Fishtown pop-up pays homage to Nigerian heritage and culture

Tucked away in West Philly and King of Prussia are a few specialty stores that are invaluable to Adesola Ogunleye-Sowemimo. Whenever she’s missing the flavors of Nigeria, where she was born and lived until the age 7, she makes the long trek to secure ingredients for her cooking.

But Ogunleye-Sowemimo is tired of taking long trips for dried crayfish and ogbono seeds and spices. And they’re tired of not having a space to gather with their community. So they decided to make one.

On Sept. 27, Ogunleye-Sowemimo, who has held a variety of roles in the food industry for 15 years, will launch a series of pop-ups in her Fishtown neighborhood that will explore culinary flavors and musical genres while providing space to build community.

Dubbed Wahala, a cheeky and fun Nigerian Pidgin word for ‘trouble’, Ogunleye-Sowemimo’s first pop-up will feature the dishes from their own childhood and heritage.

“It’s a bit unfair to have a lot of cultural food being pushed to basically the outskirts of the city, especially when food should be something that should be easily accessible to everybody,” she said, referencing how certain restaurants and chefs get more financial backing than others. “And this event is a way for me to reconnect with my culture.”

The six-course meal will feature dishes such as fufu, moi moi, Jollof rice (Ogunleye-Sowemimo argues the Nigerian version is best), and puff puff, a cinnamon and nutmeg fried cookie. They’re the dishes Ogunleye-Sowemimo loved growing up, sneaking a few puff puffs when visiting family members’ homes, devouring labor-intensive stews her mom would spend hours preparing for her.

» READ MORE: In search of Jollof rice with chef Shola Olunloyo as West African flavors surge in Philly and beyond

Shaq Armstrong, a bartender at Center City’s Friday Saturday Sunday, will be whipping up cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks to pair with the dishes, infused with West African-inspired ingredients including pickled okra, mango, and nuts and berries common in Nigeria.

“This event is all about reconnecting with family and community, no matter what that community looks like.”

“(Ogunleye-Sowemimo’s) cooking allows me to be a little more weird,” he said. “I think people usually try to sacrifice tradition and culture under the guise of being professional. People who are unwilling to sacrifice authenticity and still have this really good standard is going to be very exciting.”

Ogunleye-Sowemimo wants to authentically and unapologetically highlight the spices and thick texture of ogbono soup; the comfort brought by the savory and spicy akara, a fried bean fritter; the thrill of sneaking a few sweet puff puffs in your hand — no matter how unfamiliar, or spicy, it may be.

Each time the people involved with the pop-up share it with a community member of the African diaspora, whether or not they’re Nigerian, they’re met with excitement about having access to a gathering space where they can build community and connect with the culture.

That need is particularly important in quickly gentrifying Fishtown. A 2019 study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition found that incomes in Fishtown rocketed from $59,280 in 2006 to $81,889 in 2017.

» READ MORE: Study: Philly among leaders in gentrification, which has pushed out people of color

“For a part of town that likes to hype up a bunch of new restaurants, the fusion idea and different types of food; for a city that has a lot of Black history ... to not really have good options for the type of Black diaspora that absolutely lives here is kind of missing a huge chunk of the community,” said Carolyn Haynes, who’s filming promotion videos for the pop-up.

Ogunleye-Sowemimo has had a front-row seat to Fishtown’s gentrification. A resident for over 10 years, she went from stooping with her neighbors every day, surrounded by Black and brown folks, to being one of the few Black people left in Fishtown, sometimes feared by white newcomers and often stooping alone.

Wahala is a way to reclaim that space for Black and Indigenous people of color who no longer feel comfortable in the neighborhood they got priced out of, and introduce newer residents to that culture and community. While this pop-up will focus on Nigerian cuisine, Ogunleye-Sowemimo plans to venture into other cultures for future events in the series.

“This event is all about reconnecting with family and community, no matter what that community looks like,” Ogunleye-Sowemimo said.