The 5 Best Plates of Jollof in Lekki, Ranked

One to three

1) The Place on Admiralty Way. Party jollof done right — proper smoke, firm long-grain, and the sides (fried plantain, moin moin) hold up. Around ₦3,500 with chicken. 2) Yellow Chilli's ofada-and-jollof combo. Not the cheapest but the smoke on the bottom of the pot is real, and the ayamase they serve alongside makes it a full meal.

3) Ocean Basket at Circle Mall. Chain, yes, but the jollof they serve with grilled fish is surprisingly good and consistent — never dry, never soggy.

Four and five

4) Kilimanjaro on Admiralty. Fast-food jollof but at ₦2,000 with a leg quarter it is the best cheap plate in Phase 1. The grain suffers a little after 3pm when the pot has been sitting; go at lunch. 5) Any roadside mama-put in Ikate around Adebisi Ogunniyi Crescent at midday. Under ₦1,500, served in foil, and often better than the restaurants because the pot is fresh and the wood-smoke is real. Ask for extra stew.

I have deliberately left out the hotel restaurants — their jollof is competent but expensive and never has the smoke. Jollof is a working-class dish; it belongs in working-class pots.