I tried the new halal restaurant inspired by Africa and left disappointed - though the food was amazing

Recently a video of Marvel actor Will Poulter berating the lack of Michelin stars for restaurants that specialise in African cuisine went viral. In the video, Poulter professed his love for food from different cultures and described the situation as an ‘oversight’.

While Will makes a compelling point, there is also a conversation to be had about the lack of high street restaurants serving up cuisine from Africa. One establishment looking to address this is Afrikana in Rusholme.

Situated on the historic Curry Mile, Afrikana opened it’s doors to customers late last month. A restaurant franchise that began in the West Midlands, Afrikana is the tenth branch of an impressive portfolio that includes spots in Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

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The halal restaurant has already been a big hit, with our social media feeds inundated with pictures and videos of their stylish décor and even better looking food. So, with this in mind we decided to head down to Afrikana Manchester to see just what all the fuss is about.

The décor of Afrikana is impressive. A sleek and clean design with a heavy emphasis on the earthy tones of green, brown and yellow paying homage to the trees, soil and sun of the continent that the food is inspired by. On the walls of the stairs are murals of black women with flowers for afros and the music played certainly fits the aesthetic, with some of the latest afrobeats being played at an acceptable volume.

For my visit I ordered one of their specials - the Jammin’ Jambalaya' which costs £14.95. A blend of jollof rice, prawns, diced chicken and vegetables mixed in their house sauce. On top of this a healthy