We have exciting news this week that Asempe Kitchen is opening a new location in downtown Ithaca, and the grand opening weekend for this West African restaurant is this Friday and Saturday.
After years of pop-ups and farmers market stalls, chef Kukua Yomekpe is bringing his Ghanaian cuisine to Press Bay Court, a new restaurant opening in the space that's been home to One Ring Donuts, The Gallery, North Fork Restaurant and Noble Bird for the past few years. DP Dhow has been located in the alley behind Press Bay Court for a while, while The Haunt hosted live music there for years before moving to the waterfront.
Asempe Kitchen is located at Press Bay Court at Green Street in downtown Ithaca, 14850. Photo by Mark H. Anbinder.
Asempe Kitchen's menu includes African stews such as Nkatsi Nkwan, a peanut stew; Nkruma Foye, an okra stew; and Egusi, a spinach stew, with accompaniments such as okra and fried plantains, plus a tangy, earthy Asempe Moko hot sauce for those brave enough. Chef Kukua likes to talk about how he evolved from traditional recipes using seafood and meat to plant-based recipes.
Last week, we were lucky enough to enjoy a soft launch dinner to get a sneak peek at this beautiful new restaurant and its delicious food. We started with appetizers of Red Red (black-eyed peas stewed with onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes) and fried plantains. The main courses were egusi (spinach stew) and aricha (vegetables sautéed with ginger and garlic). For dessert, we had vegan vanilla bean ice cream with West African peanut brittle from a Syracuse producer.
The main course for the soft launch dinner included Jollof rice, Egusi and Aricha.
While the menu will generally remain vegan, Chef Kukua said he occasionally plans dinners that feature fish, seafood and meats he grew up eating.
Once business is up and running, Asempe Kitchen will offer weekday lunches with a market-style buffet of prepared foods (rather than a self-service all-you-can-eat buffet), dinners with chef-curated menus, and even cooking classes.
But the grand opening this weekend is First Friday Gallery Night, with a pop-up bar, art by Reed Palmer and music by SingTrece from 4 to 6 p.m. Dinner is available walk-in only from 6 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, dinner is available from 5 to 9 p.m.
Asempe Kitchen is located at 114 West Green Street at Press Bay Court in downtown Ithaca. For updates, follow them on Instagram or Facebook or visit asempekitchen.com.
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