The Best Amala Spots In Lagos - Part I

Nigerian foodNigerian cuisineLocal food
Written By Guest Contributor

A couple weeks ago, we came across this tweet:


and we were like “hey! no one has done a proper ranking of Amala spots in Lagos”.

Well, not exactly like that but close enough. Because Nosa is our resident amala hater, this wasn’t a task we could take on ourselves so we reached out to a couple of EDL readers. The task was simple: we’ll pay you to eat Amala around Lagos.

This will be a three-part series and today’s episode is from @timi_RM, our first Amala avenger.

The legendary trio of Amala, Gbegiri and Ewedu has transcended its SW Nigeria origins. It has become a firm fixture in Nigerian culinary consciousness. For my assignment, I checked out five of the more popular Amala joints in Lagos.

Pricing was, more or less, the same across all the joints I checked out. The Amala, itself, is N100 for a portion, and 2 - 3 portions should suffice. The less exotic meats, like beef, shaki, ponmo and roundabout, will set you back about N100 for a piece. For fancier meat like goat meat, you’re spending N600 - N800. For N1,500, you can get yourself a decent plate (or bowl) with something to drink.

Iya Eba - Onikan

Iya Eba is one of the older joints on the @TundeTASH’s  list. It is easy to find with Google Maps, but parking might be an issue during peak hours. Thankfully, we went there on a Saturday.

I’ll get straight to the point: the Amala was terrific.

The Gbegiri and Ewedu were prepared very well, and the stew had that little bit of extra spice that took it to the next level. There was no goat meat, but I tried the Pomo, Shaki and Inu-Eran. To soften the meats, they let it sit in the stew for a bit.

The service was very good, BUT it’s cash only on weekends.

White House - Yaba

White House is arguably one of the most popular Amala spots in Lagos. Situated close to Yaba’s commercial hub, White House is unassuming and deceptively bigger than it appears. They serve a wide array of staples, but I was only there for one thing - the Amala.

Unfortunately, the Amala doesn’t really stand out. It wasn’t helped by the fact that the stew and soups were average. The serving was just enough to take care of an Amala craving but not good enough to be termed an experience on its own. The portion sizes were generous, however, and the goat meat was amazingly soft.

Parking is good, and there’s a lot of space to dine on the inside.

Olaiya - Surulere

This one I had been dying to try. All Surulere residents swear by their Amala, and frankly, I wasn’t disappointed. Compared to your typical Amala joint, Olaiya’s interior is a bit more modern. Like a Lagos eatery and not the familiar buka vibe, you know the one.

Parking is a bit of a problem, but once you’re in, the service is excellent, and they had arguably the most comprehensive drink assortment of all the spots I checked out. Bonus points to them for the Capri-Sonne and Ribena.

The portion size was slightly smaller than usual, but the food was terrific. Olaiya’s stew had this slight smokiness that was something else entirely. Also, Olaiya was the only joint with air conditioning, so bonus points for them.

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Rab Sonola - Ogba

I visited Sonola at a rather unfortunate time. They were in the middle of a long-running power outage, so the food wasn’t at its best. The stew tasted a bit bland, and the soups had to be warmed over and over again. In my opinion, I think all that reheating killed the taste.

The portion sizes were perfect, and they have adequate room to dine inside. I’m looking forward to revisiting after the power issues are sorted. The owner was very welcoming and apologized profusely for the power issue. So, yeah, they deserve another chance.

Amala Yahoo - Ojota

Amala Yahoo is the real deal legit. It has the classic Amala spot vibe from the low ceiling to the cramped interior and plastic chairs. The crowd made it a bit difficult to get food, but it was worth the struggle in the end.

The food was terrific, the portion size was alright, and the goat meat was very soft. The general Ojota atmosphere also added to the experience. Parking might be a problem, and by all indications, it will always be full so prepare for that because Amala Yahoo is definitely worth it.

Editor’s Note: @timi_RM couldn’t hit up all the spots on the list but the next Amala Avenger made a valiant effort.

Guest Contributor
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