Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2020, Blaðsíða 35

Joy & Jollof Rice
Introducin! O!olú!o, 101’s only African restaurant
Words: Poppy Askham Photos: Art Bicnick
Ogolúgo means “welcome” in Hausa
and the name couldn’t be more fit-
ting for Laugavegur’s latest culinary
arrival. Since its early July opening,
the team behind the restaurant
have been determined to deliver a
taste of Africa to 101 by offering a
host of authentic dishes from at-
tieke to domuda, all served with a
generous helping of laughter and
hospitality.
Filling a gap in the
market
“I want it to feel like home, that was
the main idea,” explains Alex Jallow,
Ogolúgo’s owner, waiter, and resi-
dent TikTok superstar. “The taste
of the food, the smell of the spices,
the crowds of people—when you
walk in you feel like you’re home,
like you’re in Africa.”
Alex hails from the Gambia and
Senegal region of West Africa, but
grew up in the U.K. and has been
living in Iceland for over ten years.
“I love Iceland, but I just felt that
that African touch was missing in
this country, so when I was able
to make it happen, it was a dream
come true.”
Before taking up the role of res-
taurant frontman, Alex worked as a
chef. “I got my love for food from my
mum. I was always in the kitchen,
running in and stealing food from
her whilst she was cooking,” he
explains. “When I was 11, I would
always ask to go to the market. My
mum would ask me what I wanted
to buy, but I just wanted to go so that
I could get close to all the different
ingredients. That’s the kind of per-
son I’ve been ever since I was little.
I’ve always loved food.”
He suddenly jumps up from the
table and disappears into the kitch-
en, emerging with a plate of jollof
rice served with crispy plantain and
grilled tilapia. He also brings the
rather reluctant head chef Dawda in
tow. “This is West Africa’s favourite
dish, but it can be found all across
the continent,” Dawda explains. “I
have lots of favorite recipes to make
and I’m always experimenting, but
at the end of the day I’ll always love
jollof rice.”
Service with a smile
Although the food is superb, what
really stands out from a dining
experience at Ogolúgo is the at-
mosphere, largely thanks to the
overbrimming enthusiasm of the
restaurant’s owner. Alex practi-
cally leaps from table to table, fre-
quently breaking out into dance as
he delivers steaming meat pies and
huge bowls of okro soup. It’s this
exuberance that has earnt him hun-
dreds of thousands of views on the
restaurant’s hit TikTok account—
username ogolugo101—where he
puts his own vivacious spin on the
trends of the day. His cheerfulness
is infectious; within moments of
entering the restaurant, you’re
grinning along with him and even
agreeing to make a TikTok cameo.
“Trust me, I don’t even know
where I get my energy from myself
and I’m in here every single day,”
he laughs. “It’s all about happiness.
There’s so much positive energy in
this restaurant. My customers look
forward to coming here, and they
love it when I’m dancing around the
place. It makes me happy to make
them happy so I don’t even notice
that I’m running around and that
time is going by. I can’t complain. I
am happy, very happy.”
And there we find Ogolúgo’s se-
cret: not only is it 101’s only African
restaurant, it’s also the postcode’s
most joyful dining spot. I leave the
restaurant like every other diner,
with a full stomach and a smile on
my face, having promised a swift
return.
Visit Ogolúgo at Laugavegur 85 and
be sure to check out their TikTok ogo-
lugo101.
35The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 06— 2020
Alex, in a rare moment of stillness
Food
Ó!INSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.490 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Brei"afjör"ur
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.990 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
EST. 2012REYKJAVIK
ban thai
There's a reason why we get an award every once a year
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 9
Always been the best from the reviews
in our local people and local newspaper.
Best goddamn restaurant 2011
Top Ten of Best restaurants in Iceland ( DV. 17.06.11 )
www.banthai.is tel : 55 -22-444, 692-0564 banthai@banthai.is
very reasonable prices
R E S T A U R A N T
recommend : two very good thai restaurants
MIXED thai restaurant, hverfisgata 125, tel : 588 -1818
YummiYummi thai restaurant, hverfisgata 123, tel : 588 -2121