New Street Foodz King Emerges
After 13 weeks of sizzling competition, Fajana Adegboyega of La Krim Foods emerged winner of the second season of Street Foodz Naija, a reality television show showcasing the best of African delicacies from local chefs.
Competing with four other finalists on the grounds of Alao Aka-Bashorun Park, Gbagada, Lagos, he took home the star prize of N5 million.
Street Foodz Naija is a production of FoodBay TV, owned by Maxima Media Group. The docu-series mirrors cooking competition on global food channels by showcasing the best street delicacies through the culinary prowess of 13 contestants.
“Food Bay has one mission: to put African food – not just Nigerian food – on the world food map,” said CEO of Maxima Media Group, Femi Ogundoro. “We started this journey about three to four years ago, building content that cut across different segments within the culinary space. We decided to do this because we saw that gap within that space. If you check within the food media, we pretty much have two giants within that space: BBC Lifestyle and Food Network. There is no platform big enough or bold enough to be able to take the African story, when it comes to food, to the rest of the world.”
For the second season finale, each contestant was presented with the same recipe to create their unique version of a potato dish within 45 minutes. Their cooking was assessed based on the taste, general presentation of the meal, adherence to cooking brief, and observance of hygiene.
With his presentation of potato pancakes and a side of chicken sauce, Fajana stole the hearts of all three judges: Chef Alex McCoy (Lucky Buns), Chef Ette Assam (Ette’s Finger Likin’), and Chef Tosan Jemide (Cakes by Tosan).
“When you go to a diner, you want something hearty and homey. This is something that I’d want to eat in a diner,” Alex said in his assessment of Fajana’s dish.
Tosan was particularly thrilled with his ingenious way of turning the bland tasting mashed potatoes into a sweet, fluffy delight by adding ripe plantains, eggs and rice flour. “It was very innovative for you to blend your plantain and potatoes,” Tosan said as he chowed down on the pancakes. “That was very innovative.”
While Fajana took the top prize home, Owoeye Damilare (ChefDNaija) and
Alimi Akorede (Korede Spaghetti) emerged first and second runners-up respectively. Former housemate of Big Brother Naija, Elozonam Ogbolu anchored the event.
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