Gone to Ghana
While I can’t yet rank it against the city’s other offerings, Bukom Café seems as good a place as any to acquaint yourself with West African cuisine. Despite its location below The Reef’s upper levels, it’s far from sceney as it offers refuge from the drunken mayhem lurking just outside its doors. The sunken dining area offers semi-seclusion in the rear, while the tables on the main floor provide a view of the house band. Though the band was in the groove, Bukom's food was clearly the main event.
Though I'd been to Bukom before, I ventured there recently for another meal. I knew where I wanted to start, but was unable to decide which version of pepper soup I wanted. I trusted the waitress and opted for the goat instead of the fish. In scooping large chunks of tender goat meat out of its fiery broth, I encountered only one or two bones, an enjoyable change from the usual work that goat requires. My other selection, the fried Bukom Devil Wings, lacked any discernible seasoning – or maybe my taste buds were simply scorched by the pepper soup. Nope. Turns out my tongue were working fine: The "devil" is in the sweet and spicy sauce you're to dip into or pour over the chicken, and it certainly was devilish. Though delicious, it took about 15 minutes too long for the appetizers to arrive, which is unusual for Bukom. Chocking it up to a temporary snafu, I let it go, but it made the arrival of my entrée seem rushed.
A crispy, unbattered, head-on red snapper stretched end to end before me on my oblong plate. Sinuses now clear, I tore into Bill (anything with a head gets a name), though I wasn't sure what to do with the side of sauce that looked liked a sofrito of sorts. A passing waiter told me they call it “stew” and that I could pour it over the fish or mix into the rice. Since I think Bukom’s jollof rice is perfect as it is—cooked in tomato sauce with bits of carrot, corn, and a minimal amount of peas—we doused Bill with it instead. It took more effort to eat the snapper than my long-standing Bukom fave, the Shrimp Vegetables, but like 2006 voters, I wanted to open myself to other options. Bill was too much for me in the end, though, and I stopped short of picking him clean to save room for my favorite food of all time: fried, sweet plantain. I love to cap off any hearty meal with a couple of golden slices of banana's grown-up cousin.
As far as the hit on the wallet, Bukom is very reasonable. Most appetizers hover around $4, though the wings were about $6. The entrees are even more of a steal, as my fish set me back only $13--and it was one of the most expensive items there. Most entrées are yours for $8 to $10.
Bukom’s kitchen stays open late, which is why I can’t fathom the long lines for The Diner’s blandosity when such an adventurous and affordable menu awaits right across the street. Bukom’s reggae band goes on nightly at 9, which really means 9:30. By 9:45 they were deep into their Bob Marley covers, which just might have been worth the 15% entertainment fee added to the bill. One love.
Bukom Café
2442 18th St. NW
(202) 265-4600