“Where does the beef come from?”

“America.”

“Where does the chicken come from?”

“South Africa.”

“Where does the shrimp come from?

“From the sea.”

This exchange marks the friendly banter that North Americans and Europeans take delight in at Mama’s Susu’s in Central Monrovia, on Gurley Street, between Broad and Carey.

A plate of meat pie served as appetizer at Mama Susu’s. Photo: Ben Cleeton

My handful of visits to Mama Susu’s have always left me feeling vaguely disappointed as if a player on a favorite soccer team just missed a hat trick in a runaway victory.  That is to say, I’ve not had an unpleasant meal at Mama Susu’s, but the sense of satisfaction I’ve detected in my dining companions has always eclipsed any pleasure that I’ve been able to derive.

On what I think marked my fourth visit to Mama Susu’s, I was condemned to the same fate.  My shrimp curry was solid, quite remarkable actually, given the lack of any discernible spice or seasoning permeating the dish.  I received about a 6 – 8 medium-sized shrimp in a creamy curry laden with canned mixed vegetables.  I was dining with a large party and noticed an intriguing similarly attired shrimp dish further down the table that appeared to be tomato-based.

A plate of shrimp curry at Mama Susu’s. Photo: Ben Cleeton

The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the appetizer.  Mama Susu served up a delicious mini meat pie that constituted a most delicious meal to munch as we waited 60+ minutes for our main courses to arrive.

One of my fellow diners, a frazzled freelance photographer, was erroneously served a baked chicken instead of his order of curry chicken.  His initial look of abysmal distress perished as soon as he pounced on the South African poultry.  This joy only increased when Mama Susu apologized for the error and brought out a bowl of curry to accompany the dish, allowing him to dabble in the best of both worlds.

An order of baked chicken at Mama Susu’s. Photo: Ben Cleeton

The photographer’s apprentice (you see his work on this post) lavished kudos as well, albeit with a bit more restraint, on his pepper steak.  While poetic praise may not be the apprentice’s strong suit, his comment that the pepper steak was “tender, peppery, [and] well cooked” was certainly succinct and to the point.

However, I was most suitably impressed by a plate of spaghetti Bolognese being consumed by the diner to my right.  What appeared to be a full 500g packet of spaghetti was veritably doused in an equal amount of beef with what was an intriguing cheesy sauce in the center.  As the individual tasked with the herculean effort of consuming the dish noted, “she [Mama Susu] doesn’t compromise when it comes to portions.”

Throughout the course of the meal, Mama Susu hovered over the table.  I learned that she first came to Liberia 45 years ago and that when things got hot during the civil war in 1990 and 1996 US Marines helped her evacuate the country.

My dining companions gushed with delight at their culinary climax to a busy day.  While I was not displeased by my meal, I was yet again condemned to envy my fellow dinners who were much more satisfied than myself.

Featured photo by Ben Cleeton