Following in the footsteps of Prince Kaboo, also known as Samuel Morris, the Legacy Village West African Cuisine restaurant brings Liberian and West African food to Muncie, which allows patrons to eat what the prince himself would have enjoyed.
Do you want to experience the goodness of West African cuisine? Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Prince Kaboo (also known as Samuel Morris) and eat what he would have enjoyed? Look no further than Legacy Village West African Cuisine, a new restaurant in Muncie that opened on September 23, 2023.
The restaurant opened in a space at 3124 N. Granville Ave that was left vacant after a hibachi grill shut down. According to Pauline, a waitress I chatted with in the restaurant, the family and friends of the owner, Sasha Donati, rolled up their sleeves to transform the former hibachi grill into Muncie’s only West African restaurant.
I received a recommendation to go try Legacy Village from a student from Nigeria, who raved about the authentic West African flavors, restaurant vibe and friendly waiters, many of whom attend the local church, Destiny Christian Center International.
I jumped at the offer and, alongside my roommate José, left on a windy Saturday night to experience the warmth of West Africa in my belly.
We were not prepared for what we would experience that night. The dulcet tones of Alicia Keys greeted us from a vinyl player perched in the corner. Bunches of plants dotted the room, with seating for two, four, six and eight spread among it. The restaurant was half full, with groups of people trickling in as the evening waned.
Legacy Village’s menu was extensive, and ranged from West African classics like jollof rice and plantain meat pies, to vegan options like their eggplant stew and sweet potato greens plates.
It would be impossible to stay within budget and try everything on offer, so we settled on two items, the Liberian chicken wings which came with white rice, and the Liberian jollof rice, which came with chicken drumsticks and fried plantains. Additionally, we ordered three boiled eggs to round out the meal and a small bowl of hot pepper sauce to increase the spiciness on offer.
Our waitress reminded us that all dishes were made from scratch and we could see the staff doing just that, through the glass window of the double doors leading to the kitchen. Our food took a moderate amount of time to arrive, but José was pleasant company and the time passed by smoothly.
The Liberian chicken wings were unlike any I had ever seen. Eight wings the size of my hands were laid across a bed of white rice, their crunchy brown skin slathered generously with a dark, thick paste made of tomatoes, onions and a lot of spicy goodness.
The white rice complemented the wings perfectly, allowing them to play center stage and providing a soothing undertone to the symphony of the hot, spicy, juicy wings.
The Liberian jollof rice was deliciously oily. Each grain of rice was coated to perfection with an orangish oil mixture that was made up of blended tomatoes, onions and peppers. The two chicken drumsticks that came with the wings were slow-cooked and its juicy meat provided subtle flavors that deep marination evokes.
The fried sweet plantains were in sharp contrast to the sweat-inducing spicy rice. Crispy on the outside, with sweet, pillowy insides, the plantains provided a sweet respite while we happily toiled through the mountains of jollof rice that was heaped on our plates.
If the heat from the wings and rice wasn’t enough, José and I dumped in the hot pepper sauce that the waiter had warned us about.
Our Mexican and Indian tastebuds were tickled by the fierce spice that emanated from the delicious sauce. It truly was extremely spicy but with an undertone of sweet fruitiness that had us dumping more and more onto our food. (We ended up enjoying it so much that we bought a larger container to take back to our room.)
Our total for the night came out to $40 with tip, which was more on the expensive side, but with the ample portion sizes and succulent food, it was well worth the money spent. The portions we ordered could easily feed three people and four at a stretch.
Legacy Village is open Thursday-Sunday, 4-9 p.m., and you can find a full menu on their website. There is ample parking in the front, so feel free to bring your friends and family to show support to this fledgling restaurant.
I rate Legacy Village West African Cuisine 5/5 spice, 5/5 flavor, 4/5 affordability, 5/5 must try.
