“The waitlist at Dakar is about 40-50 people every single day. We serve all of our guests at once so it can be a challenge.” Bon Appetit spends a day on the line with Sharena Smith, Sous Chef at Dakar NOLA in New Orleans, a Senegalese restaurant that serves a 7-course tasting menu to all its customers at once and winner of the James Beard Best New Restaurant 2024.
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00:00 Dakar Nola is a Senegalese restaurant
00:03 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
00:05 We are known for our pescatarian menu
00:08 that's full of bold flavors and fresh seafood.
00:12 I've been the sous chef of Dakar Nola
00:13 for about a month now.
00:15 It's been a hectic month,
00:16 but it's been a really big step up for me.
00:19 The wait list at Dakar is about 40 to 50 people
00:22 every single day.
00:23 We serve all of our guests at once,
00:25 so it can be a challenge.
00:28 It is Wednesday, Dakar is closed on Monday and Tuesday,
00:32 so we have a lot of prep to do.
00:34 Good morning, my name is Sherina Smith.
00:45 I am the sous chef here at Dakar Nola,
00:47 located in New Orleans.
00:49 Come on in so I can show you around.
00:51 So this is our beautiful dining area.
00:53 It seats about 30 people with one seating a night.
00:57 We have a Senegalese tasting menu of seven courses.
01:00 I am the first person to arrive every morning
01:03 to get prep done before everybody else gets here.
01:06 So let's get to it 'cause I got stuff to do.
01:08 The beginning of my day starts off
01:14 with receiving different type of orders.
01:16 I am the one that is receiving,
01:18 signing and putting them away.
01:20 Fish sauce, flowers, mushrooms.
01:24 Okay.
01:26 Thank you so much.
01:27 All right, you too.
01:28 So I just received the order of mushrooms
01:31 and we are very proud to source locally.
01:35 So all of our produce and our seafood
01:38 is fresh delivered and local.
01:40 These oysters are actually gonna be used
01:42 for entree service tonight.
01:44 They're gonna be sauteed along with red snapper
01:47 and some eggplant.
01:49 And now I'm gonna go ahead and get started cooking.
01:53 [upbeat music]
01:55 I'm about to start butchering fish.
01:59 But before I start that,
02:01 I wanna go ahead and get my onions started sweating
02:03 so that I can multitask.
02:05 This big pot here is for the yassa sauce.
02:07 It's a process of a good two hours
02:11 normally because I'm waiting for the fish stock.
02:13 So while this is sauteing,
02:15 I'm going to start breaking down some fish.
02:18 Today we got red snapper in and look how big it is.
02:21 Like, geez.
02:22 So I'm gonna start by making sure
02:24 that the scales on it come off.
02:27 Most days, fish is my first priority
02:29 because I need to go ahead and make a stock
02:32 at the beginning of the day.
02:33 The stock is the main, main thing
02:36 that we utilize in all of our sauces.
02:38 Today I'm breaking down six fish.
02:40 Trying to get faster.
02:42 Serene, my chef, taught me how to clean fish
02:45 with this technique that I'm about to show you guys.
02:47 So I am starting off with the collar,
02:50 cutting into that, going down,
02:53 flipping it on the other side, doing the same stroke.
02:59 I'm gonna save the bones and the head
03:03 specifically for the stock.
03:04 And then I'm also going to save the collars
03:07 for our family meal.
03:08 We are a pescatarian menu.
03:13 I am utilizing each aspect of this fish.
03:16 To be honest, I have not butchered anything
03:20 in quite some time.
03:21 It's been a fun process relearning how to do it.
03:24 It's not the most relaxing, but I'm gonna get it done.
03:27 That's all I can do is just get it done.
03:29 I do need to just stir these onions real quick.
03:34 So at this point, I just gotta keep multitasking.
03:42 So I had to stir the onions for a moment
03:44 and I'm right back at the fish.
03:46 So I'm only gonna break down the fish right now
03:48 because my chef isn't in
03:49 and he said he wanted to go ahead
03:51 and do a new way of portioning.
03:53 Time management is crucial.
03:54 Our first eating is at seven o'clock.
03:56 So I have to go ahead and get these bones roasted
03:58 so I can get my stock started.
04:00 So it's 10 o'clock now.
04:12 I am about to get the jollof base started.
04:14 We serve jollof during entree.
04:17 So we'll have it in cast iron pots.
04:19 Served communally at the table.
04:21 Chef Serene likes to incorporate both the Senegalese
04:24 and New Orleans fusion
04:25 because each has its own story and history.
04:28 Rice was a big thing during the slave trade.
04:31 This is the reason why we make jollof rice here.
04:34 That's part of his culture,
04:35 but it also resembles something of New Orleans as well.
04:38 This is what feels home to him.
04:40 So this is one of his favorite dishes.
04:42 It's near and dear to Chef Serene's heart.
04:45 I am making a double batch.
04:47 A busy week means fully booked every night
04:51 as well as chef decided to add two more seatings tomorrow.
04:54 So I have a lot of prep to do
04:57 and I just wanted to get ready for it.
05:00 What we have coming.
05:01 This one is giving me problems.
05:04 So I'm currently going to saute some onions,
05:09 wet them down.
05:10 And then once I add the tomato paste,
05:12 I'm gonna let it cook for about 30 minutes
05:14 until it gets like a nice, dark, rich red color.
05:18 That's what we're looking for.
05:19 It brings out more of the flavor.
05:21 So I'm gonna add some Dakar spice to give it a little kick.
05:24 Dakar spice adds extra heat to any dish.
05:27 It's processed habanero.
05:29 We like to say, bring it back to Africa.
05:32 Jollof base, you have to consistently watch over it
05:35 'cause you wanna make sure
05:36 that it doesn't burn at the bottom.
05:38 So you're always stirring it every so often.
05:44 It is noon.
05:45 I gotta get this tea going.
05:47 So I am weighing out ginger for the Ataya tea.
05:51 We start off with the tea at the beginning as a refreshment
05:55 because it's part of Senegalese culture.
05:57 The Ataya tea is really special
05:59 because it's a nice ginger and jasmine flavor profile
06:04 topped with mint foam.
06:05 I'm gonna blend the ginger with the water.
06:07 And then I'm gonna let this steep.
06:11 (upbeat music)
06:14 So my fish bones are ready to come out the oven
06:18 for my stock.
06:19 These bones have been in for about 45 minutes.
06:22 We're looking for a golden brown color.
06:25 So we're gonna go ahead and get the stock going.
06:27 I'm gonna cut up some onions and some celery.
06:30 The stock is used in everything almost.
06:33 It's in the Jollof, it's in the Yassa,
06:36 it's in the onion sauce.
06:38 So it's really important that I get it right every day
06:41 so that I'm just making sure
06:43 that it's incorporated in everything.
06:45 So now I'm gonna add the fish sauce and the red vinegar.
06:49 As that's finishing off,
06:51 I'm gonna go ahead and start putting the bones in.
06:53 Normally we get three in each day.
06:55 Today's a heavier day, so we got six in.
06:58 Tomorrow, we're gonna make another stock with that fish.
07:01 Looking at the teeth like crazy.
07:04 And then we're just gonna let that sit for about three hours
07:08 until my coworkers come in and then we'll strain it.
07:11 So this Jollof base is currently almost done
07:17 and I'm gonna take a small portion of it
07:19 and utilize it for the onion sauce.
07:22 So I'm gonna saute some more onions.
07:25 So my onions are gonna cook up all the flavor
07:27 of the Jollof base that was just in this pie.
07:30 The onion sauce is accompanied with the akra,
07:33 the black-eyed pea fried fritter.
07:36 And then we also serve the akra with caviar.
07:38 So you get a little bit of that salty
07:41 but sweet flavor from the tomato
07:43 and then the spice from the taqar.
07:45 So now that the onions have sweated down,
07:48 I'm going to add the Jollof base.
07:50 This is fish sauce that I'm adding.
07:53 We don't use a lot of salt
07:55 because we use a lot of fish sauce instead.
07:59 All right, so this onion sauce is done.
08:02 All I have to do is blend it up
08:03 and then we're gonna adjust it right before service.
08:06 It's gonna be a good sauce.
08:07 And then I'll be done with this.
08:10 No, I won't be done with this pie.
08:12 No, I won't be done with this pie
08:13 'cause I forgot I'm making a big pot of the soup of Kanye.
08:16 Getting all that flavor.
08:19 So this pot right here is the soup of Kanye,
08:28 which is our version of gumbo.
08:30 When we serve it for service,
08:32 we top it with puffed rice that we cook, dehydrate, and fry.
08:36 And then it's also topped with crab meat.
08:39 It's strictly okra-based.
08:41 Traditional gumbo is made with a roux.
08:44 This gumbo does not need it.
08:46 The okra itself is the thickener.
08:48 As it reduces down with the fish stock,
08:51 it'll get more thick on its own.
08:53 When it's done, it has a semi-sweet umami flavor.
08:58 The stock really elevates that flavor.
09:00 [upbeat music]
09:03 So I have my chef.
09:06 His name is Ron.
09:06 He's going to go ahead and strain the stock for me
09:09 that I need for the yassa as well as the onion sauce
09:12 because I have another task that I have to do,
09:14 which is going ahead and portioning this fish.
09:17 Hey, Chef Serene, do you mind coming over?
09:19 - Oui, chef.
09:21 You got a towel?
09:21 - Yes. - We're getting one of those towels.
09:22 - This is executive chef Serene Mbaye of Dakar Nola.
09:26 He is the owner and chef of this restaurant.
09:29 So he's going to go ahead and show me
09:30 how to portion the fish today
09:33 'cause he wants to do it a different way.
09:35 - All right, so check this out.
09:36 This is a good job of laying it.
09:37 So we're going to get our knife, come around.
09:39 We'll put this here.
09:42 Put our knife behind the tail of the fish.
09:45 Just gliding.
09:46 Boom.
09:48 Cut the edges.
09:50 Trim this side.
09:51 So let's move all the bones.
09:53 Kind of feel it with your hands.
09:54 You can see the bones.
09:55 Gently pull.
09:56 You want to make sure when you're pulling it,
09:58 so that don't over pull it.
09:59 So that way the whole fish will stay intact.
10:02 Boom.
10:03 There's no bones.
10:04 You're going to put all the fish here.
10:05 - Okay.
10:06 - After you're done with the fish,
10:07 we're going to lightly cure the fish.
10:08 So season with salt.
10:09 - Okay.
10:10 - It's going to help to remove all the moisture from the fish.
10:12 - Understood.
10:13 - So just season it high.
10:14 Boom.
10:16 Flip the other side.
10:17 Kind of same thing.
10:19 Chef Serene is the one that I lean on
10:24 when it comes down to executing the food.
10:26 She started when we first opened this restaurant
10:28 and she was having our pastry live and savory.
10:30 And then the past three weeks.
10:33 - Yeah, this whole month.
10:34 - This whole month.
10:34 - Food buys so fast.
10:35 - Exactly right.
10:36 This whole month Chef Serene had transferred
10:38 to completely savory.
10:40 She always trying to improve on her skills.
10:42 Two weeks ago, she didn't know how to break down fish
10:44 and now she's breaking down fish really well
10:46 and I'm very proud of her.
10:47 - Thank you, Chef.
10:48 Thank you.
10:49 - Of course.
10:50 - I definitely feel the pressure sometimes
10:52 doing the fish properly.
10:54 Cause I want to make sure that it looks very clean
10:57 and presentable for the guests
10:59 when it's fully finished off and pan seared
11:01 or seared on the flat top.
11:03 So I'm very cautious.
11:04 I'm always trying to make sure that it's right.
11:08 Cause I want to represent Dakar and Serene really well.
11:11 We always save the scraps
11:12 cause we always end up using them for family meal.
11:16 So everything about this fish,
11:18 every time it's broken down,
11:19 it always gets utilized.
11:21 (upbeat music)
11:24 - Chef, you said after about five minutes,
11:32 use a towel and damp it.
11:33 - No, don't damp it.
11:35 What we want to do is remove all that moisture,
11:36 completely dry, fill it, see how dry it is.
11:40 And then we're going to put it in the cooler
11:42 for another 15 minutes or so to get a little bit more dry
11:44 and then we'll slice it.
11:45 - Okay.
11:46 So are those ones ready to get sliced or no?
11:48 - These ready to get sliced.
11:49 I'll show you how I want to be sliced.
11:50 In about two and a half ounce portion.
11:52 So slice down, come up, voila.
11:57 Nice, beautiful size.
11:59 - In the beginning process, everything is a demonstration.
12:02 So I know exactly how he wants it.
12:04 And then from there,
12:05 I can go ahead and follow his instruction
12:08 cause this is his vision to accomplish.
12:10 So I'm literally helping facilitate it right now.
12:18 - It's 3.30 and I'm getting ready to start family meal.
12:21 Family meal is important to us.
12:22 It gives us a chance to sit down and eat together
12:26 and just kind of give us a break for a moment
12:28 right before we get right back into it
12:30 and go ahead and start service.
12:32 And it's cool because I don't cook the whole thing
12:34 by myself.
12:35 I do have everybody else's hands involved.
12:37 So normally I'm doing the protein
12:40 and then I may be doing the vegetables as well.
12:42 I have Ray doing a salad right now
12:44 and then I have Chef Sade
12:45 that's going to go ahead and make the family juice.
12:47 And we're just going to go ahead and start getting going.
12:50 I normally start family off
12:52 because I'm here earlier than everybody else.
12:55 Today we're utilizing the fish scraps that I cut earlier
12:58 and I'm going to go ahead and pan sear it.
13:01 I don't find it difficult to incorporate family meal
13:04 only when things get a little chaotic
13:06 and I have like multiple things going on at once.
13:09 Sometimes it can be a little bit of a distraction
13:12 but I still manage
13:13 and we're going to make sure we all get fed
13:15 cause we got to eat.
13:18 It's four o'clock currently.
13:19 I just finished family meal.
13:20 I'm about to bring it out
13:21 so we can go ahead and hurry up and eat
13:23 right before service.
13:24 Normally we start off quiet
13:26 and then we'll go into our meeting
13:28 what we got going on for today.
13:30 How many numbers, any dietary restrictions, et cetera.
13:33 - I just want to say that throughout the days
13:38 I was gone to Paris,
13:40 thank y'all for holding the restaurant down.
13:42 So that means a lot.
13:43 - So we have a very special group.
13:45 Eight people coming from the Long Island Company.
13:47 I don't know if you guys know
13:48 but they are the leading tourism organization
13:51 here in the city.
13:52 They're responsible for bringing conventions,
13:55 weddings, the Superbowl, you know, you name it.
13:59 And they would like to come dine here.
14:01 - So are we still going to roll
14:03 with how we had it set up last week?
14:04 Kind of like serving the table one
14:07 and then moving over.
14:08 Are we still good with that?
14:09 - I'd say we can still start off with the large table.
14:12 So seven and one.
14:14 It actually helped smooth things a lot better.
14:17 The incorporation of that along with us
14:20 getting the Akra out as we're pouring the soup.
14:23 And when we're pouring the soup,
14:24 setting up the salad plates
14:26 and getting that pre-started as well.
14:29 So.
14:29 - Continue doing what you're doing.
14:31 - It's 5.30 currently.
14:36 We just finished up with family meal.
14:38 I have a little bit more to do.
14:40 So currently right now I'm about to make some Dakar spice
14:43 to give that extra kick.
14:45 It's super spicy.
14:46 It's processed habaneros,
14:49 cooked down with sugar, vinegar, and oil.
14:51 At Dakar, we love to add flavor
14:54 and build up on that heat.
14:56 So this Dakar spice is one of those things
14:59 that definitely adds extra heat to any dish
15:03 that we put it in.
15:04 I'm gonna be honest.
15:05 I don't even like to taste it anymore.
15:07 I know what it tastes like.
15:08 If I have to taste it, I will,
15:10 but it's so hot that it literally,
15:13 touching on my lip, it burns.
15:15 It's very spicy.
15:16 A little goes a long way.
15:17 Literally, a little goes a long way.
15:19 So cooking it down brings out the heat,
15:23 way more flavor.
15:24 And then with the sugar and the vinegar,
15:26 it balances it out to where it's not too hot,
15:29 but it's tolerable.
15:31 So I'm gonna let this cook down
15:32 and then we're gonna get started on my next project,
15:34 which is going to be raw.
15:36 [upbeat music]
15:39 So raw consists of green pepper, parsley,
15:44 and spinach as the main ingredients.
15:47 And then we put in Dijon mustard,
15:49 balsamic vin, and olive oil
15:51 to give it that paste consistency.
15:53 We're putting the raw on top of the fish.
15:56 This is something that we make right before service,
15:58 normally, because it gives it a nice, bright green color.
16:01 The color does hold up, but we like to keep it fresh.
16:03 So normally I'm making this every two days.
16:06 [upbeat music]
16:09 So this parchment paper,
16:13 I am setting up for wrapping the fish.
16:18 It holds the raw that I put on top of it together
16:21 as we put it on the flat top.
16:23 Excuse me, Chef Ron.
16:25 Thank you.
16:26 It can get a little crazy in here
16:30 as we're doing our last minute things.
16:33 Everybody's kind of moving around.
16:34 Front of the house is coming through,
16:35 back of the house is running through.
16:37 So we're just trying to finish
16:39 our last projects at this point.
16:40 I am spreading the raw on the top of the fish
16:43 that we portioned out earlier.
16:45 And I'm going to go ahead and wrap it.
16:47 After we wrap it, we put it back down below
16:52 and we wait until service to start cooking it.
16:55 [upbeat music]
17:02 It's 6.45 currently.
17:03 As you can see, it's getting a little hectic.
17:05 The last thing I'm going to do
17:06 is get this Jollof rice going.
17:08 It's one of the things that we make last minute.
17:11 So I appreciate y'all for being here,
17:13 but y'all got to go.
17:15 Bye.
17:15 [laughs]
17:16 [upbeat music]
17:19 (upbeat music)