French/Italian Cuisine? Oui, per favore

Just in time for French national day, I discovered a very chic restaurant that serves up not just French cuisine but also Italian. La Scala is nestled in the premises of the Musical Society of Nigeria Center, Onikan,(MUSON) home to classical music nationwide. It's strange how I've been to the Center so many times and never noticed the restaurant. So for those who have been just as oblivious of this hot spot, you are welcome.

The Ambiance: La Scala does its best to pay homage to both French and Italian influences with its decor. There is also an infusion of African and even Buddhist artifacts and artworks which work seamlessly together to create the elegant atmosphere. The large table seating and classical music wafting gently in the atmosphere was somewhat reminiscent of a scene out of one of the famous 'godfather' movies.

I can totally picture Don Corleone here

Bar stocked with the usual culprits, you can also get a coffee here

Informal seating by the bar

Erm...interesting

The Menu: At first glance the eight pages, categorized into soups,meats,fish,poultry, salads and vegetarian, did not seem intimidating. However ordering food seemed like an advanced French class, quite a tongue twister. Escargots `a la bourguignonne was just one of the words I had to pronounce, and all that boils down to is snails in garlic butter sauce.

The Food!!!:

The Entree: To be honest, asides the soups, which were pretty pricey, all the starters were a bit ridiculous. The first thing I ordered was something called a Carpaccio, which was described as thin slices of marinated beef topped with parmesan, safe enough. The waiter looked me dead in the eye and goes, 'Can you eat this?' And I retorted with an attitude filled " YES!!I have teeth," rolling my eyes. He smiled and explained to me that my beloved Carpaccio was RAW MEAT!! So let's say that the complimentary bread rolls and butter was more than enough for me. 

The bread rolls were soft and warm and served with just enough salted butter.

The Main meals:

The first hot meal was the "Supreme de volaille `a l'orange" (yes it's okay to bite your tongue trying to pronounce that). This meal is essentially two thinly sliced strips of chicken, sautéed in fresh cream and orange sauce. It also comes with a side serving of plain white rice. 

The sauce was really exquisite, but the corn, peas and carrots swimming in it just reminded me of a bag of store bought mixed vegetables. The flavours from the vegetables did not blend too well with the orange sauce, and just distracted from the rich flavour of the sauce. 

The chicken on the other hand was amazingly seasoned and cooked to perfection.

The second main meal was the "La Tamboure exotic" aka grilled croaker fish in a Hawaiian spicy pineapple sauce. This was a really bold choice for me, because I absolutely hate all types of fish, but after tasting this, I just might have a change of heart. 

Sugar snaps on the side

Two generous slices of spicy grilled fish on a plateau of mashed potatoes surrounded by pineapple sauce with diced peppers and pineapples in it was really an amazing burst of flavours all at once. 

The slice of lemon squeezed on the fish gave it a zesty flavour. Simply ambrosial.

Dessert: For dessert I was expecting a continuation of the French theme with chocolate pastries or airy souffles, but I was disappointed with the mundane option of either ice-cream or fruit salad. It was as though whoever designed the menu just couldn't be bothered to think of anything unique.

The ice-cream was rich and creamy but honestly, I could get that any good ice-cream spot in Lagos.

Wine: What's a french restaurant without wine eh? La Scala has an extensive supply of wines and champagnes (which I spied some bishops knocking back). 

If you are staying away from the bottle, not to worry they make a mean and affordable Chapman, and you can pretend it's red wine.

Portion Control: I actually expected the meals to be much smaller, so I was pleasantly surprised that each meal could feed a party of two. The idea is not to get stupid full. If you have a really healthy appetite, then a plate should be just fine for you.

The Staff: The waiters were clearly heaven sent as they saved me from ordering raw meat. They are excellent food guides. Make sure you ask them for their recommendations, they'll be sure to help you make edible choices. 

Like all fine dining, La Scala is NOT CHEAP!!A three course meal for two will set you back about N 15,000.

15 what!!?

Pocket change for some but not for all. But if you are looking to impress, this is the perfect setting for a power lunch to broker some multimillion transaction or just a cute dinner for two, your call.

La Scala is open for lunch from 12 p.m-3 p.m, and dinner's served from 7 p.m t0 11 p.m.

They've added an extra 30 minutes

*La Scala is located within the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. Call 08032963051 for your reservations. 

As always, feel free to leave your comments and/or questions. Au revoir and happy French National Day.

Johnny Rockets : All American Diner

Retro decor, vintage signs and black & white chequered floors; with Johnny Rockets, you can get that nostalgic 50's diner scene, right here in Lagos. The signature juke box and the pictures of baseball greats and legendary American musicians hanging on the walls, add to the authenticity of the all-American theme. 

 The Ambiance: With the "blast from the past" setting, you can tell that the intention is for Johnny Rockets to look like a scene from an old American movie, and it works. You get to travel back in time and forget that you are in the heart of Lagos.

Not too sure how this works 

The Juke box, source of all the groovy music

The Menu: With a humongous two paged menu, deciding what to order can be deliciously overwhelming, but the pictures and exact description of what each meal entails are pretty helpful.

The Food!!!!

The Entree: With a list of entrées that boast of traditional American chili to the signature Rocket wings, you are definitely spoiled for choice. 

The Chili cheese fries: This is a clever twist on your plain old fries. The chili fries is a decadent combo of piping hot fries topped with beef chili, cheese and chopped white onions. Fries with cheese is simply brilliant, but the meaty chili and the crunchy onions make this simply delightful. 

who knew cheese and chili would be such a great match 

The Rocket wings: Six scrumptious bread coated, tender chicken wings topped with either spicy buffalo sauce or "ketchupy" barbecue sauce. It is served with creamy ranch dressing on the side which introduces a subtle flavour to the wings. If you can't decide which you want, try getting two of each so you can decide on your favourite wing. 

Ranch dressing on the bbq sauced up rocket wings 

Buffalo sauce wings 

The main meal: 

The hamburger!!!: Johnny Rockets is world famous for their hamburgers, please do not visit Johnny Rockets without trying one of their burgers. I ordered the Bacon Cheddar Double. A word to the wise,"Do not eat this alone, you will self -implode!!!!"With a warm bun encasing layers of cheese, lettuce and bacon overlapping a juicy and lightly seasoned beef patty, I was in burger heaven. I will never eat another burger if it's not from J.R. It is also interesting to note that the beef is locally sourced. 

If bacon isn't your thing, you can ask for it to be excluded, or better still, just order one of the many other divine burgers

Hands down the best burger in Lagos(trust me, I have been around!!) Burgers in general get a bad rap for being unhealthy, however I don't think it gets healthier than this. If you follow my warped logic, it is actually a nutritious meal; the bread buns provide the carbs, the juicy and well seasoned pattie for protein, the cheese also protein, and the lettuce and tomatoes are the much needed vegetables. And sure you might worry about calories, but you only live once, wolf it down and go for a jog later. 

After the burger, I was definitely in a good place, a little exhausted in a good way, but not being one to be defeated, I powered through to desserts. 

Dessert: 

The Oreo Milkshake: If you love Oreo cookies, this is the milkshake for you. The yummy shake has oreos ground in it, so with each sip you get a crunch of the yummy cookie. It comes with a refill tin, just in case you can actually finish the first serving. 

Delivery Time: All the food was delivered under a record nine minutes after the order was placed, which is super fast in the restaurant world!!

Portion Control: The pictures of the gigantic burger speaks for itself, though being the grub that I am, I wish those amazing wings were just a bit bigger.  The entrées or "shareables" as they call it are honestly enough for a party of two to share, and I dare anyone to finish the double burger alone. 

The Staff: If I worked here, I would find it very distracting to have to break into dance every hour on the hour, but hey, that is all part of the J.R experience and they manage to do it with grace and a smile on their faces. Customers are free to join in the brief boogie session. 

digging the dancing queen!!

I would love to say that J.R is super cheap, but honestly it is not as expensive as I thought either. A three course meal will set you back just a little over N 5000, but I say that is money well spent. Johnny Rockets is a really chilled out, family friendly spot for all ages with the most indulgent food. For a few hours, forget that you are in Nigeria and bop your head to the oldies music that permeates the atmosphere. They get a five star rating from me ***** 
If you have been to Johnny Rockets Lagos, or any of their other locations, feel free to share your experience and leave a comment.

***JOHNNY ROCKETS IS OFFERING ALL "DEDAH EATS" READERS WITH A FREE SODA WITH EVERY PURCHASE OF BURGER AND CHIPS OR YOUR CHOICE OF A FULL MEAL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JULY!!! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE GREAT OFFER!!!! MENTION DEDAH EATS TO GET YOUR FREE SODA !! 

Dedah Eats was a guest of Johnny Rockets, many thanks to Christopher Nahman for his hospitality. 

*Johnny Rockets is located at No. 1411, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria-Island, Lagos.... For deliveries, call  07087958787, 08175881155.