Bennachin

This is about as foreign as flavors get in the French Quarter, although West ­African cuisine (specifically Cameroonian and Gambian) doesn’t pose too many challenges to the conservative palate. In some ways it’s more meat and potatoes than meat and potatoes; the main dish is a meat, often served in a stew form (spicy upon request) with some kind of starch used as a scooping accompaniment. Bennachin admirably makes full use of American ingredients to keep flavors stronger and more colorful than they tend to be in Africa; couscous in yogurt sauce and coconut rice are good examples. The heavy use of okra reminds you how much this cuisine has influenced Louisiana. All in all, this is a great ethnic eatery in a city that can lack in the genre.