Arona Food Place

So, I was very curious and finally stopped by Arona Food Place here in Plano. As a former exchange student who lived with people from all over the world and traveled quite a bit, I am always looking for those authentic flavors. I have tried different African cuisines before but honestly? I had never tried Nigerian food, so I wanted to see how it was. The Food: • Smokey Jollof Rice: The smoke is very real! It is very intense but in a good way, and even with that smokiness, I was able to enjoy all the other spices in the rice. • Peppered Chicken Drumstick: This was delicious, period. • Fried Plantains: Of course I loved these! You know us from the Caribbean... we love our fried plantains. It tasted like home. The Vibe and Service: The place is small, only like two tables, so it is more of a

This has been my favorite restaurant since moving to Texas, well in the beginning I should say. Ive been here about 6 times already & I’m finally making a review. The first 3 times were phenomenal (I’m guessing because I was a new customer) over time service hasn’t been too well. The wait is outrageous at times, but the food was good. However these last 3 times, are a complete no no for me. I made a huge order with peppered turkey on the side & I had to fully cook the turkey & throw it away the next day, it was extremely tough not even biting through it would have helped (waste of money) . I recently went there earlier last week and made a simple order or jollof, fish and plantain, I was told a 20 min wait, which is fine because I’m use to the long wait times, but when i got back I still h

Service - The lady in the front was so sweet, attentive and welcoming to my wife & I. We had a really nice interaction with her and another patron in the place. Food - The seafood okra soup was soooo good! The portion was ALOT, I couldn’t finish it in one sitting (and I have a big appetite) so that tells you something!! Loved the flavors and presentation on the fish platter as well. The oha soup was yummy! Wait time - They make the food fresh so either call ahead or be prepared to wait a bit (which is totally fine because the food did not disappoint). Dining in - We dined in and had no complaints, but the place is pretty small so might recommend take out instead, unless you don’t mind it. Hopefully they can get a bigger place so that the dining in experience can be further elevated.

Had a fantastic experience dining at one of the two tables in this small but mighty restaurant. The egusi, efo riro and jollof rice were all delicious, and after establishing that we were not very familiar with Nigerian food, the proprietor was gracious enough to give us a lesson on proper Nigerian dining etiquette, including hand washing, using the poundo yam swallow to scoop up the stews with our hands and even the best way to enjoy the flavors of the dishes (without chewing!). It was a really great place to explore a unique cuisine that we are lucky to have in Plano.

We enjoyed trying Nigerian food for the first time. We had Egusi and yam, as well as plantains and pepper goat on the side. I appreciated that she showed how to eat it and gave us knowledgeable recommendations. It was very authentic and tasty. Food was flavorful and filling.