Today we’d like to introduce you to Fatou Ouattara.
Hi Fatou, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire, with ancestral roots in Mali and Burkina Faso, and I grew up with the food of West Africa: food that carries family, history and identity in every pot. After earning my degree in Finance and Marketing at Portland State University, I opened Akadi PDX in 2017 as Portland’s first West African restaurant. I wanted to bring the flavors of my region to this city and to break down the stereotypes people hold about West African food and culture. The road hasn’t been straight. I’ve opened Akadi twice, reopening in 2022, and each time taught me more about resilience and community. Nearly ten years in, The New York Times has named Akadi one of the 25 best restaurants in Portland. My mission hasn’t changed. I want to represent West African food authentically and show people how much of it is already on their plates. Through the transatlantic slave trade, West African ingredients and cooking techniques shaped American food long before Akadi opened its doors. Most people just don’t realize it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been smooth. I started with a food cart, and that was brutal: long hours, hard physical work and very thin margins. Growing into a restaurant brought new challenges. Many of our authentic ingredients are shipped from West Africa, and rising transportation costs and tariffs have driven our costs up. It’s hard to raise menu prices enough to keep pace without pricing out our guests. Access to capital has been another constant battle. Funding for restaurants is extremely competitive, and getting selected is never guaranteed. Staffing is hard too. In a city like Portland, it’s difficult to find cooks who already know West African techniques, so we train much of our team from the ground up. Every one of these challenges has made me more resourceful and more committed to doing this right.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Akadi means “tasty” in Bambara, and that’s exactly what we serve: authentic West African food from Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and the wider region, cooked the way it’s cooked at home. Our menu rotates through the cuisines of different West African countries. Guests come back for our peanut stew with fufu, jollof rice, suya wings and our signature Akadi pepper sauce, which is also bottled so people can take a taste of West Africa home. We take our vegan menu as seriously as everything else, and there will always be a vegan section. What sets Akadi apart is that it’s more than a restaurant. It’s a cultural hub, with live music, West African art and an atmosphere that feels like a gathering at home. We also offer catering, bringing that same experience to weddings, corporate events and celebrations across Portland. Brand-wise, I’m proudest that a cuisine so often overlooked is now getting national recognition. Akadi was named one of USA Today’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year, featured in The New York Times’ list of Portland’s 25 best restaurants, ranked #2 on Yelp’s Top 25 West African Eateries in the U.S., included in Portland Monthly’s 50 Best Restaurants and featured on Bravo’s Top Chef. I want readers to know that West African food isn’t foreign to them. It’s been on their plates all along, and Akadi is where they can finally taste it at its source.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, I want to grow Akadi in two ways. First, I hope to open more Akadi locations, so more communities can experience authentic African food and culture. Second, I want to broaden what’s on the plate. West Africa will always be our foundation, but we plan to bring in dishes from Central Africa, starting with Congo and Cameroon, to show how rich and diverse African cuisine really is. Alongside that, we’re growing our catering and private events, so people can bring Akadi into their offices, weddings and celebrations. My mission stays the same: to break down stereotypes, represent our food authentically and help people see how deeply African cuisine is already woven into the way they eat.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.akadipdx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akadipdx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akadipdx2/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@akadipdx402
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/akadi-pdx-portland-4
