Hey guys! I was invited for a food tasting of the new menu at Amazonia restaurant (Abuja’s rainforest dining experience).
It wasn’t a closed tasting, as the restaurant was open to customers (which in my book is a plus, cuz I got to see what it was like on a regular day).
This review will be on the new menu and the current menu (we ordered separate from the tasting) so I get to review as a guest and as a paying customer as this was my first time visiting.
As usual, I’ll be taking your taste buds and imagination on a foodie’s journey! And giving my honest unbiased personal opinion.
Let me be your personal guide to the dishes to order at Amazonia restaurant Abuja.
NEW MENU AT AMAZONIA RESTAURANT ABUJA
Fish cakes – 7/10
So, on the outside, these look like Nigerian egg rolls, but on the inside, they’re shredded fish! It wasn’t crispy, but the texture was pretty good. It had that fishy flavor, but it wasn’t the overpowering kind. This was well seasoned and tasted really good. It was served with a pineapple salsa that paired well with the fish cakes.
Chicken taquitos – 9/10
They might look like spring rolls, but these are deep-fried Mexican chicken-filled tortilla rolls. The roll was crispy (but not too crispy) and most importantly, not greasy. The filling was deeply flavored and well-balanced. It was served with a sweet but well-balanced tomato salsa, guacamole, and some cheese sauce that went to Harvard! This appetizer takes your taste buds on a journey.
Surf and turf baked pasta – 8/10
This one is for cheese lovers. Farfalle pasta baked in tomato sauce and cheese. Taste-wise, this was pretty good; properly balanced and well cooked. However, I feel the dish needs more cheese. (Little side note here-I like the dish as it is, but if you get queasy easily, then you might want to ask for some spice to be added to yours when you order.)
Disco fries – 6.5/10
If you love fries and cheese, this is your dish! The dish consists of fried sweet potatoes with minced meat in tomato sauce and cheese topping! So this tastes awesome. Extremely well balanced! But it needs more cheese! because it lacked that stringy, cheesy effect. (Texture wise though, due to the amount of moisture in the dish, there is a high tendency for this to get soggy quickly, which was what happened in my case because I didn’t eat it immediately.) So you might want to eat this as soon as it is served.
Chicken piccata – 8/10
This is boneless chicken cooked in wild cucumbers and chicken broth. The aroma is very pronounced due to the lemons in it. The broth is lemony but not tangy; it’s bittersweet but well balanced. The texture of the chicken was good too. The flavors were new and exciting to me. I really liked this dish.
Schezwan fish sauce and sesame rice – 8/10
Gidan ruwa fish cooked in schezwan chili sauce. Omo! This fish was amazing! It was sweet and spicy, and well seasoned. It had familiar Asian flavors. The texture of the fish was on point! The sesame rice paired really well with the fish. (Order this and thank me later!)
Green chili chicken Tortiglioni – 7/10
Tortiglioni pasta cooked in green chili curry. The flavors were foreign to me at first, so this pasta was very interesting. With each bite, it grew on me, and I wanted more. The sweetness from the cherry tomatoes brought balance to the dish. It was a pretty decent dish.
Miso ribeye stir fry – 6/10
This is not your typical stirfry! I mean, I’ve never had a stir-fry with ribeye steak before. It’s very innovative, it tastes pretty decent but I found it a bit underwhelming. This was served with sesame rice.
WHAT WE ORDERED ON THE CURRENT MENU AT AMAZONIA RESTAURANT ABUJA
Short ribs and Thai dragon rice – 9/10
The ribs took my taste buds to heaven and back. It was reminiscent of salah day. The meat was so tender and seasoned to perfection! The rice was extra spicy
and Flavorful in the most memorable way, the Yoruba in me was jumping with joy. And on the plus side, the portion was large! (this is a dish for everyone) – 9000
Chicken wonton soup – 7/10
The soup was creamy and had a mild presence of coconuts. I loved that the dumplings were crunchy and well seasoned. also, It was visually pleasing. This dish tasted really good. – 5000
Ambiance
I was in awe of its uniqueness, aesthetically…it’s new, it’s fresh and positively different, Literally like dining in a forest! The theme is ‘a rainforest dining experience’ and I think they definitely tick the box! I mean if I wanted to dine in a forest, this would be it. It’s new, it’s fresh and very different! The detailing was on point! There were hanging plants from the ceilings, little bulbs shaped like birds, and waterfalls everywhere! There were real birds in cages at the entrance. Even the tables had faux plants in them. It was very green and refreshing!
SIDE NOTE
Amazonia restaurant serves gourmet dishes and so attracts an audience with a wide palate. So if you are a food explorer, who likes to experiment and discover new flavors, then this is definitely the place to go!
Small issue though…before I visited, I looked through the menu on their IG page (this is a plus for me). The majority of the dishes were unfamiliar, but I was eager to try, so I went to their Instagram page, to see pictures of the dishes (I like to eat with my eyes). But only a few of the dishes were posted and some were not labeled. So I think they can make an effort to showcase the dishes they offer.
PRICE POINT
Forewarning, the price point is a bit high…I mean we ordered a drink, starter, and main from the current menu and that amounted to 20k! On the plus side, they make up for the price with the portion size!
PARKING
They have a valet service which is not common (and is a plus), but there isn’t enough parking space.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
After tasting both the new and current menu at Amazonia restaurant Abuja, I think there is something for everyone. Yes, There are foreign flavors but there are also familiar flavors on there (the schezwan chill fish and sesame rice on the new menu is a great example). The food is good and if their target market is the high society, then they are right on track! But if they are looking to attract a wider audience, then they might want to make their menu a bit more extensive (range) to accommodate the Nigerian palate, those with a wider palate, and maybe make it more pocket friendly.
It was an enjoyable learning experience for me!
Overall this place is a solid 8/10, I think the food is niche, but it’s really good. I would recommend going here!
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