Travelers Kitchen Brings the Flavor of Africa to Springfield, Illinois
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Travelers Kitchen Brings the Flavor of Africa to Springfield, Illinois

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Each course begins with chef “Yee” Yaya Sanney preparing the chicken with plenty of seasoning. He takes a handful of lemon pepper and fresh herbs and adds them to jollof rice, a tomato-based rice dish traditionally served in Africa.

But you can get a taste of Africa at Travelers Kitchen, 1732 S. MacArthur Blvd., in Springfield.

The West African cuisine restaurant has been a part of Springfield’s vibrant dining scene for over a year now, as one of the only purveyors of traditional West African cuisine.

Business owner Ansumana Darboe said he wanted to give the Springfield community a taste of the food he grew up with in Gambia.

“There was a lack of variety in the food market,” Darboe says. “We filled that gap. Starting a business like this requires a lot of marketing and educating customers about what African cuisine is. You can just say you have fish and chicken, it’s easy to do. … But I put up a sign that says ‘African cuisine’ because I want people to ask themselves, ‘What is African cuisine?’”

Darboe came to Springfield from Gambia in 2012 to pursue his master’s degree in public administration at the University of Springfield. Darboe said he hopes that with time and education, more community members will learn about African foods and discover if their favorite food still exists.

Darboe’s kitchen joins several other businesses like Jamaican-style jerk shop Go on 5th that are owned by people of color in the city, finding gaps in cultural representation and filling them.

“Last week, a man came to me after taking an ancestry test and finding out his family was of West African descent. So the family came to the restaurant with the goal of connecting with their ancestors,” Darboe said. “He said he was eating West African food and it connected him to his ancestors.”

Darboe says many people who walk through the doors are unfamiliar with West African cuisine and are curious to try a type of food they’ve never had before.

“Springfield is a food town,” Darboe said. “African cuisine, especially West African cuisine, is not represented at all in the food scene. We wanted to bring that diversity so the city and its residents could have an experience that tasted like Africa.”

The menu is extensive. Chef Yee, a family member originally from Gambia, prepares Chicken Yassa, a savory tomato and lemon dish that pairs well with fufu, afra, benachin and more.

Travelers Kitchen participated in Black Business Month created by Black Lives Matter Springfield. The directory lists businesses owned and operated by Black entrepreneurs in the city with addresses and more information.

Darboe says being part of the directory was just the beginning and plans to join the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Black Chamber of Commerce.

“A lot of people come here to sit and admire these African artifacts,” Darboe said. “There’s African music playing in the background and that’s part of the experience.”

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. You can reach her at [email protected] and on X (formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

Website http://loconrepta.biz.id

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