For four days, lovers of fine dining and specially curated menus converged at the Lagos Continental Hotel for a culinary experience, the first-of-its-kind in the hotel and Lagos at large.
They gathered at the hotel’s Soho Restaurant, a fine dining outlet for Chinese and Asian cuisines, for a taste of Chef Adejoké “Joké” Bakare’s specialities and also to celebrate the homecoming of the chef, who is one of Africa’s globally renowned chefs in the diasporas.
The chef is a Michelin-starred Nigerian chef in the United Kingdom and chef-owner of Chishuru, a Michelin-starred modern West African restaurant in Fitzrovia, London.
From November 4-7, 2026, Chef Joké, as she is fondly called, held a culinary residency at the Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island-based five-star hotel, where she brought Chishuru, her acclaimed London restaurant, to Lagos diners.
The residency, which drew high-profile diners, took place during Lagos Art Week, which witnessed the hosting of multiple events such as Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX 2026), Art X Lagos, Lagos Theatre Week, among others that drew international participation.
The residency was a wonderful experience for Chef Joké, who visited with 10 of her London team members, most of whom were first-time visitors to Lagos, while offering the diners an out-of-this-world outing for the four days the residency lasted.
The uniqueness of the amazing culinary experience lies in the fact that Chef Joke crafted the menu from local produce; the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa food cultures that shaped her.
Again, on offer was the chef’s six-course menu, specially crafted to delight palates at the Lagos residency.
But the scene tells the story better. The Soho Restaurant was rebranded from its Asian themes to African for the four days.
“I am a regular at Soho Restaurant. But I almost did not recognise it because of the different ambience and plating. I love the local mat on the table and the pots,” Olumide Fadahunsi, a software engineer, who came with Sarah, his wife, enthused.
A diplomat, who pleaded for anonymity, noted that he enjoyed Nigerian local delicacies for the first time courtesy of the residency.
“Mine was local rice, and it came as I made the order; less spicy and a little quantity,” he said.
Some of the diners had the opportunity to meet Chef Joké and her team, and asked their questions, especially how she was able to get Nigerian delicacies on global menus, and also the magic of the six-course menu with Lagos-sourced produce at the residency.
Speaking on her experience in Lagos, Chef Joké expressed her love for the city and its rich West African art, culture and creativity.
“Bringing Chishuru home during one of the city’s most exciting creative weeks was incredibly special,” she said. “The residency brought together the food cultures I grew up with in West Africa and my culinary journey since moving to London, allowing me to create something inspired by Lagos, its ingredients and its people”.
The chef was also excited by the huge patronage, show of love and welcome by Lagos diners.
“I was truly overwhelmed by the incredible response, the sold-out dinners and the warmth with which Lagos embraced ‘The Homecoming’.
“It was deeply rewarding to share our food, connect with our guests and celebrate the richness and possibilities of African cuisine. It was an experience I will treasure,” she said.
On its part, the hotel management was also excited over the successful Lagos residency.
Richard Mutanda, cluster director, sales & marketing, Continental Hotels Nigeria, said: “We were immensely proud to have hosted Chef Adejoké Bakare and the internationally acclaimed Chishuru London at Lagos Continental. The Homecoming represented more than an exceptional dining experience; it was a celebration of African culinary identity, creativity and global recognition”.
According to Mutanda, the overwhelming response and sold-out dinners reaffirmed Lagos’ appetite for world-class culinary experiences and reinforced Continental Hotels Nigeria’s commitment to bringing extraordinary international hospitality and dining experiences to Nigeria.
“We were delighted with the success of the residency and deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making it such a memorable experience,” he concluded.
While the residency is over, the impact keeps growing, especially by putting Nigerian culinary tourism on the global map.
Her team members, who visited for the first time, may likely repeat the visit, while going back to the United Kingdom with first-hand stories about Nigeria, which have been very positive.
For the 23-storey Lagos Continental Hotel and Continental Hotels Nigeria, its parent company, the feats keep growing from being Nigeria and West Africa’s tallest hotel building at 100 meters (328 feet) to being the first hotel to host an international culinary residency with a Michelin-starred Nigerian chef in the United Kingdom.
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