Vuuka Restaurant

The latest addition to L.A.’s fairly small African dining scene (beyond Little Ethiopia), this tiny Black-owned restaurant in Downtown L.A. serves an excellent dinnertime selection of West African dishes Thursday through Saturday evenings. While the must-order here is beef suya—a popular Nigerian street food covered in an addicting blend of spiced ground peanuts—every item on its small, vegetarian-friendly menu is flavorful, satisfying and deeply comforting, from the chicken wing stew served with plantains and jollof rice to the chef’s special stir-fried egg noodles. Combined with excellent service and friendly hospitality, a meal at this cozy Downtown eatery is worth the trek for all current and future aficionados of West African cuisine.