Kunbi Olalere is the chef and owner of Ahinke, a Dover restaurant serving up a fresh take on Nigerian food.
Olalere started Ahinke in 2020 primarily as a catering business with a few small tables and chairs for dining in. In September 2024, Olalere renovated the front of the restaurant and launched a new menu and a brunch program with Nigerian-inspired versions of Canadian comfort dishes like suya chicken and waffles and meat pie poutine with a peppersoup gravy, alongside all-day dishes like a fried chicken sandwich with plantains and classic Nigerian staples like jollof rice.
During Ahinke’s expansion of its dine-in options, Olalere has tried out a lot of Calgary restaurants looking for inspiration for her menu. “The idea of brunch is new to me, just because there’s nothing like that where I come from,” says Olalere. “I got to meet lots of chefs in the city, learn from people and combine that with [Nigerian] seasonings and spices and food.”
We caught up with the chef to find out some of her favourite spots to dine in Calgary.
Maven
“The first one at the top is Maven,” says Olalere. “Not just the fact that they have really nice brunch, but when they had the omakase dinner — my god, it was so good. I really enjoyed the experience of going through a country through the food. That really caught my attention.”
Lava Pizza YYC
“Lava Pizza is tiny, literally just a small store with a stand in the front. It’s Indian-style pizza. I used to drop my kids off at daycare close by, so I would pick up the barbecue chicken pizza. The chicken is like spiced grilled chicken, and it’s so good.”
Rise N’ Shine Breakfast Place
“They’re very close to [Ahinke], so every time I get exhausted from here, I just run over there and eat. And they are so close to us, I could literally throw a stone and hit the restaurant. I love their food and the creativity behind it, and how Filipino food can be recreated as either savoury or sweet [brunch dishes].”
Nooren Samosa
“This restaurant is right beside us, and when I opened Ahinke, Nooren Samosa had already been there for like 20 years. I think my favourite is the beef, and you can tell that it’s not just ground beef, it’s like stewed chunks. They have all kinds of different varieties, and we get them for the team here all the time.”
