**** “Never judge a book by its cover”! I was introduced to this phrase many years ago when my folks took us on a vacation to Indiana. As we drove up to the “resort” ( as they called it), my Mom said “let’s go!”. My Dad, said no, “let’s stay”. We had the best vacation ever! We have been to a lot of restaurants over the years and while many have been grand and others small-town, it is the food and service that makes the difference. One of our listeners told us about a new place in the western suburbs, called “Jungle Plate”. Their cuisine is unique in that they have dishes that are definitely from West Africa and the Caribbean.
This is where the original phrase comes in. This restaurant is located at the end of a strip mall on a major street ( Roosevelt Road) and looks like a fast food pick-up place that just happens to have some booths and tables. They will open officially on December 2 ( a few days from now), but were quite gracious in having Frank, Jane and I come by for dinner tonight ( the only opening in our schedule for weeks). Nicholas Poku was in the house ( so to speak) and his staff were quite helpful in making the dining experience one that we could talk about. First of all this is a pick-up spot and one where there is no server- you order at the counter, pay, and pick up when ready. Since the kitchen is not in full operation, we took it slower so each of the dishes we tried could be explained to us. FYI- the food is served in to-go containers but you can dine in as the seating is comfortable. They even have real silverware and dishes for those who want to feel at home.
The menu is divided into sections: “The African Jungle: where we enjoyed the Jollof Rice- A West African delicacy of rice cooked in a rich tomato sauce that came with a salad and protein ( choice of fish, goat or chicken)
From this section, we also enjoyed a dish called FuFu and soup. FuFu is a combination of plantain and Cassava served with a soup ( choice of light which we had or peanut butter soup or palm). The protein again is either goat, chicken or fish ( the fish we had was Whiting and I found it quite delicious. The FuFu is an amazing entree that can easily be a meal alone. Three of us all dug in and there was still some broth for later.
From The Caribbean Jungle we enjoyed the Jerk Tacos: choice of flour or corn tortilla with mango salsa, mozzarella cheese and shredded lettuce. This came with an order of fries ( these were fried just right-crisp, not burned)
We also loved the Jerk Chicken Alfredo: served with garlic bread ( a heck of a dish using the jerk chicken) and from the Just Chicken Jungle, we enjoyed one of the small plates. The Jollof Bowl: Jollof rice tpped with jerk chicken and grilled veggies-DELISH!
FYI- They also have a KIDS JUNGLE that includes chicken nuggets ( I guess a kids favorite everywhere) and they offer a few salad dishes.
“The Jungle Plate” is family owned and operated. The owners are from Ghana and every dish on their menu is infused with the flavors of their country. They are a dining experience that offers healthy options, vegan options and organic drinks ( I took a picture of the soft drinks offered) They were very tasty! Dining here will make you feel as if you are on a trip to the unknown and tasting foods that you might never experienced before. The food is tasty, the flavors amazing and the owners truly want you to feel the flavors of Africa.
Jungle Plate is located in Westchester at 9916 West Roosevelt Road.
They are open daily from 11 am- 8 p.m.
phone 224-443-3965
You can go online and pre-order for pick up or dine-in. I truly feel the experience is better when you dine-in!
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