Taste of Africa Dinner
Taste of Africa Dinner is an exclusive fine dining series presented by Bintu Kabba and Zee Diallo. We pop up in every city and introduce our guests to the best meals that local African restaurants offer. We aim to bridge the gap between Western and African cultures by introducing exclusively selected meals from the motherland and indulge our guests in VIP treatment while enjoying great food, music, and conversation about the African diaspora and beyond.
Taste of Africa Dinner was founded in November 2018. It was birthed from this idea that African culture and fine dining should be accessible to everyone who desires to learn and participate.
Our inaugural event took place in the beautiful early fall setting of The Urban Art Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The event featured a five-course African meal with selected cuisine explicitly designed with the motherland in mind - complete with complimenting desserts, cocktails, and wines from premiere Black wineries from around the world.
As guests arrived, they were greeted with a fusion of fine herbs and spices from sponsored local restaurants. Then, as the sun set, guests were invited to the communal table as the first course was served. The menu showcased world-renowned international cuisines. The evening was topped with dessert and wine courtesy of Nosey Palate by Kashief Butler, candlelight with smooth world rhythms for dancing and enjoyment.
Turning a Vision into Reality
For many years I would invite friends over to my parents' home, and they would relish over how they enjoyed my mother's West African dishes even though they did not know much about the African culture itself. It wasn't until the new era of social media was birthed that I began to share my volunteer experiences around the African continent to encourage my peers to travel abroad and learn more about African people that this idea of community dining began to formulate. Before curating TOA, I had attended other social food events that allowed me to both network and engage in fluid conversation among my peers. Many of these events were expensive and limited the attendees due to the exclusivity. I wanted to change the way people came together to eat and dine with a charitable purpose. It had to be easily accessible to anyone who wanted a seat at our table. Since its inception, Taste Of Africa has attracted individuals from all walks of life. It continues to inspire a generation of hungry, curious, energetic, fashionable, and philanthropic people who are helping to change the world one fork at a time.
Bintu Kabba
CEO & Creative Director
Making Dreams Come True
I've always enjoyed eating great African food. I love experimenting with recipes from my native country, Guinea, because I am always excited to hear people say how much they enjoy eating my cooking. I never thought of myself as a chef, but I've always known that food would be in my line of work one day because of my connection to it. When I first saw the Facebook post about having an African dinner on Bintu's page, I was excited because I knew what I could bring to the table as a food curator. I envisioned a collaborative partnership that would unite people worldwide over culture, food, and fashion. I love this experience because we can give back to our community through donations and fundraising for organizations such as Strides for Guinea (SFG). SFG has a mission to revolutionize the public health system of Guinea by providing educational resources, promoting wellness, and raising awareness about environmental pollution. I love that we get to bring people together and support local African restaurants, businesses, fundraising while enjoying traditional African foods and discovering new and exciting souls along the way!
Zee Diallo
Co-Founder
