Hey Girlies!!
So, the last time I blogged, I told you guys how this blog is transitioning, and I didn't say into what, but if you follow my Instagram then you already know. I'm glad I told y'all that, because I'm a Christian girlie, and it helped me hear God a little more clearly as regards timing on that.
Having said thattttt, I also realized that just because I'm transitioning into a fashion blog doesn't mean that my lifestyle posts have to suffer for it, after all fashion, lifestyle and travel all come together to make up this job that I do, and love very much I have to say. All of that to say that we can all expect a slew of lifestyle posts, until I can travel - hopefully next year - and invest in the pieces I really love and am passionate about.
Now let's really get into this post. It was my birthday on Wednesday, and I turned a whole 30!!!!! Lol! Is that you? I remember when I turned 25, and honestly 30 seemed like a lifetime away. Time really does fly, doesn't it?
The People
Ideally I wanted to spend my 30th on an island with my favorite people, just enjoying sea, sand, sun, and everything that comes with the blessing of a holiday with people you deeply and truly love. I've since come to a conclusion that that idea is for another time in the near future. In the now what I initially planned and could afford was dinner with a friend. Thankfully though, my friend promised to take me out, and since it was my birthday we just decided to do it then and he agreed I could invite a couple friends too.
The Culture
Now I honestly haven't even bothered to find out what's going on in Lagos, but I hear new restaurants spring up every day. Lagos honestly doesn't have a lot of activity to do if you're not actively seeking out new experiences. The culture mostly promotes eating and partying/clubbing. I mean you can go surfing at Tarkwa Bay, or golfing at Lakowe, or even to the Lekki Conservation Center for days of activity if that's what you're interested in, but there aren't many of these. The city has a lot of potential for water sports though, so I am looking forward to the day when the government will clean up the water and invest in things like that.
There's no party like a Lagos Party though, word to Banky W. For what the city lacks in activities it more than makes up for in Nightlife. This is especially evident in December. Most people recommend visiting Lagos in December, because it's at its best then, but I don't know if that's true. If I had my way, I'd never be in Lagos in December, because I especially love to focus on Jesus then, and it gets too rowdy in the city.
The Spot
I overheard my sister telling someone to go to The Smith's around the time I was cracking my head trying to figure out where I wanted to have dinner on my birthday, and remembered that I saw someone on my Instagram go to the tasting/launch or something like that recently, and it looked really nice, so I chose to go there, and I'm super glad I did.
The Look
I picked a dress from my friend from high school's boutique, and had it delivered to me, then I booked a makeup artist, and had my makeup professionally done, before I finally made it to dinner. A whole hour and 15 minutes late. 🤣😩 Don't judge me, okay?
The Ambiance
I found out that The Smith's is in the same building as Cafeteria, and is also run by the same owners, but this is their fine dining(?) option. I don't think I took photos of the actual restaurant, because I honestly wasn't working on my birthday, but their house rules state you should limit picture taking to your section. (Not that I care much about rules, as anyone who knows me knows, lol!) The ambiance however is really nice. It's dimly, but beautifully lit, and perfect for date nights, and other special occasions. As a matter of fact there were 3 birthday celebrations going on that evening.
The Food
Let's talk about the food. I ordered 3 starters since it was just 4 of us. Actually I ordered 2, and Derin got the Prawns. I loved all 3. The prawns were soooo flavorful and just the right amount of crunchy - not burnt or soggy. The scallops seemed fresh, and were slightly flaky. My favorite of them all though was the cheddar biscuit. Now a quick confession: I loveeeeee biscuits. They're one of my favorite American inventions. In fact I've been planning a review of this biscuit spot in Lagos that I don't remember the name now. This one was flaky, packed full of flavor, and moist and squishy on the inside. It was truly perfect.
For my main I got the Ostrich, Derin got the filet mignon, my sister got the Lasagna with a side of roasted potatoes, (don't worry the waiter already let her know how weird that is, lol) and Alison got the Hibachi Poke bowl with prawns.
Let's start with the Ostrich. Honestly I've never had ostrich before, but I was so intrigued by it on the menu that I decided I had to try it, and I had it done medium. I expected the texture of bird meat/poultry. You know chicken, Turkey, and I don't even remember clearly what duck tastes like right now, but I think I expected something like that too. What I didn't expect was to get something that looked like steak, and tasted/felt like Cow tongue.
Now I have nothing against cow tongue, in fact it's one of my favorite cuts of meat, so I had no issues. I enjoyed my food. The mash was mash. Nothing unforgettable, but nothing bad or lumpy either.
Derin said his filet mignon on first bite tasted like Suya, and when I bit into it, I kinda understood what he meant, because the outside seemed like it was charcoal grilled. The inside was the star of the show though, as the meat was perfectly pink, and very melt in your mouth. He ordered it medium rare.
My sister didn't like the lasagna, in fact so much so that she had it packed, and I ate it the next day for breakfast. I didn't have any problems with it, although I did notice that the pasta sheets were a bit... I don't know if the word is rubbery, and I would have definitely liked for it to have more meat. She loved the potatoes tho, and warned me not to eat any of it while she was at the gym, lol.
Alison's poke bowl was my least favorite of everything we ordered. I don't even know what it was about it, but it just wasn't doing much for me.
For dessert I decided to go with the Cookie skillet, and the crème brûlée, because I'm a custard girlie, and if you don't know by now that I'm an ice cream girlie then you must be new here, lol. I loved the crème brûlée. The crunchy sugary topping paired perfectly with the custard as the latter wasn't sweet.
The cookie skillet was delicious, and moist while hot, but after soaking up the ice cream and being left in the fridge it was much more palatable. It was also much too sweet. I'm talking feel a tingle in your body too sweet. I certainly shouldn't have eaten as much of it as I did, but you only turn 30 once don't you?
The Drinks
I ordered just one drink for myself and it was called The Messenger. Now I'll be very honest, this was what sealed the deal for me when I was deciding on the restaurant to go. I took one look at the drinks menu, saw this drink and immediately knew that this was the spot I was going to have my birthday dinner at. I won't share why here, but I have a feeling that the people who know me personally know why, lol.
I loved it, but I would have liked to get more actual drink. The presentation is perfect, but this by itself would neither get you drunk or tipsy, and if you're on a budget, so you only want one drink to give you a nice buzz, then this isn't the drink for you. It's a sweet cocktail, but it's certainly not too sweet. I actually really enjoyed it.
My sister got this drink, but she didn't like it, so I ended up drinking it instead of ordering another cocktail, and it wasn't half bad, but it wasn't memorable tbh. I also let it sit, so it diluted, and just wasn't giving what the bartender probably intended.
The Shenanigans
Lol after dinner it was time to take photos, and I kid you not, we had a whole photo shoot session in the Bathroom. We were there so long, the waitress had to tell us we had spent so much time in there, but no regrets, because we got such great photos. I'm just going to leave you guys with a whole gallery of them.
And btw, contrary to the sign on the wall tequila will not cure your broken heart, but dancing with joy certainly could. I mean I won’t judge you if you try, but I certainly do not recommend especially if you’re a man. (Ask me why if you ever see me in person 💋) You should trust me this one time though. ☺️
I had such an amazing birthday if you ask me. I'm happy, full of joy, and actually really excited for what this decade will bring. Thanks to Jesus I know it'll come with a lot of changes, a lot of blessings, and a lot of love. Also a lot of money, and boy am I happy about that, because I've paid my dues.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope there's more content coming sooner rather than later for you guys. Until then...
Love, Yoma.
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