✧ Black PANTHER DINNER ✧ with Chef Nyanyika Banda

We are honored to welcome Chef Nyanyika Banda for a special dinner rooted in culinary storytelling, history, and community.

Join us for a special coursed rooftop dinner that follows Ndi Chikendi, the executive chef of Wakanda’s royal palace, journey in three parts: Market, Dinner and Dessert.

• Menu Story

  Ndi Chikendi is the executive chef of Wakanda’s royal palace. Before she cooked for the court, she learned at her family’s food stand in Birnin Zaana. Her mother and Anti Bahiya built the stand around curried chicken, nsima and Kabichi; when Ndi was old enough, she joined them. At eighteen, a busy day selling samosas and lamb kebabs helped set her on a path from the market to the palace kitchen.
  
  The meal follows Ndi’s journey in three parts: Market, Dinner and Dessert. It opens with the foods and flavors of her family’s market stand, pauses for a small savory intermezzo, then turns to the generous, saucy dishes of the dinner table before ending with a celebratory sweet.

• Menu

  THE MARKET · TO SHARE

  Vegetable Samosas
  A savory market favorite from the world Ndi grew up in.

  Lamb Kebabs
  The popular skewers that helped carry Ndi from the market toward the palace kitchen.

  Kabichi
  Thinly sliced cabbage tossed with curried aioli, recalling the salad her mother and aunt served at their stand.

  INTERMEZZO

  Savory Plantain Custard
  A silky savory custard made with smoked plantain, finished with mango.

  
  DINNER

  Village-Style Curried Chicken Thighs
  A slow-braised curry rooted in the first dish Ndi’s mother and aunt sold at the market.

  Braised Kale and Tomatoes
  Tender greens and tomatoes, a dish Ndi learned beside her mother.

  Roasted Plantains
  Green plantains roasted until their edges slowly caramelize.

  Nsima
  A cassava-flour staple, ready to gather up the curry and savory juices.

  
  DESSERT

  Basbousa with Hibiscus Syrup
  A celebratory cake finished with bright, floral hibiscus syrup.

• ABOUT CHEF

  Chef Banda is a chef, culinary historian, educator, writer, and author of The Official Wakanda Cookbook. Throughout her career, she has worked in acclaimed kitchens, led culinary education programs, written extensively about food and culture, and created immersive dining experiences that bring people together through shared meals.

  Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Food52, and Resy. Whether teaching a cooking class, presenting a culinary history program, or serving a multi-course dinner, Chef Banda creates experiences that nourish curiosity, deepen connection, and celebrate the power of food as culture, memory, and community.