How Joké Bakare took West African cooking to Michelin-star level

Joké Bakare is a true trailblazer of the London food scene.

The Nigeria-born chef opened her restaurant Chishuru, initially as a pop-up, in September 2020 in Brixton.

It moved to its permanent new home in Fitzrovia three years later, before earning a Michelin star in February 2024.

That proved to be a landmark recognition, as Joké became the first black female chef in the UK to hold a Michelin star.

Joké has brought the cuisine she grew up on to a wider audience, showing them the complexities and delights of West African cooking.

“We want people to really taste the flavours of West Africa,” she said.

“A lot of people say that trying the food for the first time is a great experience.

“They’ll often say they’ve never had anything like it before.

“People don’t always realise how complex the flavours are – they might think it’s just a one-pot dish where everything comes together, but there are actually so many layers to it.

“I’m proud to be one of the very few people doing this kind of food.”

Inside Chishuru: A Michelin-Starred Restaurant Without the Formality

Chishuru is open five days a week, for lunch and dinner, closing on weekends.

Despite holding a Michelin star, the restaurant’s website is keen to stress they are “not a fine dining restaurant”.

Diners can expect a relaxed atmosphere with music playing.

To showcase the variety and to help customers who are perhaps unfamiliar with the cuisine, the offering is a set menu only, priced at £55 for lunch and £105 for dinner.

Sauces, Rice and the Heart of West African Cooking

Lots of preparation goes into the making of the dishes, with some sauces and jollof rice taking hours to perfect.

Joké said: “I always say I’m the saucier – the sauce guy!

“Sauces are very important to us. In West Africa, and especially in Nigeria, there are so many different tribes, and everybody has their own slight take on a main recipe. But one thing we have is hundreds of different sauces.

“Some are very specific to certain people.

“That’s why sauces are so important in the restaurant – they’re the heart of the dish.

“They tie everything together. For the team here, tasting the sauces is also part of educating their palates, especially for those who didn’t grow up with this food.

“It’s a learning process, making sauces and cooking rice – which is absolutely core to what we do.

“I try to take charge of it as much as I can, while also letting the team do as much as they can. But sauces really are important.”

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Asked which of the many sauces she likes most, Joké said: “My favourite Nigerian sauce really depends on how I’m feeling.

“Sometimes I really love a bitter leaf sauce – thickened with taro, with bitter leaf running through it. You get that balance of sweet and bitter at the same time, which is really nice, especially with rice.”

Ingredients, Markets and Access to Nigerian Produce in London

London’s dining scene has expanded rapidly in the past two decades, with cuisines from all over the world now available in the capital.

That too has seen the availability of ingredients massively improve, with Joké able to access some authentic Nigerian produce from local London markets.

Giving an example of the type of ingredient she picks up for the restaurant, Joké said: “Breadfruit seeds. It is in the same family as durian, but this is a different variety that we use in Nigeria.

“We don’t use the fruit itself, because it’s quite bitter – instead, we ferment it, wash it and use the seeds.

“Sometimes we use them on their own. Because they’re fermented, they develop a lovely lactic flavour, and they’re also quite nutritious.

“We use them in one of our specials – with pork neck and a sauce made with fish.

“The seeds sit in the sauce and give a texture similar to well-cooked buckwheat, but with a bit more density.”

From Nigeria to London: Joké Bakare’s Journey into Food

Joké moved to the UK with her family aged 25 and has been interested in a career in food since her university days.

Whilst studying biological sciences, she ran a fish and chip cart in her spare time.

After taking jobs in industries such as health and safety, care, and property management, the switch to food finally came in earnest in 2020.

Having won a Brixton food competition, she opened Chishuru as a pop-up and the rest is history, particularly after a glowing review from renowned food critic Jay Rayner.

As well as a Michelin star, Joké has been recognised by a host of other organisations, notably British Vogue last year listing her in the list of the 25 women most defining Britain.

Food, Memory and the Flavours of Home

Despite being around 4,000 miles from where she grew up, cooking the food of her homeland allows plenty of nostalgia for Joké.

And while the mission is to showcase Nigerian food to a new audience in London, the cooking process also takes her back to some old memories.

“One spice that’s very nostalgic for me is uda,” she explained.

“It’s grains of Selim, and a really good quality one always reminds me of my maternal grandfather.

“He loves to cook, and whenever we go to visit him, there is a dish he makes where the smell of uda was the first thing that hit you.

“Every time I smell it now, it reminds me of him.”

A Growing Moment for West African Cuisine in London

Chishuru is not alone in bringing West African cuisine to London, with Akoko also receiving a Michelin star in 2024, highlighting the expanding top quality and varied food offering across London.