Dakar …Creating life memories..:)

Tag: Fabulafricana

  • Matu Café..ah bon hein:)

    “Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee
    Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee.”

    Chico Debarge -No Guarantee

    The lyrics of this end of 90s’s early 2000’s R& B song came in mind when I stepped inside of the Matu Cafe.Je ne sais pas, maybe it’s because the orange and green tones made me think of that video..I don’t know:) Memory association is fascinating..maybe it was because of the soulful music playing in the background..I don’t know..But tout celaa pour dire que the vibe inside of the eatery was already my “kind of vibe”.

    I was meeting friends of mine, siblings duo Amy & Moha.Whenever they are visiting Dakar & have free time , we always manage to hang out at least once. It’s always pure laughter and good vibes. Amy is the one suggested we met at Matu Cafe.It was my first time hearing of it, she further explained that it was owned by a Senegalese woman who moved back to the 221 to follow her dreams of opening a coffee shop.

    I visited the cafe’s instagram and looked through their online menu & was agréablement surprised. The restaurant is located in the neighborhood of Mermoz where I spent a big part of my life. The neighborhood has changed a lot lately, there are new luxury apartment buildings, pilates studio and now the Matu Cafe. I am sure people living near by are probably very happy about this new eatery.

    Across the street ,there is a dance studio where my daughter has been a regular since maybe she was 5 years old. When I arrived at the coffeeshop, I was greeted by an amiable attendant who showed me to my table with a big smile. Maybe because it was early morning , the cafe was not crowded yet..which selfishly I like lol. There were 2 gentlemen having a chat , a hijabi woman on her computer. While waiting for my friends, I enjoyed un chocolat viennois “au chaud” comme disent nos frères Ivoiriens 😀.

    Soon after the siblings arrived, in between catching up, we ordered our breakfasts. Moha had the chicken waffles, Amy had the Senegalese omelette and I tried the croissant Benedicte. The portions were reasonable and the plating was pleasant & neat. All 3 of us enjoyed our morning meals.

    Our trio also enjoyed talking about working out; we talked pilates, running and paddle. Amy shared that she really enjoyed pilates because it really engages the body in its entirety. I have been wanting to try a class but for beginners, like a soft introduction to this practice😅 I know it’s a” big trend” in Dakar right now..pilates this , pilates that lol…which is not a bad thing. I really just want a chill environment not too uppity..just a pleasant vibe. I really am also looking for a class with a focus on breath & meditation.I will keep looking online et continuer à me renseigner.

    Before leaving the coffeehouse, I wanted to try one of their fruity soft drinks. I chose the Mangoe Passion cocktail with une tranche de citron which made for a beautiful visual dégradé color combo . It gave me the right boost of energy I needed this morning. The next treat I would like to try there , is the carrot cupcake..affaire à suivre donc 🙂

    Till next time InshAllah:

    Yaye

    “Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee
    Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee.”

    Chico Debarge -No Guarantee

  • Showing up…matters:)

    Salam out there, hope life is treating you kindly:)

    I was invited to my little nephew’s kindergarten birthday party. It was a cute little get together with little children between the ages of 2 &3 years old. When I arrived, they were all sitting very politely around the table decorée with a black tablecloth for the special occasion. From their nonchalant behaviors, it was apparent that they were used to having birthday parties at school. Some looked cutely sleepy, some trying to figure out what the fuss was about and others probably ready to just eat birthday cake.

    Birthday parties at this age are mostly enjoyable for parents lol .”We’ve all been there. As parents, we’re so proud, and on those days our minds drift back to their first steps, their first words, their first everything.

    Witnessing them in kindergarten learning new songs, new words . After long days at work, coming home and noticing progress in the way they talk or behave is always moving. My cousin told me to be there at 10 AM sharp. I hate being late & thankfully I got there right on time. La maîtresse and her assistants run a tight ship, the children were well behaved.



    I actually thought it would start on African time lol but elles n’ont pas le temps, they have other things to do. My nephew was ready to dig his spoon in his birthday cake & his mother kept telling him to wait. My cousin was beaming with pride watching her little boy interact with his friends and I realized how important it is to show up for family. She did and does the same for me and many other family members. Every year since she was born, she gifts my daughter with a birthday cake. I know when she gets older, she will be grateful for all the love she showed her. . I remember “big cousins” of mine gifting me basic things like a pair of pants, candy..I especially remember my cousin Madina sending me a pair of creme casual pants from France (that was big deal back then)…

    It’s” nothing to her,” she forgot all about it & when I reminded her of it , she was shocked to know that it meant a lot to me as a teenager.

    Showing up for children whatever their age matters, they might not show it right away but as they get older they will remember the little moments of joy you brought to their life.

    There was another boy who was celebrating his birthday as well. His mother was running a few minutes late, but once she arrived we celebrated his birthday with another joyful rendition of the universal birthday song.

    We all joined in and made the birthday boy & his mother feel celebrated.Just as my cousin, she was beaming with pride, taking a” 100 pictures” as any proud mother does. Both these mothers took time out of work to be there for their sons. The kids truthfully looked uninterested at times lol…you know the look little children give when you are trying to get them to smile in public and they look at you as if you were invisible lol.. yet a second later they are jumping up, clapping their hands and saying :”maman..” lol.


    After enjoying chocolate cakes, it was time to party, the MC aka la maitresse put on some music and the children were invited to shake it of lol..It didnt take much convincing for some children, but my nephew had other things to do lol..he wanted to drink some more juice lol.The other mother was so cute..dancing happily with other kids, kissing on her own child..My cousin joined in and soon it was a big party lol..definitly one cute human experience:)

    His nounou was also present, it’s important to give nounous their flowers.They are the ones to stay with the children during the day when parents are busy working .They are the ones who feed them, wait for them for long hours when they are at school or at school activities . They get attached to the children and yet have to find the delicate balance between being there and knowing when to step back.It’s not always easy…Amadou’s birthday celebration was a reminder that Amadou’s birthday celebration was a gentle reminder that showing up matters. Sometimes our physical presence is the greatest gift we can give the people we love.

    ‘Till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • Urbanista Bistro, the 221 Way:)

    Hello out there, hope this post finds you doing well:)

    Hun hun je peux commencer, Ziiri (a Bambara word that means un conte ou histoire)..When I was a little girl ,every time there was a power outage my mother would tell us stories in Bambara . I remember my siblings & I listening with anticipation, lol stories of animals and words of wisdom lol ..those were the good old days:)

    Anyways ..back to “my sorties dans Dakar”..This time it was to meet my friend Marissa who was visiting Dakar with her lovely children.She suggested we meet at @urbanista.bistro au Point E. This is the second friend of mine who while visiting from abroad suggested meeting at this bistro..I am going to ask them why they chose this particular place, I am curious to see if it’s internet suggested or friends reviews.

    I believe I have been there twice before over a year ago. I remember the flower wall papers & the pink tone inside of the restaurant. While I was waiting for her, I ordered an orange juice and looked around. There were a few men lunching either in groups or en mode solo. I imagine that they work around the area..there are a lot of businesses and ONG’s around.

    Soon after, my friend arrived with her little ones, I had met her 2 beautiful daughters when they were little and I was finally introduced to her cute little boy. We found seats for our big party of 5 , kids were given des crayons de couleurs and des feuilles de coloriage…that was a nice touch, it keeps children busy and entertained.


    She ordered a seafood pizza for the children, for herself a burger and I had un medallion de boeuf & 1 gratin dauphinois. The ambiance in the bistro was chill, business guys were sharing laughter and good meals. We took our time, didn’t even feel the hours go by, she mentioned that it’s been 6 years since we had last seen each other ..time truly flies. I could not believe that Covid happened 6 years ago, it’s like it was just yesterday when we had to quarantine around the world..what a time !

    I noticed the customers were mainly male ,several businessmen would come and go, lunch on their own or have other friends join them over time. It was interesting to see & hear men relax and talk among themselves, share laughter talk about life..let their guards down just as we would do among women. I noticed a beautiful duo of hijabi women coming in, laughing , sitting not far from us, and a few minutes later change sits..I think the presence of the group of men nearby made them shy lol I get it..it can be intimidating.

    Marissa & I also chatted for hours …women talk lol, she’s a law professor in the US. It’s good to see friends achieve professional goals and contribute to society. Professors & teachers are so essential in all our lives, we all have that one teacher that inspired us to become better people and to go after our personal goals despite life difficulties. Anyways..it was really nice catching up with her & her lovely family:)

    urbanista.bistro on IG.

    ‘Till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • L’Épicerie , allons:)



    Hello out there , hope this post finds you doing well.

    Lately I have been posting a lot about places I am discovering or rediscovering au gré de mes envies and lately it’s been lots of culinary spots. I was in the mood to eat something light at a low key spot..just a chill spot where I could enjoy some me time au calme.

    I decided to go to l’Épicerie, I had been there a couple of years ago and I remenber sitting at the colorful terrace where I enjoyed a plate of spinach raviolis, and I also remenber the colorful sits and funky stairs.

    Today I wanted something lighter so I chose a Caesar salad and un jus d’orange pressé. My daughter turned 13 years old today Alhamdoulilah and a friend of hers wanted to surprise her with a birthday cake and soft drinks at her dance class..I Thought that was so kind of her, these young girls are so free minded and resourceful , back when I was 13 years old I was not thinking of throwing surprise parties for my friends, she gave me suggestions for de bonnes addresses patisseries & decided to pick the drinks and bring cups and plates.

    As I was enjoying my lunch, I was thinking of the notion of time going by fast and I also was appreciating slowing down in this cool spot with an Italian flair. When I sat down, behind me there was a group of women chatting away, some dressed in athletic wear.I assumed they came from a yoga class or something light and were catching up as busy women do..

    The restaurant was quiet, I was greeted by une agreable serveuse who I could tell was ready for her shift to end..I dont blame her lol saturday afternoons downtown Dakar are rather quiet , plus its summer , many people have left for summer vacation and it’s also extremely but extremely hot.


    When I first got there , I went straight upstairs, I had forgotten that there were sits inside..She suggested I had lunch inside, thank God because I was sweatinnnng lol..

    Before I eft the downtown area, I also stopped by @pausedouceur.sn to see my friend Carla who works there and to also succomber to mon péché mignon..une tranche de fondant au chocolat noir…the best in town might I add.I also took the time to walk around the city a little bit..its one of my favorite time to do so, on weekends the city respire il y’a moins de monde , c’est agréable..:)

    ‘Till next time:)

    Yaye

  • Ynedi..inedit vraiment:)

    Hello out there…I hope this post find you wherever you are in the world doing well ..à la genie in a bottle , in my Christina Aguilera voice lol… Here I am organically discovering le made in Dakar au gré des occasions et du fond de pocket lol very important …This time I wanted to gift my sister in law with a dress made au 221, she is from Dakar but currently lives abroad so I figured she would like something de coquet de tres feminin that would remind her of her birthplace & the brand https://ynedishop.com/home/ came to mind.

    I figured I could not grow wrong with this brand that sells luxurious boubous and elegant dresses. Living abroad sometimes as African people we might have “get togethers” to attend..it might be a wedding , a baptism ceremony and you might want to wear something current & easy to wear no matter the different seasons. I went to their first boutique, I was greeted by a friendly woman who explained that they had moved to another location not too far..another woman who works there was kind enough to suggest taking me to the second location .We had a friendly chat about the brand as we we were walking there . We talked about how sometimes women me included want casual to wear for work or just for every day for the sake of feeling pretty in beautiful artisanal made in Dakar wear…


    Once we reached their new spot we were greeted by other friendly sales women..I was in a hurry and Dior helped me find this beautiful lemon green tunique dress that we agreed was lovely …I also fell in a love with a white dress and a floral skirt…definitely another brand I would visit again. Their instagram ID is :

    y_nedi

    Till’ next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • Burger ..Sen Burger I tried:)


    Hello out there, I hope life is treating you well:)

    It was Saturday today, and I was in the mood to try a good burger somewhere by the beach and just take the time to chill and savourer the taste of ground beef, caramelized onions and veggies.After doing some research online, I read good reviews about Sen ‘Burger and saw that it was located by the beach of the Almadies. Their burger menu was quite diversified : veggie burgers, chicken burgers and so many different types..Of I went … I ordered a Yango ride, the driver was very friendly we talked children, education, the need d’avoir des reperes dans la vie…I shared some of my experience as a mother, we laughed about how kids are so bold now , he is an upcoming father and he shared how he wanted his kid to first learn the Quran before going to school.I thought that was great..its been said that children who study the Quran when they are young tend to have great academic abilities later on in life…bref it was a good conversation.

    When I reached the place ,I was greeted by a professional and friendly receptionist..I took the time to pick my burger I tried the omelette burger ( à la Sénégalaise)..I went around 4 pm because I read online that it was best to avoid rush hours and I really wanted to take my time and just chill & enjoy the view..I went upstairs, it was only I ,and a mother /daughter duo enjoying a good chat…The fries were really crispy and tasty, the burger was pretty big & savory

    I also liked that the staff was chill, probably because it was hot and they themselves were probably enjoying the quietness before customers arrive later on this evening. I also liked that you could enjoy a nice view of the sunset early eveningI also had a fresh smoothie all natural no added sugar…definitily a place I would go back to…it’s chill, cozy , unpretentious .

    On my way home I had a different conversation this time with another Yango driver, he asked what type of music I liked and encouraged me to chose whatever I wanted to listen to. He is a die hard soccer fan , we had a good chat about la defaite de l’equipe Senegalese at the World Cup, I was interested in what he had to say about the loss and why did he think we did not succeed…bref a nice outing. Here is the website:https://www.senburger.com

    ‘Till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • Boubou …. à La Pointe des Almadies!

    Hello out there..I hope life is treating you as softy possible. I have been in the mood lately to wear more tradi -modern fashion . There are so many local fashion houses so I needed help to figure out where to go . I decided to turn to the always helpful chat -gpt…l asked suggestions for casual linen African inspired clothes and one of the option they offered was @la_maison_du_boubou…the name of the fashion house actually sounded familiar, it’s one of those places I had wanted to visit..donc cela tombait bien.One of the good things with Yango is that if you don’t know the place, and you put in the name of the place, they would take you straight there..so of I went:)When I reached , I was greeted by the owner, a friendly and serious woman , she was rather amused when I told her that I found her atelier through artificial intelligence..she was positively surprised I think lol..She suggested I took a look on my own..which I like…I enjoy going through a store without stressful vendors who stand right behind you.

    The store was nice , bien éclairé, spacious…the fashion line est tres sobre , pas trop chargé..clean, beautiful embroidery work..She shared that she likes solid colors, we had a nice conversation about embroidery work..one of the kaftan she designed was named it after her mother, the embroidery work was intricate and had many irregular lines on purpose because it reminded her of her mother’s tenacity to find her way through life. When she spoke about her mother, her face lit up…I could tell she could talk about her impact forever..she paid hommage to the hard work behind the embroidery done by the artisans she hired..I fell in love with two beautiful tuniques and ended up buying one.We also discussed how people steal designers like her ideas, and go to China to mass produce it cheaply and for very little..and she added people don’t understand that it’s art…Here’s their instagram address @la_maison_du_boubou.

    I ended up wearing the tunique tonight to hang out with a friend of mine au restaurant @restaurantlapointedesalmadies…I had not been there in over a year , it was the perfect summer occasion to enjoy dinner pas loin de la mer..Comme partout les cartes sont chères…my friend who was visiting from abroad was shocked at the prices..and I told him that’s how it is nowadays…all restaurants are expensive..

    I chose les brochettes de gambas with un gratin de pommes de terre and he chose un thiof with atieke…donc atieke poisson quoi…les plats etaient copieux, I didn’t finish my meal and I think he enjoyed his…c’etait sympa..we caught up… cela fait du bien to have good and honest talk …’till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • Lagon..tu verras:)

    Hello guys, hope you are doing well under this heat, especially the Dakar’s heat …it’s only June so we have a long way to go …summer heat lasts here sometimes up to late November…who I am kidding? not sometimes…all the time …till November…so let’s brace ourselves. I took my daughter for brunch at the very famous Lagon 1 restaurant by the beach..it’s always nice sitting on the terrace , facing the water, watching from afar Goree Island. I have enjoyed having dinner there a few times , never did brunch or early lunch there. We got there close to 12 pm , the terrace was not crowded so we could chose our seats sans problems, a few people were already there enjoying the sun and going for a swim.

    It’s always nice catching up with my little one..without her phone, catching up on her” personal tea” ..teenagers are people of a few words unless they really want to share lol…I had les brochettes de poulet et de la puree and she had carbonara pasta…I enjoyed my meal , it was quite healthy and the portion was enough, for dessert I always enjoy leur tarte aux pommes chaude et sa boule de glace…my little one wanted to get ice cream I warned her that it might be a big coupe de glace but she insisted she was up to it..until it was on the table: Chantilly, vanilla , and chocolate …she looked at me and as any mother I said ” I told you so “ lol

    by the time we finished our lunch , people were coming in among them a lively group of beautiful hijhabi women were meeting up for lunch, young Lebanese couples with their children were meeting up with friends…My goal was to have a pleasant calm brunch with my child..so I was grateful..it’s good to create memories when we can , life is tough and expensive here..so I am grateful that we were able to share this culinary experience. Here is their webbie: https://www.lelagondakar.com/lelagon1

    ‘Till next time 🙂

    Yaye

  • MOTHER..DAY ’26

    I know Mother’s Day was about a couple of weeks ago, but I still wanted to document how I spent it. My daughter who is close to being 13 years old surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers…I knew she was planning on buying me a gift but I didn’t expect her to order and have flowers delivered to our home…kids nowadays have so much confidence in planning things, going to the florist for example picking with arrangements they want to surprise their parents with..I was really moved with this delicate attention, plus it had this feminine vibe which reassured me in thinking that even for herself she can appreciate the art of gifting and of enjoying the simple things in life like beautiful flowers..It made me smile to know that those are little gestures that she can expect as she grows up from her future partner InchAllah.That same day, she had a dance showcase à Daniel Sorano, her dance school was invited by another dance studio to perform a short piece.The months before ,every weekend they were committed to practicing for this show, their dance instructor asked them to either commit to each practice or not…which is a good thing , its teaching these young girls to make sacrifices and have discipline. At Daniel Sorano, plenty of bilingual parents were in attendance rooting for their children, during the 2 hours of the dance spectacle the young dancers were encouraged through dynamic and loud cheers by their friends their families. The one thing that really moved my heart is at the end of the spectacle the owner of the dance studio, Aicha teared up thanking her young dancers and their loved ones..I was really touched when closed people to her came on stage with flowers, a beautiful moment..afterwards we ended our Sunday evening outing @lamaisondesarts.sn, cute little spot where their offer des ateliers creatifs…it was a nice Mother Day’26…:)

    Until next time 🙂

    Yaye

  • Un petit tour over @ SistersofAfrica!

    Hello out there..as Chris Brown would say:)

    I hope you are doing well. It’s already February… ca y’est we are champions d’Afrique .!There was so much tension and joy this past month with the CAN..mais ca y’est it’s done..the whole country celebrated , my hometown was painted in our national flag colors..yes,it was a time:) On this post I wanted to share my experience over @sistersofafrika, a Senegalese owned clothing brand, they offer beautiful & colorful ready to wear dresses, des ensembles/ pantalons et chemises, afro modern boubous ect..I used to go to their first store years ago.. I hadn’t been to their new store over at Ouakam..It was lovely discovering the space, it’s well decorated, I love the afro modernism vibe of the store, minimaliste tout en gardant ce coté chic afro..I tried couple of pieces and fell in love with this yellow cache coeur piece…:) Definitely would recommend it for chic afro modern work wardrobe, or for cocktail attire or a nice modern wedding….

    Their webbie is:.https://sistersofafrika.com

    Sisters of Africa

    I also tried the Chinese restaurant La Mer Ouest with my cousin. She had been there before and gave good reviews.. was in the mood for du riz cantonais and I also wanted to enjoy l’air marin..so it was perfect. If you are looking also for a quiet spot on Saturday for lunch this could be a good option. I dont know if weekdays it’s busy around that time but I am going to assume so since there are many NGos in the neighborhood.

    The prices are decent…if you live in Dakar, you have probably noticed how expensive restaurants are, le rapport qualité-prix etait ok vraiment..hope they stay reasonable:)

    Oh and their homemade sauce piment & soja…une pépite comme les jeunes disent:)

    @lamerouestalmadies

    Donc voila..un tout petit peu des coins que j’ai découvert lately:)

    Till next time Insh’Allah.

    Yaye