Along the busy streets of First Hill, Tina Fernbulle shares the vibrant flavors of West Africa with Seattleites.
Fahnbulleh is the chef and owner of Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen. She started her business in 2017 and has found success running pop-up shops doing dinners and catering while working full-time. And in late 2023, Fernbulle will open her brick-and-mortar restaurant, taking a big step in a journey that began in search of a taste of her hometown.
“This is soul food, the foundation of West African cuisine. That's how I would describe it,” Fernbulle said.
“I lived in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and then… [Seattle].Both places I used to live [to Seattle], I could always find the food I grew up with. “I got here and I love it here, but where am I going to get food?” Fernbulle said with a laugh. “So I decided to pursue this, starting with pop-ups and inviting friends over and doing catering.” Did you think this would happen? No, I just wanted to cook. ”
Fernbulle's menu draws from all over West Africa, but focuses primarily on the cuisine of Liberia, where she was born, and Ghana, where she lived in a refugee camp as a child.
“I grew up in a very diverse area,” Fernbulle said. “People migrated from different parts of West Africa because there were riots in Ivory Coast, Guinea and Liberia, where I’m from, so we all ended up in refugee camps,” she said. . “With that came different life experiences and different types of food. I always found myself in that. Wherever there was food, that's where I was. .”
“It's always been just a way to get together with everyone else. It's been a way for us to bond. That's why it's so fun for me. Cooking for me is a way to bond.”
Now, Fahnbulleh is building that bond with his customers. Some people are familiar with these dishes, while others are enjoying West African cuisine for the first time. So what should diners expect?
”[It has] Lots of vegetables, lots of leafy greens, lots of peppers, especially on the Liberian side. We love peppers, but in Ghana we have a lot of tomatoes. Many of our stews are tomato based. On the Liberian side, it is replaced with a peppery soup. ”
Fernbulle encourages first-time guests to try the beef pie or vegetable pie, a portable pocket of flavor she's been making since the early days of the business. Another destination? “Goat Peanut Soup with Fufu'' is a tomato-based soup with peanut butter and okra and super tender goat meat.
Every dish on our concise and focused menu is made with love. And for Fernbulle, all the effort that went into building her business and perfecting her cooking has been completely worth it.
“From the time of the pop-up to now, people have been following me, everyone has been proud of me, and I'm overwhelmed by the positive words I've received,” she said. “Yeah, that's something I get a lot of. People are so proud of me.”
Find out more about Gold Coast Gull Kitchen here.
