Recently opened Nina Cuisine in West Haven,
which overlooks the I-95 overpass on Saw Mill Road from inside,
or outside,
is to my knowledge the first Nigerian restaurant to open in Connecticut. It’s a cute, homey little joint
and the service is very friendly.
Unless you have a familiarity with Nigerian food, you’re likely to find the offerings quite exotic. There were ingredients with which I was unfamiliar, but the staff was happy to explain them.
My friend and I ordered a fried goat appetizer,
which came with a pretty potent hot sauce.
My friend ordered a chicken Claire with farina,
which in Nigeria is more likely to be made from ground cassava than wheat.
Typically, the chicken Claire is eaten with one’s fingers using the farina in much the same way as injera is used in Ethiopia and Eritrea, but farina doesn’t have the sourness that some who try injera find off-putting. I ordered a chicken jollof with riz gras, which proved to be a delicious combination.
No dessert was offered, and we were told that West Africans aren’t especially into it.
Here’s a photo of restaurant namesake Nina, who with a male partner owns the restaurant, shown with her daughter (also pictured earlier).
And here are the menu
and beer list.
Dining at Nina Cuisine provides not just good food but cultural enrichment.
Nina Cuisine, 403 Sawmill Road, West Haven, 203-507-2593