Bala Tounkara left the West African nation of Mali for the United States almost 25 years ago, with no intention of being in the restaurant business.
“In our culture, men don’t really cook, we don’t do any cleaning,” said Tounkara, 44. “So it’s funny where I find myself these days. That’s life.”
Tuesday, March 12, Tounkara and his cousin, Mady Matgassa, opened a second restaurant that fuses the flavors of Mali and Memphis.
Located alongside a tax preparation service and a body-piercing shop in a modest strip mall a few blocks east of the famous cross-wielding Statue of Liberty outside World Overcomers Church, Mande Dibi West African BBQ-Grill at 6825 Winchester will complement its predecessor while also providing what Tounkara calls a more “authentic” African taste experience.
“We’re not going to shy away from the spices,” Tounkara said. “Here, when you start eating, you’re going to feel it.”
The partners’ other restaurant, Bala’s Bistro , opened in 2019 at 4571 Elvis Presley Blvd. in Whitehaven, a neighborhood with a growing African immigrant presence. Promising “A Taste of African Soul Food,” Bala’s offers a buffet and a menu that balances such dishes as jollof rice, lamb saka saka and egusi soup (which includes smoked chicken and melon seed) with cheeseburgers, Philly cheesesteaks and salmon po’ boys.