Hanging out with people in Nigeria, especially my mates from high school, can be such a process. This outing took some planning with people changing their minds and generally just being unreliable. When it finally happened, our number had shrunk but S was good company so it wasn’t a total fail.

The original plan was to meet at Rhapsody’s in V/I but it’s not there anymore. Casper & Gambini’s which is just down the road became our dinner option. For some reason, I had it in my head that it was a ridiculously expensive place and made this known to S. The nicely done exterior of the restaurant may have also that influenced my thoughts. Turns out that it isn’t and apart from the salmon and fish dishes that cost upwards of N9000, most things are reasonably priced.

The restaurant has a nice ambience and the crowd this particular evening was young and artsy. After perusing their menu, I ordered the Casper’s Chicken Escalope while S ordered the Jollof Rice risotto.

I don’t know whether to advise you to arrive very hungry or slightly hungry but I will tell you this, be prepared to wait. I think it’s a ‘Nigerian Restaurant’ thing to just start preparing all the food from scratch when you order it but this may not be very practical. Nobody is saying serve fast food at a restaurant but there are some things that can be prepped earlier, abi? Or is the food already prepared and the timing is just for show?

That mini rant was because it took a bout 30-45 minutes before we got our food. For couples, this might be a good thing because you get to spend more time together; talking and what not. If you’re not enjoying the date, however, hopefully there’s rice at home and you can dip early or have your food to go when they eventually serve it. You’re welcome.

For something that took so long to make, the Chicken Escalope could be better; the chicken and the sauce it came with were bland. The best thing on the plate was the steamed veggies. The mash was also bland and grainy. The addition of salt and pepper on the chicken and its accompanying sauce made a difference making it more palatable. It was, however, a filling dish.

S’s food looked good and there were no complaints. The risotto came with plantain, which I looked at longingly. Plantain is bae! For some reason, the dish reminded me of the time Jamie Oliver cooked something and called it Jollof Rice.

Do I want to visit again? Yes. Their prices are reasonable and I might try the risotto and have some dessert this time around. 😀

Casper & Gambini’s is located at 3 Agoro Odiyan St, Victoria Island, Lagos.