Dakar Restaurant

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (FOX Providence) - In this morning's Quick Bites, our TV Maitre d' has discovered a unique new restaurant where he says the delicious food will give you a taste of a far away continent. Watch the video clip for full details!

Joe Zito: Craving something different, how about the exciting flavors of West Africa here at Dakar Restaurant.

Colleen Daley Ndoye (Co-Owner of Dakar): Dakar is the capital of Senegal and that's what the restaurant was named after. Interestingly, there's a large Senegal population in Rhode Island, and so we have a multicultural feeling to the restaurant. We have a lot of Senegalese customers who like to eat their own foods and customers coming in and trying the food for the first time. It's known as some of the best food in Africa.

Joe Zito: I don't get out much. Where is Senegal?

Colleen Daly Ndoye: It's in West Africa. It's right on the ocean, so a lot of the food has fish, as sort of a base, because there's a lot of fishing going on in Senegal, and a lot of lamb, beef, and chicken. But no pork, because most of the people are Muslims, but the food is really -- it's quite delicious.

Joe Zito: And here, you'll meet Colleen's husband and co-owner.

Colleen Daly Ndoye: My husband is from Senegal. He came to this country 10 years ago and he just recently became a citizen last year, and he's always wanted to open a restaurant and share his cuisine with the rest of the state and so we decided that we'll open a restaurant in Central Falls.

Joe Zito: Dakar is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. The place bright and cheerful and vibrant with music too. After all, the Senegalese are a festive people who love good food and good times. And what they call Taranga, best described as a welcome feeling of hospitality.

Colleen Daly Ndoye: We have the national Senegal dish, which is broken rice to soak up more of the flavor, so it's broken rice with fish and vegetables and it's highly spiced and very good. One of the other dishes that we're known for is a Senegalese egg roll. There's a lot of influences from France and Vietnamese influences in the food.

Joe Zito: It's a true taste of West Africa and a great treat for the adventurous palette.