Take it Senegal Easy - Welcome to Toronto's only Senegalese restaurant
The National Post, April 14, 2007

I was strolling through Kensington Market last week when I saw a sign for a Senegalese restaurant. I stopped in my tracks and my mouth dropped open. A year and a half ago, I spent 10 weeks in Senegal, and I was astounded to see the small West African nation now had an outpost in Toronto. The restaurant's name, Teranga, means "hospitality" in the West African language Wolof.

There weren't too many people there -- the restaurant had only been open for a few weeks -- but what it lacks in volume it makes up for in friendliness. African-style greetings are the norm here: People often shake hands and introduce themselves to the other patrons when they come in.

The restaurant's owner is Amidou Goudiaby, a soft-spoken man originally from Casamance, Senegal's most beautiful and most troubled region. He somehow manages to simultaneously run the bar, take orders and cook all the food. Goudiaby says since he moved to Canada 10 years ago, everyone he meets asks him two questions: "Where are you from?" and then, "Is there a Senegalese restaurant in town?" There wasn't one, so Goudiaby rose to the challenge. Kensington Market, known for its ethnic diversity and popular with tourists, seemed like the logical place. Goudiaby found a second-floor restaurant that had been vacant for six years and brought in African art from Amilee African Arts, his shop around the corner on Dundas, to decorate it.

Teranga serves as a de facto cultural centre and meeting place for Toronto's Senegalese community. But with fewer than 200 Senegalese in town, the restaurant must have a broader appeal. Sitting at the bar, you're likely to meet an unusual mix of Somali refugees, British hipsters, Trinidadian immigrants and former residents of other West African nations, such as Gambia, Congo and Ivory Coast. While Senegal is a devout Muslim country, Teranga has beer and wine on the menu.

And the food? It's just like in Senegal, but better. Take Senegal's signature dish, thiebou djeun, for example. The mixture of fried fish and rice tastes a lot better when you don't have to eat it twice a day. The yassa chicken (grilled with lemon and onion sauce) is a delicious treat meant to be enjoyed on a special occasion, such as a baptism or birthday.

If you visit the restaurant on Saturday or Sunday night, you'll hear DJs pumping out joyful and energetic West African dance music. It's the perfect soundtrack for homesick ex-pats, nostalgic travellers or anyone curious about the tastes and sounds of Africa.

- Teranga African Bar and Restaurant is located at 159 Augusta Ave., 416-849- 9777.