Detroit, MI — Just over a week ago, I attended a pop-up event for Little Liberia at Brewery Faisan near downtown Detroit’s Rivertown District for some heavenly food and an update from Chef Ameneh Marhaba on her upcoming brick-and-mortar location.

Little Liberia is Ameneh’s culinary homage to her homeland, where she grew up learning how to cook from her mother. Ameneh launched Little Liberia in 2016, catering around Detroit and vending at local pop-up events. In 2022, Chef Ameneh won $100,000 in the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest after pitching Little Liberia in the innovative competition hosted by TechTown. She then set her sights on finding a space to call home for her restaurant. This eventually led to locking down a space under The Ribbon Apartments at East Warren Avenue and Outer Drive East in Detroit’s East English Village. Ameneh’s brick-and-mortar location for Little Liberia has been under construction for the last couple of months getting ready, expected to open later this year.

Ahead of the eventual grand opening later this year, Ameneh decided to host a pop-up summer series with two events at Brewery Faisan so that Little Liberia’s followers and newcomers alike could enjoy and preview some of the upcoming cuisine. I attended the first pop-up on June 14th, excited to get an update from Chef Ameneh on Little Liberia’s latest developments, and keen on trying as much of the food as possible for a more in-depth experience and recap.

On Saturday afternoon, I drove east along Lafayette Street past Elmwood Cemetery before turning north on Beaufait Street. Dodging the various road projects along the way, I was able to maneuver up the dirt road and park in an unofficial lot across from the brewery, about a quarter of a mile north of Lafayette. The bustling brewery stood out in stark contrast to its few neighbors along the street, which were mostly empty or overgrown lots and the occasional defunct business. The brewery certainly had an air to it, a very open space with a welcoming vibe and funky house tunes emanating from within. As I crossed the road, I was greeted by Chef Ameneh, whose cooking station was set up outside of the brewery along the front sidewalk. Ameneh’s crew had an ordering/serving station set up inside next to the DJ’s table.

I briefly caught up with Ameneh, who was in the middle of fishing out Pepper Kala (fried dough) from a big cooking bowl filled with simmering oil. She wanted me to enjoy the food first before we caught up for a proper chat and formal interview. I selected the delicious Landfowl (a hoppy Kolsch) beverage from the spriteful bar and set up shop at a corner table to dissect the menu and determine my order.

Since I wanted the full experience food-wise in order to elaborate on more of the cuisine, I decided to go with the Combo order from the Part One menu. This basket included a little bit of everything, including Fried Plantains, Monrovia Wings, Pepper Kala, and Roasted Beef Skewers.

It had been nearly a year since I last enjoyed Chef Ameneh’s cooking, and I can confidently say that everything I try from her culinary playbook continues to amaze me. Until Ameneh, I had never been exposed to Liberian cuisine, but quickly became a fan during the first segment I did with Ameneh when I was blown away by the range of spice and flavor in the dishes that she had prepared. Ameneh’s take on skewers has always been one of my favorites from her menu; consistently well-seasoned and marinated overnight, grilled so tender that the meat is nearly falling off the skewer by the time you pick it up from your basket.

The Part One menu combo featured Roasted Beef skewers, so I was in luck for this particular foodie adventure! The beef had not only marinated overnight in Liberian spices but also nut butter. Served in the fun arrangement of meat/pepper/meat/onion along the skewer, I thoroughly enjoyed these hearty and zesty cuts of meat that had some nice texturization going on from the slight grill charring — a pro move. The seasoning blend was perfect and had really settled throughout the cut of meat overnight, yielding a salty and savory delivery in every bite.

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After enjoying a skewer, I happily picked up one of the Fried Plantains (the beautifully golden-fried sweet plantains pictured on the left side of the basket below), completely unaware that this next bite was about to be life-changing! Throughout all of my adventures thus far, I can also confidently state that Chef Ameneh’s Fried Plantains are the best plantains I’ve ever had! They were incredibly soft and sweet but had the slightest of crunches from just a quick flash fry, which also brought out and encapsulated a lot of the sweetness from the plantain’s caramelization. I could eat these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — they are seriously so good!

I felt like I had been transported to someone’s childhood, enjoying a lighthearted but deliciously sweet snack prepared by a parent or grandparent. I felt the connection to that menu item, a simple dish that transcends cultures and connects us as humans! This is what cooking and food are all about, and Ameneh really demonstrates that throughout the journey and vibrancy of her cuisine.

Since I had cleared some room in my basket, I could see the Monrovia Wings better and quickly became enticed to snatch one up as soon as I had finished off my last Fried Plantain — which was chewed slower for maximum enjoyment. These wings were noted on the menu for being on the spicier side, marinated in exotic spices, slathered in a homemade peanut sauce, and roasted over low flames. The chicken was so tender that when I picked one of the wings up, some of the meat partially separated from the bone and dangled along the side, waiting to be gobbled up. So soft and moist, the chicken was practically falling off the bone from the sheer weight of gravity alone when held aloft! Needless to say, I made quick work of these chicken wings, cleaning them off enjoyingly within minutes.

I’m always really impressed by the array of seasonings Ameneh mixes and uses for sauces and marinades. Ameneh’s dishes and seasoning blends always capture such unique ranges of spice or sweetness through her selective ability to utilize certain ingredients to control things like the heat intensity or overall direction of a dish’s flavor profile. The remaining menu item I had yet to try was the Pepper Kala, a famous Liberian street food. The Pepper Kala is the lovely golden brown fried dough pastry seen above, which has a surprisingly soft, yet thick sponge-like interior consistency.

Although I was slowing down in terms of appetite, I had just enough room left in the tank for these two doughy delights. While the fried dough was indeed soft, they had some chew to them, but in the fun layered pastry kind of way, so it’s still squishy and a bit sweet. The real winner of this dish is the pepper sauce served on the side, which provided a great and flavorful heat to the mix. The sweet fried dough was a great pairing with this spicy and peppery sauce, providing an excellent sweet/heat combination. When I ran out of pepper sauce I enjoyed the remaining bites of Pepper Kala on their own, rounding out the meal with the sweet aftertaste from the fried dough.

I was completely stuffed after finishing all of that food, which was arguably one of the most exceptional international meals I’ve enjoyed in a while! Metro Detroit (and soon the East English Village of Detroit in particular) is very fortunate to be able to enjoy this flavorful West African cuisine provided by Chef Ameneh and her team at Little Liberia!

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After eating, I caught up with Ameneh before heading out. I asked her a few questions, starting with what inspired her to host the summer pop-ups at Brewery Faisan.

“So, today is part one of our two-part menu tasting event, where we’re pretty much showcasing parts of the menu that’s going to be at Little Liberia when we open, this year hopefully,” Ameneh explained. “Today, we’re just doing a little tasting, items that would be on the menu so people can have an idea of what to expect.”

That prompted my next question, inquiring about the latest developments with the space for Little Liberia’s brick-and-mortar location.

“Right now, we have the space, we’re working on getting our permitting approved. And once that’s done, then we’re going to be starting construction very soon. So, things are happening, we’re in the architectural phase of selection and the fun stuff. So, I would say, maybe by the end of June we should have more solid updates on timelines and things like that,” said Ameneh.

I was thrilled to hear that things continue to move along for the Little Liberia team, and I’m very excited for their eventual grand opening. When it comes to inspiring restaurateurs around Detroit, Chef Ameneh and her team certainly come to mind. The food quality at Little Liberia is beyond sensational, it’s wholesome, and leaves you filled (literally) with colorful food and (figuratively) a sense that you’re part of a new family or community.

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The kicker/cherry on top is that Ameneh says that Little Liberia’s Part Two pop-up event at Brewery Faisan takes place on July 26th, which also is Liberia’s Independence Day. The next pop-up will also take part later in the day, with the Little Liberia station serving up orders between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. It’s also worth noting that the menu will be slightly different, with the Roasted Beef Skewers substituted for Pepper Chicken and the Monrovia Wings replaced with Liberian Jollof Rice (which I’ve had, it’s amazing!!). If you have the time on that particular Saturday, I strongly recommend stopping by to check out Chef Ameneh Marhaba’s culinary gateway to Liberian cuisine and her rich cultural heritage. And it’s only a preview of what’s to come once Little Liberia opens the doors to its brick-and-mortar location later this year!

For more information about Little Liberia, the Part Two Pop-Up, or the latest developments on the upcoming brick-and-mortar location, click here.