Did you know that the Lagos State Government has built 3 of 6 planned independent power plants to supply electricity to public utilities such as street lights, court houses, hospitals, morgues etc?
Did you know that in the last few years Maxwell, Salt and Pepper, Mary J Blige, Chris Brown, Billy Ocean, JT Taylor, Marcus Miller, Bobby Brown, Bell Biv Devoe, Wyclef Jean and many more artists have performed in Lagos.
Did you know that Jeffery Daniels (of Shalamar) practically lives in Lagos, Joe has performed what seems like a dozen times and Marlon Jackson is a frequent visitor.
Did you know that Nigeria is the most successful nation in the world at the under 17 level world cup.
Did you know that Nollywood is now the second most prolific producer of movies in the world.
So are there are some interesting facts about Nigeria and Lagos. Are there any special tidbits you'd like to share today?
Saturday 7 December 2013
Friday 6 December 2013
Concrete weeds
Like tender, unfettered, unruly vines, the roads creep everywhere. In Lagos, this city of hope and dreams; forget Hollywood, this is where real hustlers come to make it. One could argue that if you can make it in Lagos you could make it anywhere. A mega city that doesn't really know how many inhabitants it has, only that more come to stay everyday than those who leave. Its years behind on its infrastructure program thanks to the lost years of military rule (thanks to the gap toothed Maradona and the Forever Shaded One). Still like the irrepressible inhabitants of this great city, the state soldiers on.
Recently I have noticed quite a few road projects all over the city. Unheralded and unseen, these roads are springing up in mud tracked suburbs, with drains and the ubiquitous interlocking stone tiles that turn uneven paths into vibrating lanes in a jiffy.
There are few state governments that are as organised or as far reaching or as sophisticated as Eko of oni baje fame. Its just a pleasure to see steady tangible progress, like spring after a long hard winter with the rugged terrain littered with fresh buds and sprouting shrubs. So today, no whinging, no complaints, no angst. Just want to thank God for these small mercies and that he has given us some leaders who have some care for those they govern.
Well, enough about us. So how was your day?
Recently I have noticed quite a few road projects all over the city. Unheralded and unseen, these roads are springing up in mud tracked suburbs, with drains and the ubiquitous interlocking stone tiles that turn uneven paths into vibrating lanes in a jiffy.
There are few state governments that are as organised or as far reaching or as sophisticated as Eko of oni baje fame. Its just a pleasure to see steady tangible progress, like spring after a long hard winter with the rugged terrain littered with fresh buds and sprouting shrubs. So today, no whinging, no complaints, no angst. Just want to thank God for these small mercies and that he has given us some leaders who have some care for those they govern.
Well, enough about us. So how was your day?
Friday 26 April 2013
Terra Kulturing
I like Terra Kulture; I really do. Perhaps though I like the idea of what it represents more than what it actually is. For example they promote Nigerian cuisine and this is supposed to be the place you take your 'oyinbo' friends for a taste of Nigeria. Still I'd rather take mine to Yellow Chilli or if they had a sterner constitution perhaps even Jevinik. I find the dodo is hardly every ripe, and their stew rather bland and they garnish their white rice with raw diced green peppers (who does that?). On the other hand they also give greater access to the theartre and their plays are of a good standard, but every show does seem like a matinee version of some grander performance.
The art upstairs is a great detour whilst waiting for a friend or for food, however labels of many are often missing and there is no information on the artists' whose works are on display. The library, which houses many obscure nuggets of African culture and history (I once saw a book on the housing market in Lagos the 182 thousand Naira) has no system or logic to how it is arranged, so finding anything means scouring every shelf in hope. Now I'm not trying to put them down, really I'm not, for it is in the summation of these individually flawed parts that one gets a special package. They are the little engine that can but is not yet there. The crooked glass tops on the outdoor tables do give concern that they may not be paying enough attention to detail anymore, but one could forgive them for having at least one eye on the larger structure they are erecting next door to their current facility.
So keep up the good work Bolanle Austen-Peters.
The art upstairs is a great detour whilst waiting for a friend or for food, however labels of many are often missing and there is no information on the artists' whose works are on display. The library, which houses many obscure nuggets of African culture and history (I once saw a book on the housing market in Lagos the 182 thousand Naira) has no system or logic to how it is arranged, so finding anything means scouring every shelf in hope. Now I'm not trying to put them down, really I'm not, for it is in the summation of these individually flawed parts that one gets a special package. They are the little engine that can but is not yet there. The crooked glass tops on the outdoor tables do give concern that they may not be paying enough attention to detail anymore, but one could forgive them for having at least one eye on the larger structure they are erecting next door to their current facility.
So keep up the good work Bolanle Austen-Peters.
Thursday 25 April 2013
Blowfish - Public Toilet or Restaurant?
Chopaholic had a hankering for pasta a few weeks ago and took my besto to Blowfish. We had been there a few times before and had good memories of the food. Parking as always was an issue, as Blowfish is a popular sunbathing spot and on this particularly hot afternoon there were the usual suspects strewn across deck beds stretching out like lizards on a large stone on a sunny day. After parking in a position and manner one was not particularly proud of, we went in and sat at a corner table. The waiter came over in reasonable time (why do they congregate around the bar and avoid eye contact with the customers?) and presented us with unfamiliar menus. To our dismay, Italian food was no longer on the menu, having been replaced by a medley of Continental, Indian and Thai fare. We were informed by our waiter that Italian food was now being prepared in an upper section outside the main restaurant building by the pool, but we were unwilling to expose ourselves to any more sunshine and mercifully he quickly proferred the solution to serve us from that kitchen in our cooler location. A second set of menus appeared but the dish we wanted wasn't on it, so we attempted to recreate it by adding some bacon (everything is better with bacon the Americans say) to one of their new dishes. This is where the trouble started as for ten minutes we could not get the cost of this simple addition.
I had already placed my order with the first waiter whilst we waited for another waiter from the Italian section to tell us the cost of the addtional bacon (wasn't going to be charged for $20 pasta again) who promptly told us on his arrival that he didn't know! I couldn't believe he walked all the way down just to tell us that. After consulting with his chef and some swarthy manager type person, a price of about a thousand Naira was mentioned. By then we were very hungry and told them to go ahead and prepare the dish, ready to make a big fuss if the price turned out to be ridiculous.
With that sorted, I decided to wash my hands and sought out the rest rooms which were right next to restaurant, and I mean right next to it as in 3 meters away and in plain sight. I had assumed that like most places it would be tucked away somewhere, but somehow in this purpose built facility this was not the case. As I approached the pair of his and hers toilets, I could not tell which door to go into as both where wide open and I could not see the signs. Peering in, I found the right one and quickly washed my hands, shutting the door behind me as I left. As soon as I had done that, to my surprisea staff of the establishment came up and opened it again. When I asked him why he did that he told me that was the instruction he had been given, and as he did not seem to have the capacity to explain why I did not pursue the matter further with him. I did speak to the swarthy manager who tried to convince me that they found it more convenient to keep the doors open as patrons often did not know when the toilets were occupied. Aghast, I asked him if he had ever seen the door knobs that showed when a toilet was in use from the outside and how surprised I was that they would open up a toilet into an area where people ate. It didn't seem swarthy manager's apology was sincere and that he understood what the fuss was about (he wasn't Nigerian in case you were wondering) and I am not sure my protests made a difference.
Some bread came finally (we were told it would be complimentary by the waiter downstairs who later came back and told us it would be a thousand bucks) and it was pretty tasty with the fancy butter that accompanied it. When the meal was served we only received one plate of food as the first waiter did not pass my order on to the second, but at this point we were grateful to get something so we wolfed down the pasta, chicken and bacon together and scarpered.
Food was tasty, but service as is often the case left a lot to be desired, plus we also didn't take kindly to eating in a toilet (I felt I could smell it once I knew it was there!).
Our ratings...
Our Metrics
Metrics Legend
I had already placed my order with the first waiter whilst we waited for another waiter from the Italian section to tell us the cost of the addtional bacon (wasn't going to be charged for $20 pasta again) who promptly told us on his arrival that he didn't know! I couldn't believe he walked all the way down just to tell us that. After consulting with his chef and some swarthy manager type person, a price of about a thousand Naira was mentioned. By then we were very hungry and told them to go ahead and prepare the dish, ready to make a big fuss if the price turned out to be ridiculous.
With that sorted, I decided to wash my hands and sought out the rest rooms which were right next to restaurant, and I mean right next to it as in 3 meters away and in plain sight. I had assumed that like most places it would be tucked away somewhere, but somehow in this purpose built facility this was not the case. As I approached the pair of his and hers toilets, I could not tell which door to go into as both where wide open and I could not see the signs. Peering in, I found the right one and quickly washed my hands, shutting the door behind me as I left. As soon as I had done that, to my surprisea staff of the establishment came up and opened it again. When I asked him why he did that he told me that was the instruction he had been given, and as he did not seem to have the capacity to explain why I did not pursue the matter further with him. I did speak to the swarthy manager who tried to convince me that they found it more convenient to keep the doors open as patrons often did not know when the toilets were occupied. Aghast, I asked him if he had ever seen the door knobs that showed when a toilet was in use from the outside and how surprised I was that they would open up a toilet into an area where people ate. It didn't seem swarthy manager's apology was sincere and that he understood what the fuss was about (he wasn't Nigerian in case you were wondering) and I am not sure my protests made a difference.
Some bread came finally (we were told it would be complimentary by the waiter downstairs who later came back and told us it would be a thousand bucks) and it was pretty tasty with the fancy butter that accompanied it. When the meal was served we only received one plate of food as the first waiter did not pass my order on to the second, but at this point we were grateful to get something so we wolfed down the pasta, chicken and bacon together and scarpered.
Food was tasty, but service as is often the case left a lot to be desired, plus we also didn't take kindly to eating in a toilet (I felt I could smell it once I knew it was there!).
Our ratings...
Our Metrics
- Quality - finishing/taste/experience = (*)
- Service - professionalism/timeliness/courtesy = (--)
- Value for money = (*)
- Overall score - average of the 3 = par for the course.
Our Ratings
- (-) If you must or manage am
Metrics Legend
- 1 star (*) = meets expectation or una try
- 2 stars = better than expected or una do well
- 3 stars = excellent or una too much
- 1 blackmark (-) = below par or why now?
- 2 blackmarks = poor or wowo
- 3 blackmarks = to be avoided or e don pass be careful
Wednesday 24 April 2013
No more to bad service
Today, everything changes. Today we start afresh. Today we rededicate ourselves to God and the mission of not accepting crap service coupled with the excuse that 'we are in Nigerian now, what do you expect?'. Well I expect more, much more. Nigerians have shown that they can excel in any culture and habitat in the world. If you go any where in the world and don't see either Coca Cola or a Nigerian, I suggest you back your bags and leave. It doesn't matter if there are Indians or Chinese people there; no Nigerians? That's a seal of approval, that real betta dey.
So how come that whilst we can be so great (though alas often we excel in being very bad too) in so many different countries that we settle in, that we give our selves such poor service and standards in our own country. We appreciate all the fine things that the world has to offer, but never expect or demand the same at home. We need to repatriate this passion, this finesse, this culture back home. A culture of expecting to be treated courteously when giving a merchant your custom. A culture of expecting straight lines and well finished work as a minimum standard and not a delight. A culture of not having to stand over every craftsman to ensure things are done right.
A few things I have learnt that may be of use to you if you are looking for a service provider in Lagos, where it seems our artisans and vendors and almost always in a hurry and happy to cut corners.
So how come that whilst we can be so great (though alas often we excel in being very bad too) in so many different countries that we settle in, that we give our selves such poor service and standards in our own country. We appreciate all the fine things that the world has to offer, but never expect or demand the same at home. We need to repatriate this passion, this finesse, this culture back home. A culture of expecting to be treated courteously when giving a merchant your custom. A culture of expecting straight lines and well finished work as a minimum standard and not a delight. A culture of not having to stand over every craftsman to ensure things are done right.
A few things I have learnt that may be of use to you if you are looking for a service provider in Lagos, where it seems our artisans and vendors and almost always in a hurry and happy to cut corners.
- Get a referral from someone that you trust has similar standards as you, and ask about the relationship of the vendor with your referee as sometimes the vendor does only good work for some people and mediocre work for others. Always get a second (or more) opinion if you can.
- Never pay in full before the job is done; keep enough money back so you have some leverage to negotiate with if the job is not done to your satisfaction. Be clear if there is going to be any retention money or bonus tied to a deliverable (quality, time line etc).
- Never trust the words 'trust me'. Make sure that they give you a sample or show you work done
- Go through the specifications and instructions in detail. Get them to write it down if they can, and if not write it out yourself. Never leave them to make creative decisions for your unless they have provend themselves.
- Get a break down of all the material, men and time required for the job. People often get ripped off on materials so check amount proposed and verify costs, and if possible supply materials yourself. You need to be sure they have thought through the resources required for the job adequately so there is no waste or inefficiency, which you pay for in the end.
- Don't expect that they know what is right or how to execute the job, so check that they have a well thought out plan to execute the works.
- It might sound silly, but if you can, call them before they come, check the work plan and ensure they turn up with all the tools required. You'd be amazed how often they do not.
- Do not in any circumstances leave them unsupervised. Check their work at least 3 times, just before commencement to confirm they fully understand what you require, once during their estimated middle of the work, and close to the end
- Do not ask other domestic workers in your home to supervise, they most often cannot give any direction and even if they could they may not be listened to.
Sunday 13 January 2013
Il Bagno - What you see is not what you get
So I had a plumbing dilemma the other day, and went to the one place everyone I spoke to told me I would get the quality I was looking for, the imposing edifice on Lekki expressway that is home to Il Bagno, stockists of premium sanitary wares.
I must say, I was impressed when I arrived there; the well laid out parking, the interesting arrangement of the fluorescent lights at the reception, the quality of the products on the first floor. In fact it was so tush, you couldn't tell who was a customer and who was a client. "This is nice" I thought to myself, thinking I was in a place there I would be tended to by staff who were polite and competent. How wrong I was with the latter point.
So I was looking for two items; a shower head, and a bath anti-slip mat. Not to complicated you would think. Let's see how many errors you can spot in this sequence.
I must say, I was impressed when I arrived there; the well laid out parking, the interesting arrangement of the fluorescent lights at the reception, the quality of the products on the first floor. In fact it was so tush, you couldn't tell who was a customer and who was a client. "This is nice" I thought to myself, thinking I was in a place there I would be tended to by staff who were polite and competent. How wrong I was with the latter point.
So I was looking for two items; a shower head, and a bath anti-slip mat. Not to complicated you would think. Let's see how many errors you can spot in this sequence.
- I was shown two options, one was 11k and the other over 18k. I would have preferred the one for 11k simply because I was paying over 7k more ($45) just for a soap tray that was no bigger in circumference than an ashtray.
- I was told by the attendant that they only had the more expensive one in stock (convenient eh)
- I then told them I would like to see either the two options of mats they had in stock (blue and fuchsia they said).
- As I had to get something from the car, I asked that they create a user profile for me and get ready my invoice and the items, hoping to save some time as I was in a bit of a hurry.
- When I get back, the attendant asks me (after creating the account) if I still wanted the goods. I bit my tongue and said yes, noting that he had not prepared anything else as I requested.
- He then handed me an invoice with a shower head for just over 19k and I noticed that they had failed to inform me their prices were not VAT inclusive, so there was an extra charge on top of that!
- Ah an oga, this is not what we agreed on now?! Turns out the didn't have the one he told me they had, but another one which he informed me was the same in every why, only that the water hose was slightly longer.
- So I take a deep breath and pay, then we go down to collect the goods.
- So I get downstairs, and after a few minutes, I am asked to come and sign for the goods which were already in nylon bag.
- Another gentleman there thrusts a piece of paper in front of me and asks me to sign, and I in turn decided to be cheeky and asked if I could see the goods I was signing for first.
- Two items as requested where in the bag, only that the mat was a clear tint and not fuchsia as I requested. I point this out to the dispatcher, who looks at me blankly, offering no help.
- I decided that this actually worked better, and decided not to make a fuss and signed for the items and left.
- The next morning I gave the shower fixtures to a plumber to install only to discover that the shower head that had been sold to me only had one shower mode, when the one I had asked for had 3!
If seemingly well educated people in a relatively high brow establishment can get such a simple order so wrong I really worry for the service industry in Nigeria.
How was your day?
Friday 4 January 2013
Back To Johnny's
Chopaholic writes -
So I had promised a friend that we'd go together to Johnny Rockets. Honest, that's the only reason that I went back there. Well that and their Oreo Cookie milkshake, or should I say Bluebunny ice cream shake. Again the lot was full with cars but the restaurant wasn't. I don't think they'll ever be able to fill those seats unless their customers come in buses instead of the jeeps and saloon cars that often have one or two people in them.
Anyways, back to the experience. So since I was back there, I thought that I should try their basic cheese burger to get a better feel for the quality of their food, and not some exotic variant. My pal had a chicken and barbecue toastie with BBQ sauce on the side. Now lets start with that. The sandwich looked very local, and I mean that in the Nigerian sense of the word. The bread was not the finest Lagos had to offer, and the presentation was more home made whilst rushing to catch the start of a football match than restaurant standard. The bacon was actually quite nice but the chicken was tasteless. Dipping it into the BBQ sauce helped some but in the end the meal was abandoned as it was not worth the calories. Indeed it was this same BBQ sauce that saved my cheese burger which would have been pretty bland otherwise. It didn't leave me licking my lips like a $15 burger I bought in a restaurant and not off hotel room service should. We shared the medium portion of chips which was alright but at $4? Crazy!
The drinks order was also quite an unnecessary production. We asked for a kids size strawberry milkshake ( a great way to save money on takeaways by the way) and a regular size Oreo cookie shake with malt. The lady brought us a kid size Oreo, so we told her to bring a same size strawberry shake. To my dismay it wasn't anywhere as thick as the first time and if this had been my first experience I would not have been so keen to come back.
At some point during the meal, the music was cranked up and all the staff came out to perform a rehearsed routine to Aretha Franklin's 'Respect'. I wish I could tell you how it was but after 10 seconds I couldn't bear to look. Like the waitress who drew a smiley face with ketchup in a bowl for us it was clear their hearts were not in it.
So all in all, nice decor, but too expensive, inconsistent and the food isn't really that good.
So I had promised a friend that we'd go together to Johnny Rockets. Honest, that's the only reason that I went back there. Well that and their Oreo Cookie milkshake, or should I say Bluebunny ice cream shake. Again the lot was full with cars but the restaurant wasn't. I don't think they'll ever be able to fill those seats unless their customers come in buses instead of the jeeps and saloon cars that often have one or two people in them.
Anyways, back to the experience. So since I was back there, I thought that I should try their basic cheese burger to get a better feel for the quality of their food, and not some exotic variant. My pal had a chicken and barbecue toastie with BBQ sauce on the side. Now lets start with that. The sandwich looked very local, and I mean that in the Nigerian sense of the word. The bread was not the finest Lagos had to offer, and the presentation was more home made whilst rushing to catch the start of a football match than restaurant standard. The bacon was actually quite nice but the chicken was tasteless. Dipping it into the BBQ sauce helped some but in the end the meal was abandoned as it was not worth the calories. Indeed it was this same BBQ sauce that saved my cheese burger which would have been pretty bland otherwise. It didn't leave me licking my lips like a $15 burger I bought in a restaurant and not off hotel room service should. We shared the medium portion of chips which was alright but at $4? Crazy!
The drinks order was also quite an unnecessary production. We asked for a kids size strawberry milkshake ( a great way to save money on takeaways by the way) and a regular size Oreo cookie shake with malt. The lady brought us a kid size Oreo, so we told her to bring a same size strawberry shake. To my dismay it wasn't anywhere as thick as the first time and if this had been my first experience I would not have been so keen to come back.
At some point during the meal, the music was cranked up and all the staff came out to perform a rehearsed routine to Aretha Franklin's 'Respect'. I wish I could tell you how it was but after 10 seconds I couldn't bear to look. Like the waitress who drew a smiley face with ketchup in a bowl for us it was clear their hearts were not in it.
So all in all, nice decor, but too expensive, inconsistent and the food isn't really that good.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
No Exit Through Here Please
So I had to do some last minute shopping yesterday morning. Well actually I had to drive a friend to do some last minute shopping, breadcrumbs and pasta for an Italian themed feast, and went to the nearest supermarket. She went in, and a few minutes later I went in to see if I could help. Help her, and maybe help myself to a few well deserved New Year snacks as well. I get in and she calls, seemingly done with shopping and back at the car, so I pirouette around and go back outside only to be confronted by the long arm of the law. Well actually, it was the not so long arm of the security guard, but still he felt sufficiently in charge to physically block me from exiting through the entrance that I had ventured less than two meters from and to go through the exit which was all the way at the other end of the store (at least a minutes walk to navigate my way over there).
As our little drama unfolded (him physically blocking the entrance to prevent me from leaving and others from entering the establishment) a gentleman in a white polo shirt walked up to the guard and asked for access to use the ATM just outside the entrance. With scarcely a pause in our animated conversation, he waved him buy and blocked my route to the door whilst the gentleman passed, all the while explaining to me how he was doing his job by not allowing me use the entrance as an exit. Now, like you are undoubtedly right now, I was bemused and perplexed by what had just unfolded, and now insisted vehemently that I will pass through entrance. He kept his power show up but as I persisted that I now wanted to use the ATM, another worker walked over to enquire what was causing the fuss. After I explained to him the situation, it was clear that he could not defend his colleague and suggested he allowed me to use the ATM like I insisted. The obdurate guard insisted that as I had not told him initially that I wanted to used the ATM, he would not allow me to go bye. At this point, I suggested to him that by denying me access to the ATM like the other patron, he was suggesting that I was being disingenuous in my request. At this point it was check-mate as calling me a liar without grounds would be too far beyond his remit of power.
A few minutes later, whilst withdrawing cash that I did not exactly need but was useful in replenishing a wallet lighted by spreading the season’s cheer to guards very much like the man I had just encountered, I felt oddly justified. If felt like a good way to start the year, standing up for customer service and not swallowing the crap that is often served up to us in a daily basis. My parting shot to him was 'you have to be consistent'. Let's all try to stay consistent in being reasonable, discerning customers that demand our rights wherever we go.
How was your day?
As our little drama unfolded (him physically blocking the entrance to prevent me from leaving and others from entering the establishment) a gentleman in a white polo shirt walked up to the guard and asked for access to use the ATM just outside the entrance. With scarcely a pause in our animated conversation, he waved him buy and blocked my route to the door whilst the gentleman passed, all the while explaining to me how he was doing his job by not allowing me use the entrance as an exit. Now, like you are undoubtedly right now, I was bemused and perplexed by what had just unfolded, and now insisted vehemently that I will pass through entrance. He kept his power show up but as I persisted that I now wanted to use the ATM, another worker walked over to enquire what was causing the fuss. After I explained to him the situation, it was clear that he could not defend his colleague and suggested he allowed me to use the ATM like I insisted. The obdurate guard insisted that as I had not told him initially that I wanted to used the ATM, he would not allow me to go bye. At this point, I suggested to him that by denying me access to the ATM like the other patron, he was suggesting that I was being disingenuous in my request. At this point it was check-mate as calling me a liar without grounds would be too far beyond his remit of power.
A few minutes later, whilst withdrawing cash that I did not exactly need but was useful in replenishing a wallet lighted by spreading the season’s cheer to guards very much like the man I had just encountered, I felt oddly justified. If felt like a good way to start the year, standing up for customer service and not swallowing the crap that is often served up to us in a daily basis. My parting shot to him was 'you have to be consistent'. Let's all try to stay consistent in being reasonable, discerning customers that demand our rights wherever we go.
How was your day?
Tuesday 1 January 2013
Johnny Rockets takes off?
I heard from my friends that is was expensive. A minimum of 5k per head if you want a burger with chips. 5k! That’s 20 English Pounds or 30 American Dollars! For that kind of money I expect valet parking, or any type of parking for that matter, and for a fast food joint they had very little space. How do I know? I went of course! Not even 5k will keep me from at least going once, which is what most of the people I spoke to have said will be all they can support.
Back to the parking; nestled on a small plot opposite Ocean View on Adetokumbo Ademola street in Victoria Island in Lagos, the first of Johnny Rockets five proposed outlets in Nigeria has parking for only about a dozen cars. If the vehicles are any more, the patrons come into the conflict with the parking attendants for the back beside the outlet, and sometimes cause a nuisance to traffic on the road. How they received planning permission I guess is less surprising, we've seen worse. Once inside, the ambiance is designed to take you back to a 1950s American diner, and it largely delivers. You are warmly greeted and the menu only betrays the location with the inclusion of jollof rice on the menu.
However, the aspect of their offering that really blows one away is the prices! A quick comparison. A Smoke house single burger (my burger of choice) in a Johnny Rocket's outlet in NY is about 10 dollars. InLagos New York
I would give the smokehouse burger a miss next time. It was huge, a decent portion, but tasted like it had blue cheese when the menu offered cheddar, a worrying sign. I would have preferred to have a smaller burger at a more reasonable price as not many can match Chopaholic's prowess and even I struggled. Now the milkshake on the other hand, was just how I like it. Thick, creamy and delivered the flavour it promised. Now then next day I went back to get one for a friend (I know I know I said only once) and of course was going to get one for my self just to confirm my first impressions, but alas they were out! Still I discovered the secret of their success (Blue bunny Ice Cream) as the manager revealed that their local supplier had let them down. So I guess I could make them for myself at home, for much less and in healthier portions than they offer.
So all in all, if you want to go to a place where parking is hassle but you are assured of a seat inside (there is less parking than the occupancy inside) and pay well over the odds for a mediocre burger (I'll try the original if I ever go back and let you guys know if it's any good) then perhaps this is the place for you.
Happy New Year!
Back to the parking; nestled on a small plot opposite Ocean View on Adetokumbo Ademola street in Victoria Island in Lagos, the first of Johnny Rockets five proposed outlets in Nigeria has parking for only about a dozen cars. If the vehicles are any more, the patrons come into the conflict with the parking attendants for the back beside the outlet, and sometimes cause a nuisance to traffic on the road. How they received planning permission I guess is less surprising, we've seen worse. Once inside, the ambiance is designed to take you back to a 1950s American diner, and it largely delivers. You are warmly greeted and the menu only betrays the location with the inclusion of jollof rice on the menu.
However, the aspect of their offering that really blows one away is the prices! A quick comparison. A Smoke house single burger (my burger of choice) in a Johnny Rocket's outlet in NY is about 10 dollars. In
I would give the smokehouse burger a miss next time. It was huge, a decent portion, but tasted like it had blue cheese when the menu offered cheddar, a worrying sign. I would have preferred to have a smaller burger at a more reasonable price as not many can match Chopaholic's prowess and even I struggled. Now the milkshake on the other hand, was just how I like it. Thick, creamy and delivered the flavour it promised. Now then next day I went back to get one for a friend (I know I know I said only once) and of course was going to get one for my self just to confirm my first impressions, but alas they were out! Still I discovered the secret of their success (Blue bunny Ice Cream) as the manager revealed that their local supplier had let them down. So I guess I could make them for myself at home, for much less and in healthier portions than they offer.
So all in all, if you want to go to a place where parking is hassle but you are assured of a seat inside (there is less parking than the occupancy inside) and pay well over the odds for a mediocre burger (I'll try the original if I ever go back and let you guys know if it's any good) then perhaps this is the place for you.
Happy New Year!
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