“I never thought I would make it this far,” says Adejoké, with a smile that conveys the energy of someone who has been able to overcome obstacles and prejudices along the way. Her path is one of sacrifice and courageous choices, in which the past blends with a present full of challenges and opportunities.
The chef
Adejoké Bakare has become a landmark in London's culinary scene, emerging as the first black female chef to receive a Michelin star in the United Kingdom. A biologist, microbiologist and cook, she turned a modest beginning in her native country-when she ran a street cart frying fish and chips-into a star-studded career that now illuminates Fitzrovia's culinary scene. His restaurant, Chishuru, located near the BT Tower, bears a name rich in meaning: in the Hausa language, “the silence of food when it comes to the table.” An appellation that well reflects the experience offered to diners, where dishes tell stories rooted in Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa cuisines.
Chishuru's menu, consisting of surprising items such as ose-ji, gizdodo, gbegiri, banga, onugbu, sinasir, akra, ukwa, asaro, yassa, egusi ice cream, and iru candy, demonstrates how food can be a bridge between different cultures and an inexhaustible source of emotions.
“I never thought I would make it this far,” says Adejoké, with a smile that conveys the energy of someone who has been able to overcome obstacles and prejudices along the way. His path is one of sacrifice and courageous choices, in which the past blends with a present full of challenges and opportunities. Bakare's personal experience is further marked by intense moments outside the kitchen. During the awards ceremony in Manchester, she and partner Matt Paice experienced an episode that left them speechless. "We were speechless when they called us, one by one, along with 27 chefs-all men. I thought, 'How humiliating, we came to Manchester for nothing, what a couple of idiots we are,' “ Paice tells La Vanguardia, highlighting how the restaurant world, although evolving, still has shadows to overcome.
Adejoké Bakare's success, besides testifying to his skill in the kitchen, represents a strong message: food knows no boundaries and there is no fixed recipe for expressing one's identity. Chishuru thus becomes a laboratory of authentic flavors, where each dish is an invitation to discover new nuances and be surprised by a cuisine that is as vibrant as it is sincere. To experience the restaurant, reservations can be made even on short notice, and prices are by no means exorbitant (the evening tasting, which is longer and more complex, costs about 112 euros, while lunch costs 50 euros).
In an environment where prejudices often reduce diversity to stereotypes, Chef Bakare proves that passion, expertise and determination can rewrite the rules of the game. A success story that lights the way for all women and those who believe that the true power of food lies in its ability to tell stories, excite and unite different worlds.
