Black-owned Ottawa restaurants showcase their tastiest dishes

Black-owned restaurants are very much a part of the food scene in Ottawa.

Lennox Antoine, the owner of Island Flava, opened his ByWard Market restaurant 18 years ago.

"It’s like I’m in the Caribbean and in the freezing cold of Ottawa. It’s that needle in a haystack being downtown," said Antoine.

As Canada marks Black History Month, there’s an aim to celebrate Black culinary traditions and share experiences.

"Being from the Caribbean and being of the Black nationality, we try to support our own community in order to build and grow together," he said.

Lanre Akanbi owns Suya Palace on Somerset Street in the west-end of Ottawa.

Weaving food and culture together, it’s a place where families and friends can gather for a taste of Nigerian culture.

"To me, it’s what can I also give to the country and the community," said Akanbi. "Having moved to Canada, my focus is integrating in the community."

The restaurant highlights delicious West African food, including jollof rice, soups and Nigerian-spiced meats.

"It combines that with street food culture. We aim to reach out to the diversity of people in Canada," said Tobi Akanbi, who also works at Suya Palace.

The restaurant faced some challenges after moving to a new location during the pandemic.

"We just remained focused on the goal and target of what we want to build in Ottawa," said Akanbi.

After overcoming that challenge, the staff continue to grow the business and Akanbi looks forward to what’s to come.