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.