(This venue is closed.) The owners of many Ghanaian restaurants in New York are Ashanti; at Al-Baraka, they are Hausa.
The Ashanti people are concentrated in the central and southern regions of Ghana, as well as the Ivory Coast. I'm told that Papaye is Ashanti-owned; this was also very likely true of the former Ghanaian-Ivorian restaurant Florence's.
The Hausa people live predominantly in Nigeria and Niger, as well as northern Ghana. The proprietress of Al-Baraka — previously, she operated a namesake restaurant nearer the ferry terminal, called Zube's — maintains that the two regional Ghanaian cuisines are different. I can't divine just how, based only on a single sampler platter. I did note that Al-Baraka's egushie, the bright squash-seed-based hash in the first photo, has a firmer and chunkier consistency than the saucy preparation at Florence's. It's delicious.
Also shown: wakye (behind the egushie), a combo of rice and black-eyed peas; okra sauce with lamb and fish, probably tilapia, and banku, fermented corn meal and cassava dough that's used to scoop it; and shito, a hot sauce.
A backyard with seats, and a grill, is scheduled for summer.
Al-Baraka Place
646 Bay St. (Thompson-Canal Sts.), Stapleton, Staten Island
347-426-1912
