola.

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Apart from Yakoyo, Yinka and her husband also run a catering business, offering their services at birthday parties, wedding parties and any other social events. Yakoyo is open from 11 am to 9 pm everyday except Friday(Pepper Soup Night) when it opens from 11 am to midnight. Phone number for Yakoyo restaurant: 604-779-8074.