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Calgary is, indisputably, a city of brunch eaters. We collectively love our brunch and are seemingly more than willing to (these days, virtually) line up for plates of eggs or fluffy French toast and an excuse to day drink on the weekend. Part of the magic of brunch-hour menu items is their ability to take on a variety of flavours and cultural influences – your typical eggs benny can be transformed into something new and exciting by swapping out the bread, the protein or the sauce, all without becoming intimidating or wildly unfamiliar.
It’s with this in mind that several smart chefs are bringing global flavours to traditional Western brunch items, with Asian, Indian, Latin American and Indigenous-influenced brunch options popping up around the city. The newest restaurant to take on the brunch game is Ahinke, a Nigerian spot located in Forest Lawn. Chef Kunbi Olalre launched the restaurant as Ahinke’s Kitchen in late 2019 shortly before the pandemic started to bring traditional cuisine to Calgary’s growing Nigerian community. The timing of the opening forced Olalre to constantly tweak her concept, fighting for her restaurant’s survival by offering catering, a summer youth camp, a soup subscription, and even an online cooking show. Through all of it, Olalre was thinking about how to further stand out, finally landing on the idea of a Nigerian-themed brunch, something she’s never seen at another restaurant either in Canada or Nigeria.
“Nigerians don’t eat a special breakfast with bread, eggs, and sausage like people do here,” Olalre says. “Nigerians will eat dinner for breakfast. If we could pick up some of our dinner items and mix them with Canadian brunch food, how would that look?”
Olalre worked with her friend Percilla Gutscher of the Maven Group (which includes the Maven, Sammie Café, and Brekkie restaurants) on a collaboration for Sammie, featuring a burger made with Nigerian suya spices. It was such a hit that Gutscher encouraged Olalre to fully jump onto the brunch bandwagon. Olalre closed Ahinke’s dining room for renovations, transforming the brightly coloured restaurant into a more subdued and calming space, with pretty green walls, tropical wallpaper, earthy pottery and African-themed knickknacks.
Olalre’s genius though, is in her food. Knowing the deep and spicy flavours of Nigerian cuisine may not be familiar to her new all-day brunch crowd, she worked traditional ingredients and flavours into standard Canadian brunch classics. Highlights include suya chicken and waffles topped with pepper soup gravy and served with a side of Olalre’s refreshing tropical bliss garden salad ($23), eggs benedict topped with moi moi, a Nigerian steamed bean pudding ($18), and French toast with candied plantains, rum caramel sauce, and coconut ice cream ($19). Brunchers can also share plates of puff puff, the much-loved Nigerian fried dough balls ($9.50), or try jollof rice arancini ($15).
As much as she let her creativity flow, Olalre also didn’t want to alienate her Nigerian clientele with the new concept. Ahinke’s new menu is divided in half, with the brunch items on one side and a section labelled “Nigerian dishes you have to try” on the other, with meals like jollof rice with chicken ($24), efo riro spinach stew with poundo yam ($26), and an elaborate soup called abula ($32). Her old regulars can still get those traditional favourites, but Olalre is also hoping the brunch crowd will get a taste for Nigerian flavours and spices and come back to try the original dishes behind their brunch.
“The goal wasn’t just to create something that everyone else would accept, but what our Nigerian community would accept, too,” she says. “It’s something completely new – you’re still tasting the flavours and the spices, but the brunch isn’t traditional Nigerian food.”
Ahinke is located at Unit 6, 2650 36th St. S.E. and can be reached at 825-210-9614 or through ahinkeskitchen.com. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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In other brunch news, Monki Breakfast Club and Bistro joins other local brunch successes like Diner Deluxe and OEB in an increasingly ambitious expansion plan. The latest Monki location is in Crowfoot with the same menu as the other Monki locations, but in a larger, more family-friendly room. The menu at the new and existing Monkis is also in expansion mode – the brand recently introduced some “old school” favourites with nostalgic brunch dishes added in to compliment the regular menu of contemporary takes on bennies, hash bowls, and breakfast tacos.
In October, all the Monkis will also start offering lunch items, with sandwiches (including vegetarian options) and burgers. Monki’s co-owner Aditya Dutta says more people are looking for mid-day options at Monki than ever, creating the demand for food that goes beyond traditional brunchy fare.
The new Monki is located at 842 Crowfoot Crescent N.W., joining existing locations in Greenwich, Beltlin and Inglewood. For more information, visit monkibistro.ca.
Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram at @elizabooth or sign up for her newsletter at hungrycalgary.substack.com.