“What we are offering is a la carte; which means everything is done for you fresh”

There is a new high in terms of health consciousness and healthy eating. Chef MICHAEL EJIEKPE in this interview with MABEL DIMMA sheds light on healthy eating, his new grilled fish spot in Apapa and how his offerings differ from every day junk food.

What is the Apapa Grill Fish all about?

Apapa Grilled Fish Spot is basically a seafood oriented restaurant that is targeted at providing quality feeding options to individuals, groups and offices as regards lunch, birthdays, festivities and other events.

Healthy living redefined; how does that work?

Considering industry standard, when it comes to catering and hospitality at large; there is this huge knack for change in the way we feed and for healthy living. People now do a lot of exercises, walkouts, among others. It is gradually, but steadily hitting people smack in the face that we have to change the way we eat. All we are trying to do is in line with that, to say there is a circular way of eating and of course, people in that form of work are doing great for themselves. However, it is up to those of us who are looking at this real healthy feeding path to try and usher people to this path as well.

What’s the different between what people refer to as junk food and what you offer?

Plenty stuff. Let’s start to talk from the preparation; from the food itself. When you call it junk food what comes to mind, is quick make. But there are foods that are not junk that are quick make as well. Essentially what are we talking about when we talk about junk food; it is processed food, food that are not really organic and far from being fresh. Most times you find that these foods referred to as junk are made down and served in portions over times. However, what we are offering is a la carte; which means everything is done for you fresh, while you wait. Most importantly, it is done to your order; you have an input in what you eat. Our work defers from the people who dispense junk food; from our processes, markets, to our sieving and actual production process, even to our plating process.

How and where do you get your raw foods from?

Before I got to Apapa, this used to be a challenge. I am a mainlander; a Yaba boy. I have been doing this for over 19 years. Originally, like every other person we get the products from Ijora, but these are not fresh. What Apapa has availed me, which actually has attracted me, is the waterfront where you can get very fresh fish, right from the water, you can get croaker fish – there is the Nigerian, as well as, foreign croaker. Incidentally, the Nigerian croaker is more expensive. The only fish that will not come to you fresh is Tilapia and Mackerel.

Everyone is running from Apapa because of the traffic congestion, why did you choose to come in?

I get this question all the time, but it is simple foresight. I call it foresight because I have been practicing for a while; I started doing this from 1999, before I went to school. Right from time, Apapa has always had a healthy mix of both commercial and residential developments. The Apapa crowd seldom moves, which means you have a huge clientele base; both commercial and residential (they cannot move much because of the traffic). I am just saying the physical first, what you can see. So, you have a sit-in-crowd; you ask yourself what are they getting? I stayed at some guesthouses just to see what the nightlife is. I saw a real hunger for places that are nice; Apapa is tired of what they have already. Apapa has also attracted the Federal Government because of the traffic. It is like my timeline, but I have enough time, I am not under pressure right now. I have enough time to work, and market the business. I know Apapa is the central nerve system of Lagos State because there is plenty money in Apapa, anyway you look at it.

What are the special things you have for your customers?

Everything about my work is special, starting from the thought, and the meals I create are from within (I don’t read cook books much. However, my unique selling point right now is on weekends particularly Saturdays. I don’t do daily for now because I don’t have that clientele yet but I am working on it and I have made contacts with several companies. My unique selling point is the fish buffet. With N1500 you can get a whole fish with salad- you can enjoy yourself and feed as much as you want. That is giving you first of all, choice, standard quality and affordability.

Is your market for the high-ender?

My market is for everybody; but I like the word ‘high-ender’. Why will I sell my fish for N1500 to a high-ender? I am coming from Nicon Town in Ajah, where I sell a fish for N4,500; same fish I sell for N1500 here, maybe a difference in size- those are high-enders. I want a situation where any lady or guy out there can come into Apapa Grilled Fish Spot and have a wonderful time, have a bottle of red wine with nuts. I have nuts I produce myself called, ‘Blessed nuts’. For the wine, we do bottles; not glasses for now and we keep it affordable.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Chef Ejiekpe Michael. I studied Hotel and Catering Management at Yaba College of Technology and graduated in 2004. I started my outfit in 1999; I didn’t get into college in time and the options then was to get a job. I did get a job with an advertising firm and it was interesting. It made me independent because the owner single handed ran the media agency; I perceived I could do my own thing and had an understanding of what I could do. My break came from a friend who was a student a Yaba Tech at that time. He would go out with his basket and ingredients and come back in the evening with money; it got me interested. The money part, yea, but it was the fun he was generating; there was this buzz and all of a sudden, he was ‘everybody’s man’ and that got me. There was a way he handled the food that I didn’t like; I felt I could do it better and that’s how I started my first place. We started our green turkey and fish; just the same fried turkey but I got scent leave (effirin) and I would squeeze it to get the scent and the colour- that just sent the word down the road and before I knew it, I got cars parked and all the boys in school coming around. It is what has transformed to Apapa Grilled Fish; from the road side place I had at Sabo, Yaba which I ran for five years. I was at Double4, on Awolowo Road as an assistant chef and got a lot of muscle from there. I also did a lot of travels around Africa, mostly the francophone countries. I think the French have class, so I fell in love with their style and I started doing a lot of studies. I think that is an edge I have against a lot of people; I actually take time out to research and know why you should say yes to anything, I almost don’t assume.