Review of Akwaaba Restaurant

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Fufu. It’s the premier pounded carb of west Africa, and in Ghana, it’s a comforting complement to a canon of robustly spiced soups. So too at St Kilda favourite Akwaaba, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Begin with pousina: perfectly tender spiced calamari served in a wooden pineapple bowl.

Hefty jollof arancini balls are fun fusion, embellished with parmesan crisps and a bed of yaji sauce, but red red is the dish to linger on: an impossibly rich, earthy (and vegan) bean stew flattered by the crunch of fried plantains. For the waakye plate, fragrant rice and black-eyed beans are cooked in sorghum leaves and served with a medley of excellence: savoury beef stew, fried fish, boiled egg, textural garri, spaghetti and shito, west Africa’s smoky pepper sauce.

Order a glass of sobolo – a tart, crimson elixir of steeped dried hibiscus and spices – and toast the culinary riches of west Africa.

Must-order: Waakye plate.

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