THE FISH LADY

3 Hakeem Dickson Link Rd, Lekki Phase I, Lagos | Website |  0706 857 9340

NOSA: If it feels like The Fish Lady has been around for a while, then it is probably because they actually have been around for a while. Not many businesses of this nature go beyond a second year so it’s a testament to her quiet excellence that she’s still here.

FOLLY: Especially when you consider that she has grown from the weekly pop up at Stranger to taking over the lease at Stranger.

NOSA: It really has been a delight watching the growth. It also could be because I have a soft spot for food vendors that grow into their own physical locations. 

FOLLY: High praise coming from Nosa because he doesn’t have a soft spot for anything.

Initially, The FIsh Lady only had two types of fish - the Tilapia or the Croaker. Now, you can also get Sole, crab soup, or the prawn sauce.

NOSA: There’s rice and fish stew on the menu too!

FOLLY: Eating with your hands also used to be the only option.

NOSA: You can get a fork, but only if you ask nicely. The bowl to wash your hand to eat comes out by default.

FOLLY: We ordered the croaker, mostly because I did follow-follow and copied someone else’s order. After tasting my friend’s tilapia, I’ve decided I definitely prefer how fleshy tilapia is in comparison to croaker.

NOSA: You also get an option of three sides at the Fish Lady - roasted plantain, plantain tape, or miondo.

FOLLY: Miondo is boiled cassava.

NOSA: On the fish itself, this may be a “well, duh” observation, but I really appreciate the fact The Fish Lady doesn’t stray from her Cameroonian roots. Going Nigerian-style would’ve been the easy way out, but she didn’t take that route. 

FOLLY: The cooking style is also different (read: better) than typical grilled fish joints because we didn’t end up with dry and firm fish that results from overcooking.

NOSA: There are significant differences between Cameroon-style grilled fish and Nigerian-style. These differences firmly centre on the use of pepper.  With Nigerian food, we tend to associate “pepper” with flavour. Anything without it is pretty much flavourless and bland in the Nigerian minds.

FOLLY: I rarely order Nigerian grilled fish because it’s usually packed with pepper, and then I end up with beads of sweat on my forehead and my tongue hanging out like a thirsty dog.

NOSA: That’s why you eat it outside and there’s always a lady with chilled Star on deck.

FOLLY: The only thing that I didn’t quite enjoy was the pepper sauce that the fish is served with. And this isn’t because it was too spicy, in fact, it wasn’t spicy at all. Something just tasted off about it, and sadly I can’t really describe it.

NOSA: Cameroon-style grilled fish focuses on bringing out the natural flavour of the fish. The fish is the centre of attention and anything that intends to take that away is shunned. The result is smokey deliciousness. This is not a Nigeria vs Cameroon fight, however. They both have their place.

Nigerian-style is perfect for a hot Friday night and a cold bottle of Star. The Fish Lady, on the other hand, is perfectly suited for a glass of white and asparagus on the side.

FOLLY: Aspara - what? Do you know how expensive that is?

POSTSCRIPT

NOSA: I’m not the biggest fish person in the world, but why don’t more people come to this place?

VERDICT

DAMAGE

Medium - N5000

Large - N6000

PRICE RANGE

N4000 - N6000

PARKING

Piss poor