The Best Amala Spots In Lagos - Part II
For part 2 of our quest to find the best Amala spots in Lagos, @CharlieOfLagos took a stab at the Tunde TASH list. His account is private so don’t try to follow him to debate his picks. Just trust him because he knows his amala.
If you visit an Amala spot in Lagos and the attendants are not rude or nonchalant, just know that the Amala won’t bang. I did not make this rule, but it is somewhere in the holy books.
For my Amala quest, I literally drove to different parts of Lagos in search of Amala. This was quite an interesting escapade. It’s interesting that I didn’t get lost in all this.
Shout out to Google Maps.
It wasn’t without its own drama though. Some spots had rude servers that didn’t catch on with the “food has to be good” bit. My trip to another spot saw me get into a little accident. In another spot, I had to deal with small “obtaining” by boys in the area. Looking for good Amala is in Lagos is quintessential Lagos activity. All in all, it was a good experience and I am glad I agreed to do this review. A totally enjoyable experience and if I had the chance to do it again, I will gladly do it again.
Just a heads up: this ranking is based on my personal experience at each restaurant and over 20 years of eating Amala from various spots. Let’s start from the lowest-ranked on my list.
Topshot Amala - Ikoyi
Seems this spot is no longer in existence. Drove through Parkview asking for the spot and no one knew where it was.
Sonola - Ogba
This didn’t start off quite well. Had an accident on my way there, then got there to meet the last portion of Amala. Which kind of Amala spot runs out of Amala at 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon? I honestly wasn’t feeling this one. It felt too thick and all over the place. The ponmo was nice sha and the stew was ok, but it was also the bottom of the pot so I don’t even know.
Might give it another run, but for the purpose of the review, it was my least favorite. Maybe I caught them on a bad day.
4/10
White House - Yaba
White House has lost its glory days. The years have taken their toll on the business. There were days when I could boast about their Amala, but not anymore. Maybe I expected too much from White House. I mean, I went on a first date to White House for Amala.
On this visit, the server that attended to me was quite nonchalant. It felt like I was begging her for food. Way too much attitude for Amala that was way too thick. The ewedu and gbegiri were decent, but on the whole, nothing special or wow about it.
5/10
Amala Canada - Ebutte Metta
Had a few people hype this on Twitter, so I went there with really high expectations. For all the rudeness the staff meted out, the Amala wasn’t now all that.
You are rude and the food doesn’t bang? You’re 0-for-2.
The stew was quite thick, the same as the gbegiri. I couldn’t finish the food because the fish tasted a bit off. Let’s just say I won’t be revisiting for any reason.
6/10
Amala First Bank - Marina
Quality food, quality living. People working around Marina are enjoying o. To get banging Amala like this at an affordable price point is a big plus for workers in the vicinity. The Amala had this mid texture thing going on, but I could live with it because the stew was heavenly enough. It was proper obe with soft ponmo and meat. Went with a colleague and the lad couldn’t resist licking his fingers after a good serving of Amala. I will be going back here on a random day because one of my Mummies has advised that I go back without a review in mind.
7/10
Iya Eba - Onikan
One of the earliest spots my Dad took me to eat Amala, I have known Iya Eba since I was a kid. The standards might have dropped slightly, but it is still an OG spot. That signature gbegiri, light ewedu, and obe eran can never go wrong in my eyes. The stew at Iya Eba is further proof that anyone serving Amala with pepper stew deserves to be arrested.
Iya Eba has kept many Lagos lawyers alive with quality Amala for over 20 years. The honorary SAN of Igbosere.
7.5/10
Olaiya - Surulere
Olaiya was my first introduction to Amala and as the first son of Surulere, I was worried about being objective. I had to drag a friend along for this one. Her words:
“The Amala portion is quite generous. The soup was really delicious, but it would be better if it was a little less oily. The eja kika was beautiful and not strong like others I’ve had. The ponmo was a little hard sha.”
Had my own Amala with the softest cow leg I have ever had anywhere in Lagos. I agree with her on the stew being quite oily. If they discover oil in the South-West, just know Olaiya will use it to fry stew. I still rate Olaiya any day regardless because they were my first and only love at some point.
8/10
Yakoyo - Ilupeju
The original Yakoyo, not those “fake guys” in Surulere and Lekki, is the hidden gem of Ikorodu Road/Ilupeju. My colleagues had been raving about this place for years, but I had never had the chance to visit.
Top-notch service.
You can get a beer with your Amala, but the Amala itself was slightly pricey. Why am I paying 200 Naira for a wrap of Amala? The food was really good though. The only downside is that you sit, they take your order and bring it to you. I don’t know if this is because of COVID-19 protocols, but I want to be pointing at the biggest meat in the stew when buying Amala. The Amala soft die and they served the Amala with correct obe eja (fish stew). The picture doesn’t do justice to this meal. Washed it down with cold star cos this life is one copy. Definitely going back there.
8/10
Amala Yahoo - Ojota
This spot was the funniest one I visited. I took colleagues along and we caught the whole cruise. Got there and the stew was just being freshly cooked. The aroma made me forget the dingy environment and focus on the Amala. Soft and fluffy, this was the one I ate with both hands and no cutlery. The goat meat was so tender and soft.
This is the real streets spot.
8.5/10
Belgium - Mile 2
When I mentioned the review to a friend, she instantly said this was going to be the best and she didn’t lie. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up ordering extra food. It was so good I thanked the staff and blessed them for providing such solid food.
The ponmo soft die, the amala was so fluffy and good, with the best ewedu and 10/10 gbegiri. They serve you Amala with obe eran and not stew. The picture doesn’t do this Amala justice. I can write a whole page on this but let me stop here. If you ever want a real Amala experience, Belgium Mile 2 comes highly recommended by me.