Chef Adetomi “Imoteda” Aladeokomo is back again, bringing her wildly successful fine Nigerian cuisine pop up, called Oremi, to Toronto for a second straight month.
In Yoruba, a language spoken in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, Oremi means friend. And, as the event postings reveal, Chef Imoteda thinks of all of her guests as friends, cooking a five course meal that would indicate she actually thinks of them as best friends. To start, a welcome glass of prosecco greets the chef’s friends for the evening, followed by a dinner and cocktail experience that’s sure to impress and appease the senses.
The first course features small chops, or Nigerian finger foods, including a roasted pepper sauce served with green pea akara (similar to a fritter) and mosa, which is a snack made from over-ripe, deep fried plantains. Pepper soup, oseoji (seared duck breast with eggplant and spiced peanut butter), asari (braised lamb, yam porridge, goat cheese and salad) and a banana bread dessert called emeka round out the experience. The emeka is served a la mode, with yaji vanilla ice cream, chocolate mousse and topped with a salted caramel. Each dish is served with one of the chef’s signature cocktails.
The first Oremi pop up, was held on March 27. It was so successful that Chef Imoteda, who is an expat from Lagos, Nigeria, decided to host a second event on April 24. She has culinary training from Le Cordon Bleu, and has been showing off her skills across Toronto ever since she relocated to the GTA.
The pop up event will be held at Le Dolci in the Junction, at 12 Sousa Mendes Street.