First off, a shout out of gratitude to Alex K for organizing this month's International Supper Club at Beautiful Shades - up until seeing his event, I was unaware that there is Nigerian restaurant in Indy (only in its second month of business!). As part of the Supper Club dinner we were able to sample a little of this and a little of that - however, I must add that I could only try 60% of the items as a fair portion of the dishes had dried fish powder (allergy). A few of the unique and colorful items I tried were: -Okra stew (green and slimy - good flavor - personally had a hard time getting past the snot-like texture;) -pounded yams (reminded me of gnocchi, served with a red pepper-like sauce that had a kick) Enjoyed watching the chef/owner hand form the blobs -yellow rice -plantains (almost always a winner - but I'm not telling you anything new) -chicken chunks in red sauce -beans (tasted somewhat like black eyed peas - earthy - I was a fan) The only item I didn't pick up that I could have eaten was the goat head. I'm still feeling horrible about not trying it 24 hours later but I could not for the life of me get past seeing the shaved goat hairs on the skin. I grew up with the cutest of cute pygmy goats and I'm quite certain they'd haunt me if I ate them in this form. I have had goat several times - I'm telling ya, it was just the hair that did me in. Beautiful Shades is a great business to stretch one's palette and learn something new. I'd like to think the simple interior gives you full concentration on the items perched upon your plate. And, if you're looking to throw a party - they have a large party room located next door. I may not be rushing back for the goat, but I will be rushing back for the friendly owners and colorful cuisine.
(4)
Alex K.
I went here today to check this place out. I guess they just opened in March. The restaurant is tucked back near The Village (Pakistani Restaurant) and was a bit hard to find with the Google directions. The restaurant is owned and operated by David Toluhi who is native to Nigeria. They have an American Menu and a Nairaland one. They were out of a lot of food but it was lunch on a weekday so I only was able to try the Eba ( cassava flour morsel), Ogbono Soup, and the Goat with skin. The Ogbono soup was definitely the highlight. It had a bold unique flavor and consistency. It is made with mango seeds used as a thickener and had a consistency similar to an okra dish. They have a sink right in the dining area so don't be afraid to eat with your hands. The place is pretty big and they have a banquet hall next door. I cant wait to go back here and try more..
(4)
Nestor R.
My first Yelp review! I met outrageously funny and friendly Yelp members who introduced me to Yelp. My first Nigerian food! Definitely unique flavors and spices. My favorite was the fish dish. Bravo!
(4)
Brittany L.
There is a menu online. That menu is not accurate. They no longer have any soul food items, except for the Sunday after-church brunch thing. They were out of 1/3 of the African items on the menu as well. If you aren't actually from this country, I wouldn't recommend eating at this restaurant as there are NO DESCRIPTIONS on the menu. I was sitting there with Google trying to figure out what the foods were. It's just a word (not all in English), and a price. Nothing about preparation or what's in the dish at all. The server did a nice job, he tried to answer our questions but admitted he wasn't Nigerian so he didn't know what everything on the menu was. He was friendly and polite and refilled our drinks. I ordered the lunch special ($10.99). It was a massive amount of reddish rice, a small pile of fried plantains, and I chose tilapia as my protein. I received the back half of the fish, tail, bones, and all, probably 3-4 oz. of meat, covered in a tasty red sauce. The fish was tender and the sauce was flavorful. However, $11 for a tiny piece of fish with a huge platter of bland rice??? I also ordered a meat pie, which was kind of like a beef stew empanada...very tasty, and at $1.49 it was priced right. I do not like plantains but I tasted a corner of one of these-it was crisp and fresh. I think if I DID like them, I would've enjoyed these. My companion ordered the lunch special with beef. It was the same pile of reddish rice, with slightly spicy and very pungent beans (instead of plantains), and 2 tiny pieces of beef under red sauce. The beef was inedible. Seriously, it was gross. It had an odd flavor, it was dry, it was overcooked. It was so tough it couldn't be cut with a knife and crunched when you chewed it. He said "Here...try some...if you can cut a piece off." He took 2 bites, I took 1, and the rest was left on the plate. Again...$10.99 for that. Extremely disappointing experience and I will not be back, unless it is to pick up some meat pies for carry out. If you want African food in Indy I would recommend any of the other restaurants over this one. I think this is your only choice for Nigerian/Nairaland food though.
(2)
Cherish M.
For a person who has experienced homemade like yo mama's cooking Nigerian food then you know you feel right at home at this spot! The Egusi is good to taste and cooked almost to perfect. I had mine with goat and tripe--The tripe is very clean and the GOAT (oh my g-o-s-h is awesome) still has the skin; the best when eating this cultural item. Those who have been and give bad critic has obviously never had good homemad Naja cooking. Oh! Can't forget the owner, Dave. He is a great guy with great service. He just needs some help to serve the customers so he first forget some things and has to do everything on his own. Despite that. I give this ma and pop shop 10 stars, a smile, and a encore!
(5)
Sarah C.
I did my best to go here with more than an open mind - a mind of someone who is "a-ok" with eating goat head and other miscellaneous foods. The restaurant was basically a very large room with long tables - nothing too crazy. I wish I had the energy to look up what foods I sampled, what I sort of liked, what I tolerated, etc., but alas - I don't think it's necessary for this particular post. All I can say is that the only thing that I ate a decent amount of was their rice. ha If you're feeling adventurous, then I suggest at least giving it a shot. The staff was very friendly, and for that - they get 5 stars! I think they expect midwesterners to not ALL be running toward the buffet line and digging in, but there are those that truly enjoy African food. I think it's something that my stomach would really have to adjust to - and I don't know if I'm willing to take those steps.
(2)
Chinwe N.
Delicious Nigerian food! The meat pies were RIGHT! We also had egusi and vegetable soup, pounded yam and amala, jollof rice with goat meat and tilapia. The stew is sweet o'!!!
(4)
Funke A.
The food was really good! I'm Nigerian and I cook a lot so I do know good food lol! It seems like a family business, they are very nice people. It was really really hard to find the place tho but it was worth it
(4)
Cristina C.
We went around 1:00 p.m. on a Monday. The restaurant was open but completely empty with no employees anywhere in sight. I double - checked the sign with the hours and they were open. A guy came walking in asking for the owner and "his money". Thanks to this guy, an employee finally appeared. We told her we had the Groupon and she said no problem and we sat down. Since we didn't know anything about Nigerian food, we asked the waitress about the menu and what she would recommend. Since we're adventurous eaters we went with what she recommended, the jollof rice (rice with a spicy red sauce mixed in) with goat, and the pounded yam with turnip greens and goat. We got a couple bottles of water and she said the price is not included in the Groupon (we weren't expecting it to be) and asked if it was okay. She went back into the kitchen (maybe she was the one cooking) and the guy asking for his money came back after the owner came out. We started to wonder if the restaurant was just a cover for the mafia or drugs. The guy started yelling and I was starting to get scared that we would be shot. We debated whether to walk out. We ended up staying and praying for the best. The guy got his money and left. We breathed a sigh of relief. The food came out and let me say it was delicious! The goat was nice and crispy on the outside the way I like my meat and the rice was nice and spicy. The turnip greens were absolutely delicious and had some sort of salted dried fish in them that gave then a very special flavor. They went nicely with the pounded yam. I love spicy food and this food had a nice kick to it but not too much. The owner came to talk to us about the food and said if we want we can try eating it the authentic way with our hands. Normally I love eating with my hands but just didn't feel like it that day. The owner was very nice and even didn't charge us for the drinks. The only thing I will say is that the piece of goat was very small, especially for what it would cost regularly. I really enjoyed the food and would love to have it again, but I'm not sure I'd want to risk whatever the money situation that was going on was again.
(3)
Richard H.
OK, so is it Beautiful Shades or Nairaland? I think Beautiful Shades might be the event center and Nairaland the tiny, completely spartan restaurant with soul food on one side of the menu and Nigerian food on the other. And when I say spartan, I mean spartan: they could really use something on the walls. Anything. And they have two TVs, which were blaring. Loud. The owner and chef are both extremely nice. The owner takes his time to explain the menu items to you. He was somewhat dismissive of the soul food side of the menu, so we decided to concentrate on the Nigerian side. First he recommended fufu, a pounded yam from which you tear off a small piece, then cover with a stew made of greens and (disconcertingly) small fish bones. The stew was delicious. We also had the yummy plantains and black-eyed pea cake. The turkey (maybe drumsticks sawed crosswise) came with an enormous serving of rice. The only completely off thing in the meal (other than those pesky fish bones): the goat had an excellent taste but was so tough that it couldn't be chewed and swallowed. Maybe a fun place to try once. May go back for the soul food side of the menu.
(3)
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Address :4718 Century Plaza Rd
Indianapolis, IN, 46254
Desmond W.
As a foodie, every once in a while you stumble upon a culinary gem- sometimes, off the beaten path. I am no stranger to ethnic food, however, there are not many options within and around Indy for the more exotic types of cuisine such as African food. The first type of African food I discovered, was Nigerian, back around the Y2K hype at the transition into the 21st century. I vividly recall eating very tasty greens (sautéed in onions and tomato sauce with meat), and chicken and goat, and very tasty and colorful rice and other starchy based dishes such as Fufu and Amala. As a lover of spice and exotic food, I indulged in all the spices, herbs and unique favors I'd been missing for almost a decade when I by chance learned of Beautful Shades (aka Naira Land). The owner and chef, David, is very friendly and eager to answer any question you may have regarding the unfamiliar to many, typical Nigerian dishes. I ate the Efo (mildly spicy greens sautéed in tomato sauce with beef and fish and herbs), lightly fried chicken with no batter added to it, and beans (served with a delicious sauce on top) and Dodo (lightly fried plantains). The price of such very tasty food is very affordable. Besides some main dishes and specials, you can create your own meal by ordering side items plus meat. The meal that I usually create cost around $9.37 including tax but excluding a drink. Oh, and regarding the interior: the restaurant is simple, yet clean and not too long or wide. There's enough room for about a party of under 50 in the main restaurant area. There are two wall mounted flat screens and a sink to wash your hands before you indulge in some of the finger food based meals like Fufu (pounded yam) or Amala ( a similar yet wheat based starchy pounded substance upon which sauces with meat are served). So, if you like ethnic food and you've never had African food before, this is the perfect place for you to discover some of the best West African food you can find in Indy! Be bold and adventurous, and add a new restaurant to your list of ethnic food gems.
(4)Brittany S.
First off, a shout out of gratitude to Alex K for organizing this month's International Supper Club at Beautiful Shades - up until seeing his event, I was unaware that there is Nigerian restaurant in Indy (only in its second month of business!). As part of the Supper Club dinner we were able to sample a little of this and a little of that - however, I must add that I could only try 60% of the items as a fair portion of the dishes had dried fish powder (allergy). A few of the unique and colorful items I tried were: -Okra stew (green and slimy - good flavor - personally had a hard time getting past the snot-like texture;) -pounded yams (reminded me of gnocchi, served with a red pepper-like sauce that had a kick) Enjoyed watching the chef/owner hand form the blobs -yellow rice -plantains (almost always a winner - but I'm not telling you anything new) -chicken chunks in red sauce -beans (tasted somewhat like black eyed peas - earthy - I was a fan) The only item I didn't pick up that I could have eaten was the goat head. I'm still feeling horrible about not trying it 24 hours later but I could not for the life of me get past seeing the shaved goat hairs on the skin. I grew up with the cutest of cute pygmy goats and I'm quite certain they'd haunt me if I ate them in this form. I have had goat several times - I'm telling ya, it was just the hair that did me in. Beautiful Shades is a great business to stretch one's palette and learn something new. I'd like to think the simple interior gives you full concentration on the items perched upon your plate. And, if you're looking to throw a party - they have a large party room located next door. I may not be rushing back for the goat, but I will be rushing back for the friendly owners and colorful cuisine.
(4)Alex K.
I went here today to check this place out. I guess they just opened in March. The restaurant is tucked back near The Village (Pakistani Restaurant) and was a bit hard to find with the Google directions. The restaurant is owned and operated by David Toluhi who is native to Nigeria. They have an American Menu and a Nairaland one. They were out of a lot of food but it was lunch on a weekday so I only was able to try the Eba ( cassava flour morsel), Ogbono Soup, and the Goat with skin. The Ogbono soup was definitely the highlight. It had a bold unique flavor and consistency. It is made with mango seeds used as a thickener and had a consistency similar to an okra dish. They have a sink right in the dining area so don't be afraid to eat with your hands. The place is pretty big and they have a banquet hall next door. I cant wait to go back here and try more..
(4)Nestor R.
My first Yelp review! I met outrageously funny and friendly Yelp members who introduced me to Yelp. My first Nigerian food! Definitely unique flavors and spices. My favorite was the fish dish. Bravo!
(4)Brittany L.
There is a menu online. That menu is not accurate. They no longer have any soul food items, except for the Sunday after-church brunch thing. They were out of 1/3 of the African items on the menu as well. If you aren't actually from this country, I wouldn't recommend eating at this restaurant as there are NO DESCRIPTIONS on the menu. I was sitting there with Google trying to figure out what the foods were. It's just a word (not all in English), and a price. Nothing about preparation or what's in the dish at all. The server did a nice job, he tried to answer our questions but admitted he wasn't Nigerian so he didn't know what everything on the menu was. He was friendly and polite and refilled our drinks. I ordered the lunch special ($10.99). It was a massive amount of reddish rice, a small pile of fried plantains, and I chose tilapia as my protein. I received the back half of the fish, tail, bones, and all, probably 3-4 oz. of meat, covered in a tasty red sauce. The fish was tender and the sauce was flavorful. However, $11 for a tiny piece of fish with a huge platter of bland rice??? I also ordered a meat pie, which was kind of like a beef stew empanada...very tasty, and at $1.49 it was priced right. I do not like plantains but I tasted a corner of one of these-it was crisp and fresh. I think if I DID like them, I would've enjoyed these. My companion ordered the lunch special with beef. It was the same pile of reddish rice, with slightly spicy and very pungent beans (instead of plantains), and 2 tiny pieces of beef under red sauce. The beef was inedible. Seriously, it was gross. It had an odd flavor, it was dry, it was overcooked. It was so tough it couldn't be cut with a knife and crunched when you chewed it. He said "Here...try some...if you can cut a piece off." He took 2 bites, I took 1, and the rest was left on the plate. Again...$10.99 for that. Extremely disappointing experience and I will not be back, unless it is to pick up some meat pies for carry out. If you want African food in Indy I would recommend any of the other restaurants over this one. I think this is your only choice for Nigerian/Nairaland food though.
(2)Cherish M.
For a person who has experienced homemade like yo mama's cooking Nigerian food then you know you feel right at home at this spot! The Egusi is good to taste and cooked almost to perfect. I had mine with goat and tripe--The tripe is very clean and the GOAT (oh my g-o-s-h is awesome) still has the skin; the best when eating this cultural item. Those who have been and give bad critic has obviously never had good homemad Naja cooking. Oh! Can't forget the owner, Dave. He is a great guy with great service. He just needs some help to serve the customers so he first forget some things and has to do everything on his own. Despite that. I give this ma and pop shop 10 stars, a smile, and a encore!
(5)Sarah C.
I did my best to go here with more than an open mind - a mind of someone who is "a-ok" with eating goat head and other miscellaneous foods. The restaurant was basically a very large room with long tables - nothing too crazy. I wish I had the energy to look up what foods I sampled, what I sort of liked, what I tolerated, etc., but alas - I don't think it's necessary for this particular post. All I can say is that the only thing that I ate a decent amount of was their rice. ha If you're feeling adventurous, then I suggest at least giving it a shot. The staff was very friendly, and for that - they get 5 stars! I think they expect midwesterners to not ALL be running toward the buffet line and digging in, but there are those that truly enjoy African food. I think it's something that my stomach would really have to adjust to - and I don't know if I'm willing to take those steps.
(2)Chinwe N.
Delicious Nigerian food! The meat pies were RIGHT! We also had egusi and vegetable soup, pounded yam and amala, jollof rice with goat meat and tilapia. The stew is sweet o'!!!
(4)Funke A.
The food was really good! I'm Nigerian and I cook a lot so I do know good food lol! It seems like a family business, they are very nice people. It was really really hard to find the place tho but it was worth it
(4)Cristina C.
We went around 1:00 p.m. on a Monday. The restaurant was open but completely empty with no employees anywhere in sight. I double - checked the sign with the hours and they were open. A guy came walking in asking for the owner and "his money". Thanks to this guy, an employee finally appeared. We told her we had the Groupon and she said no problem and we sat down. Since we didn't know anything about Nigerian food, we asked the waitress about the menu and what she would recommend. Since we're adventurous eaters we went with what she recommended, the jollof rice (rice with a spicy red sauce mixed in) with goat, and the pounded yam with turnip greens and goat. We got a couple bottles of water and she said the price is not included in the Groupon (we weren't expecting it to be) and asked if it was okay. She went back into the kitchen (maybe she was the one cooking) and the guy asking for his money came back after the owner came out. We started to wonder if the restaurant was just a cover for the mafia or drugs. The guy started yelling and I was starting to get scared that we would be shot. We debated whether to walk out. We ended up staying and praying for the best. The guy got his money and left. We breathed a sigh of relief. The food came out and let me say it was delicious! The goat was nice and crispy on the outside the way I like my meat and the rice was nice and spicy. The turnip greens were absolutely delicious and had some sort of salted dried fish in them that gave then a very special flavor. They went nicely with the pounded yam. I love spicy food and this food had a nice kick to it but not too much. The owner came to talk to us about the food and said if we want we can try eating it the authentic way with our hands. Normally I love eating with my hands but just didn't feel like it that day. The owner was very nice and even didn't charge us for the drinks. The only thing I will say is that the piece of goat was very small, especially for what it would cost regularly. I really enjoyed the food and would love to have it again, but I'm not sure I'd want to risk whatever the money situation that was going on was again.
(3)Richard H.
OK, so is it Beautiful Shades or Nairaland? I think Beautiful Shades might be the event center and Nairaland the tiny, completely spartan restaurant with soul food on one side of the menu and Nigerian food on the other. And when I say spartan, I mean spartan: they could really use something on the walls. Anything. And they have two TVs, which were blaring. Loud. The owner and chef are both extremely nice. The owner takes his time to explain the menu items to you. He was somewhat dismissive of the soul food side of the menu, so we decided to concentrate on the Nigerian side. First he recommended fufu, a pounded yam from which you tear off a small piece, then cover with a stew made of greens and (disconcertingly) small fish bones. The stew was delicious. We also had the yummy plantains and black-eyed pea cake. The turkey (maybe drumsticks sawed crosswise) came with an enormous serving of rice. The only completely off thing in the meal (other than those pesky fish bones): the goat had an excellent taste but was so tough that it couldn't be chewed and swallowed. Maybe a fun place to try once. May go back for the soul food side of the menu.
(3)