How Lack Of Professionalism Is Robbing ‘Ofada Boy’ Restaurant

Unlike many who stumbled upon the name Ofada Boy from Twitter, I had my first meeting with this fairly popular brand in April 2018 while roaming around the venue of GTbank food festival.

 

 

 

… For he that fights and runs away, May live to fight another day

How It all started

So Ebi Tumbo is one of my very intelligent friends who eats out a lot. I’m sure she’d by now be the biggest food critic in this part of the world if she had launched her blog earlier than now. But the believe I have in her greatness was what made me leave everything aside for the launch of her new lifestyle and food blog- Ebitumbo.com

Locating Ofada Boy In Surulere

Since I was around Onipanu bus stop around the agreed time for the launch, all I did was jump on the next bus to Ojuelegba and flew a bike to number 1 Mba St, Surulere, Lagos. I was charged  N250, an amount a normal me wouldn’t have paid without haggling, but time was running out on me.
On getting to the junction, a security guard who must have suspected I’m a first-timer took me by the hand after we exchanged pleasantries to the premises and this to an extent gladdened my heart because Ofada boy is tucked quietly in a compound where I can bet no first-timer can independently locate.

The gates (consisting of two average-sized wooden doors) flung open and for a minute I doubted I was still in Lagos, I took unsteady steps from the gates to the first eating area which hosted the traditional bar for the restaurant.  I took a seat directly opposite the bartender before Ebi Tumbo joined me and three others to the space she had earlier reserved within the inner chamber.

 

Ambiance

The traditional Yoruba theme chosen for this space was well orchestrated by folks who actually knew their stuff. I was particularly blown by the meticulous arrangement of every piece of furniture in sight.

The artificial grass which stretched from the gates to the bar area was what my eyes focused on before being distracted by the stylishly built seats (made out of special wooden skeletons and leather covering ) within the lounge and bar area. The wall covering and the sane ventilation did their bits in making me feel at home within the bar area which can comfortably accommodate 25 people.

On settling at our table, I gave a satisfactory nod as I saw quite a number of people feasting on their foods. The few who weren’t eating played traditional board games while waiting on their orders to arrive.

The window blinds, doors, and wall coverings were made of canes, Raffia, and mats respectively. I don’t know how many horsepowers the AC was, but it connived superbly with the OX standing fan to give everyone enough chill to last them for a lifetime. The soothing voice of Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey made me forget the promise I made to Jon Bellion that I wouldn’t mime any other song throughout December.

The interior has 3 divisions which can conveniently seat  40 people.

 

See the Interesting Review I Wrote On Mega Chicken Agidingbi

 

Customer care/ Attendants

When (on my arrival) a young man came to me with a large smile (which I could tell wasn’t faked) to ask me what he could do for me. “Yes!” I exclaimed in my head. “Finally, a Nigerian restaurant is getting it right with customers Service”. But my joy didn’t live long, and this isn’t due to the attitude of the attendants but for their lack of professionalism. I mean, what better way can I explain attendants who can’t ensure the tables and eating areas are thoroughly clean before welcoming new customers. If that is overlooked should a forgetful attendant be spared as well? These traits made the attendants synonymous with a respectful bride without exposure.

You should also read How Good Customer Care Service Earned Cafe Neo (Yaba) A Decent Rating

 

 

Here’s what Ofada Boy told a customer on twitter… you see, there’s a very tiny line between savagery and utmost insensitivity. Here’s a golden opportunity to win back a customer who’d potentially become a promoter, but no, the likes and retweets were more important.

 

Another low for me was the delay in serving our food, considering the fact that we ordered a plate of their most popular delicacy (Ofada+Plantain+sauce) which I thought they could have mastered the art of making. When Ebi complained about the delay, I tried pacifying her by saying the delay could be as a result of them taking their time to quickly prepare our food. She countered by saying a time frame should have been attached to each order so customers can know for how long more they’d be waiting. The food finally arrived and to my disappointment, it was as cold as a dog’s nose.

 

Food

The truth must be told, for a restaurant wearing the hat of a delicacy as important as Ofada, there wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary about the food which I find absurd because their specialization should have helped uncover more creative things to do with Ofada.

But hey, this didn’t take away the fact that the sauce was really good, even though it wasn’t peppery. I particularly loved the fact that the boiled eggs were partially bruised- making room for the sauce to easily penetrate the yolk. I’m not too good with numbers but I was sure I saw as much as 10 meats in my portion.

Classes of Ofada Delicacies

We opted for the Ofada classic which costs N1,350. It contained Ofada rice (served on leaf), assorted meat, beef, ponmo, egg, and plantain.

Other options included:

Ofada premium (N1,600)
Ofada Rice, Meat (Assorted), Beef (Eran), Ponmo, Egg (Optional), Plantain, Moi-moi

Ofada Delux (N2,000)
Ofada Rice, Bush Meat or Snail or Smoked Catfish Or Fresh Catfish or Goat Meat, Beef (Eran), Ponmo, Egg (Optional), Plantain

Ofada Royale (N2,500)
Ofada Rice, Bush Meat and Snail or Smoked Catfish or Goat Meat(2 of any of these), Beef (Eran), Ponmo, Egg (Optional), Plantain

Ofada Yo (N2,550)
Ofada Rice, Meat (Assorted), Beef (Eran), Ponmo, Egg (Optional), Plantain, Yo-yo fish, and prawns.

 

After the ambiance, the palm wine was to me, the highlight of the day. It tasted really good and fresh. The bamboo cups and wooden dispenser probably played key roles in ensuring this superb delivery.

 

Side attraction

The availability of board games for customers actually fascinated me as I saw people playing Ludo and Ayo . The utensils (which included local calabashes, table brooms, and wooden spatulas) also made me want to stay longer for no other reason than just stare at them.  They all brought back loads of lost childhood memories. I was glad Ofada boy offers outdoor services and home deliveries and also has the option of cash or POS payment.

 

Verdict

I’d be making use of a university GPA system here and will be assigning 3 units to Customer care/service, and 2 units each to Food and Ambiance

Place/Ambiance: B

Food: C

Service: C

Result: 3.3/5

Second class lower.

Will I go again? Of course! But it has to be a time when I need some palm wine in my system with a couple of friends.

Have you ever been to Ofada Boy’s place? Kindly let me know what your experience was like in the comment section. I really want to read your view.

If you feel like joining in on subsequent hangouts, kindly fill this personalty form so I can send you an invite when I deem fit, based on your personality.

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