Gorilla – Asian Flavours and Bar
WORDS Vicki Harding
This fabulous Asian Fusion restaurant can be found just off the Rua 25 de Abril in Lagos. Owner Barbara Wallisch is passionate about all the delicious, fresh ingredients they serve from their open kitchen.
Barbara comes from high-end hospitality in Austria, where she was born. She realised Lagos had a gap in the market for an Asian-themed restaurant. Her partner Jamayne Vale had travelled extensively around Asia working in an abundance of different restaurants. Together, they teamed up to make Gorilla, a diverse and exciting restaurant offering an extensive choice of Asian-inspired food.
With Jamayne as head chef, they cater to both vegetarian and vegan customers without forgetting the fish and meat-eaters. It is a great place for everyone to find a dish they like.
We visited on a rainy March evening and the restaurant was vibrant, busy, and full of people. Barbara welcomed us and showed us to our table, talking us through the menu and explaining some of the dishes and flavours. All their food is homemade and freshly prepared by the chefs.
We chose a selection of starters and mains to sample a range of what was on offer. All the dishes were amazing, from the Panko Vegetables to start and the Guest Ramen for a main course, the tastes were fresh and flavoursome. Pad Thai is one of their most popular dishes, so we had to try this too. It was all excellent.
The chef then presented us with a selection of desserts – mango sorbet with dried pineapple and vanilla meringue, chocolate fudge cake, and a cheesecake bomb. All were delicious! These restaurateurs offer a wide variety of wine options, with organic and eco choices wherever possible. We chose an organic white wine from the Alentejo.
I would strongly recommend this restaurant as somewhere different to try. Booking is advisable.
+351 915 956 357
