Food Travels, Technique Remembers

A 7-Course West African Tasting Experience by Chef Dumebi



2 hours Location London Experience size 1 to 40 (public dates), 1 to 10   £40 - £55 (Earlybird price of £40 applies if you book into a public session 100+ days ahead)
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Experience Gifts
A West African Tasting Experience by Chef Dumebi
OKN1 – Open Kitchen Restaurant, London
Join Chef Dumebi for a special West African tasting experience created for her Student Takeover at OKN1 – Open Kitchen Restaurant.
Food Travels. Technique Remembers. is a seven-course menu exploring West African ingredients, food memories and culinary traditions through contemporary professional cookery techniques.
This is not a cooking class.
Come, take your seat and dine.
The evening moves through Nigeria, Togo, Benin and the wider West African food landscape, exploring ingredients including brown beans, palm oil, plantain, melon seed, pepper, ginger and hibiscus.
The philosophy behind the menu is simple:
Translation, Not Fusion.
The flavours and memories remain recognisably West African while technique, presentation and the dining experience allow them to be seen differently.
The Menu
Beans & Palm Oil | Nigeria
Brown Bean Pâté · Toast · Pickled Red Onion · Fermented Pepper · Palm Oil
Amanda | Togo
Fire-Roasted Plantain · Tamarind · Lime · Chilli · Green Plantain Crisp
Fisherman's Pepper Soup | Nigeria
White Fish · Prawn · Mussel · Aromatic Pepper Broth · Scent Leaf
Melon | West Africa
Charred Savoy Cabbage · Seared Mushroom · Melon Seed Cream · Palm Oil & Onion Sauce · Fried Spinach · Toasted Melon Seeds · Fermented Pepper
Plant-based
Riz au Gras | Togo / Benin
Glazed Beef Cheek · Riz au Gras · Charred Tomato · Beef Jus
Ginger | West Africa
Ginger · Lime · Grains of Selim Ice
Hibiscus Tarte Tatin
Caramelised Apple · Hibiscus Caramel · Crisp Pastry · Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
The Experience
This is more than dinner.
Each course tells part of a story about ingredients, places, memory and how food travels.
Expect a relaxed restaurant experience accompanied by a carefully selected soundtrack of West African, Highlife, Afro-soul and contemporary African music.
Some courses will arrive traditionally plated, while others introduce different moments of service, from an aromatic pepper soup broth to the warmth and comfort of Riz au Gras.
The experience concludes with apple, hibiscus, caramel and ice cream.
Come curious.
Come hungry.
Come ready to experience West African food from a different perspective.
Dietary information
The tasting menu contains fish, crustaceans, molluscs, gluten/wheat and milk. Egg may also be present.
The Melon course is plant-based.
Due to the nature of a set multi-course tasting menu and the use of a professional teaching kitchen, not every course may be suitable for every allergy or dietary requirement.
Please provide dietary requirements and allergy information when booking so that suitability can be confirmed in advance.
About Chef Dumebi
Chef Dumebi is a chef, culinary educator and storyteller whose work explores West African food through memory, travel and technique.
Her approach is rooted in Translation, Not Fusion: allowing food to evolve through technique without losing the identity and memories from which it came.
For this Student Takeover at OKN1 – Open Kitchen Restaurant, she brings together the food she knows, the food she teaches and the professional techniques she is developing through her Level 3 Professional Cookery studies.

money_off
Save £15 per guest, when you book 100+ days before a session

Upcoming dates for Food Travels, Technique Remembers

Times are London time. Dates and prices as of 13 Nov 2026, 1:39am; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

1 upcoming date between 11 Jun 2027 and 11 Jun 2027.

  • Fri 11 Jun 2027, 6pm-8pm
What you'll get
A seven-course West African tasting menu by Chef Dumebi, featuring dishes inspired by Nigeria, Togo, Benin and the wider West African food landscape.
Guests will enjoy the full dining experience at OKN1 Open Kitchen, with each course exploring food, memory and technique through Chef Dumebi’s Translation, Not Fusion approach.
Knowledge required
No skills required.
This is a hosted dining experience, so simply come, relax and enjoy the seven-course West African tasting menu.
What to bring
Bring just yourself, your appetite and your curiosity for West African food. Everything you need for the dining experience will be provided.

FAQ

Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Yes, we can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and halal. Let us know your requirements before or after booking. If you have a food allergy or need a strictly gluten-free meal for coeliac disease, please message us before booking.
Location

OKN1, Hoxton Street, London

This venue is within walking distance from Old Street tube station (700m).

Food Travels, Technique Remembers location
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Samantha's Bistro London
Samantha's Bistro London

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female Women-owned

Chef Dumebi is a chef, educator and creator of The Jollof System — her signature Base → Build → Finish approach to understanding flavour, technique and great Jollof.
Drawing on a culinary journey shaped by Lagos, Lomé, Accra and London, she teaches West African food through culture, memory and technique, helping students understand why a dish works rather than simply following a recipe.
Her classes explore Nigerian party-style Jollof, the foundations of West African flavour, regional dishes, plant-based cooking and contemporary approaches to familiar foods.
Expect bold food, practical technique, plenty of conversation and a relaxed, hands-on atmosphere where complete beginners are welcome.
At the heart of Chef Dumebi’s teaching is a simple belief: understand the base, and you begin to understand the dish.
Beyond the classroom, she is a hospitality consultant, writer and culinary entrepreneur whose work explores African food culture, restaurant development and the future of hospitality.
Chef Dumebi | Creator of The Jollof System | Where Culture Meets Cuisine
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