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#OverTheWeekend: Sunday Roast At Tomato Lagos

The hashtag #OverTheWeekend is our own way of entertaining you with what we were up to the weekend before. Also introducing you to fun things you can try out over the weekend. So we got an invite to be at the Roast by Lerato at Tomato Lagos on Sunday the 19th of July. Did we…

The hashtag #OverTheWeekend is our own way of entertaining you with what we were up to the weekend before. Also introducing you to fun things you can try out over the weekend. So we got an invite to be at the Roast by Lerato at Tomato Lagos on Sunday the 19th of July.

Did we go late? No we didn’t. We tried to kill the African time curse and arrived way too early. The event was scheduled for 2pm and we were in at 1:40. If you haven’t been to The Arena at Dream Plaza, we would gladly accept your gratitude for introducing you to it. At this point we took pictures of the venue and it is  really welcoming if you just want to chill. The space was well thought out and privacy was key to the sitting arrangement.

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Trust Nigerians not to be on time. An hour after, guests slowly troop in and we are overjoyed to get started. The chef (Lerato Umah) has prepared a feast and guests look more than ready to dig in. It’s was an RSVP event for 30 people, so just few people in attendance. We like that the event wasn’t crowded too.

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At 3:42 the dishes start coming. The guests are still trooping in to the venue . It took a minute to get the chef settled to give us the inspiration behind the roast. Moving on to the starter which  was Balsamic red salad with tomatoes,strawberries and goat cheese . The review was great, even for people who thought they wouldn’t enjoy it because it is rare to see Nigerians who actually want to eat fresh tomatoes but it was great and comments went around the restaurant appreciating the bursts of flavours, sweet and sour, such an unlikely pair don’t you think? Tomatoes and strawberries, it sure tastes as good as it looks.

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The craziness in the kitchen as the guests arrive is surreal. Most of us only get to see such beauty come out during Master Chef and My Kitchen Rules. It wasn’t as easy you see on TV but it was pleasant to watch Lerato do her thing. Next was the vegetarian main dish. Seitan (wheat protein) steaks, spicy black bean mini burgers, smoked pepper kidney, bean balls, sweet potatoes, orange glazed carrot strings, roasted plantain, balsamic cherry tomatoes. That platter was nothing but full.

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Funny thing was only one vegetarian so this platter was unique. She sure had fun and couldn’t keep quiet about how everyone should totally go vegan.

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The non-vegetarians had all the fun,and they had  the honey and mustard roast beef, spicy roast chicken, Lincolnshire, Cumberland, Apple and Pork sausages, sweet potatoes, orange glazed carrot strings, roasted plantain, balsamic cherry tomatoes, spicy roasted spring onion, green beans and peppers with creamy herb gravy.

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Sounds like a lot right? It was refreshing to try out something new and actually enjoy it.

Taste buds are alive now, guests are having a  whole lot of fun and the environment adds to the experience. Slow music, light conversation and good food, seems like mini – heaven.

You know how you complain about customer service in Nigeria, well today was quite different. The waiters were up and about the chef had great help, it was surreal to watch.

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The guests were happy with their dish, no complaints asides from people who though they deserved more than what they paid for.

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Guests taking pictures, because social media must see and envy.

The main dish is gone and it’s time to just relax, talk about the food and drink to good food. At this point Chef Lerato had time to go round and get feedback from her guests. It was refreshing to see the interaction.

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Do not forget we are in Lagos so we had latecomers as well. Back to the chef to do her thing.

 

 

The restaurant that was rather quiet has become quite the chatterbox, good food can do that to you.

No we didn’t forget desserts. Coming up, poached apples berries. If you are not a fan of sweet things then you can just relax and watch others enjoy.

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Watching Lerato do her thing

We had fun here definitely looking out for the next pop up restaurant by Lerato. Don’t forget to RSVP and break the curse of coming late, you won’t be disappointed. Best believe that the food was awesome because only empty plates got back into the kitchen.

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Most captivating was discussing with Lerato as she prepared the dishes. She said;

‘I cook what I want to eat, so I cook the way I expect to be served’

See you at the next pop up.

More pictures below;

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