HE HAS TO SAY ABOUT MAKING THE MOVIE WHEN YOU JOIN US TOMORROW AT 10 A.M. RIGHT HERE ON LIVE IN
THE D. MICHELLE. WELL. AUGUST IS
BLACK OWNED BUSINESS MONTH AND
WE ARE SHOWCASING SOME OF THE
INSPIRING SUCCESS STORIES HERE
IN THE D. AMONG THEM IS THIS
YEAR’S COMERICA HATCHED DETROIT
CONTEST WINNER LITTLE LIBERIA.
THE POP UP RESTAURANT WON THE
TOP PRIZE OF $100,000 TO HELP
OPEN A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION
. THE ANNUAL CONTEST SUPPORTS
BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESS GROWTH
IN DETROIT. HIGHLAND PARK AND
HAMTRAMCK AND WE ARE JOINED BY
THE OWNER AMINA MAHABHARATA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME ON THE
SHOW. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON
WINNING YOUR AMONG MANY GREAT
RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE WON THIS
SO IF AS SOON AS YOU GET YOUR
BRICK AND MORTAR STORE, IT WILL
BE THE FIRST LIBERIAN RESTAURANT
IN MICHIGAN. FIRST OFF. WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? AND THEN?
SECONDLY TELL ME ABOUT LIBERIAN
CUISINE AND WHAT PEOPLE CAN
EXPECT LIBRARIAN CUISINE IS VERY
FLAVORFUL. WE USE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT SPICES AND STUFF, AND
OUR FOOD IS SPICY. BUT WE HAVE
LIKE GOOD BALANCES OF LIKE SOME
SOME DISHES THAT ARE REALLY
SPICY WOULD HAVE PLANTAINS THAT
PAIR WITH IT. SO THE SWEET AND
THE SPICY KIND OF GOES GOOD
TOGETHER. BUT WE DO USE A LOT OF
RICE. TODAY I HAVE ALL THE
DIFFERENT FOODS THAT WE WOULD
HAVE AT LITTLE LIBERIA. UM SO
LIKE PRIORITY OF DIFFERENT
THINGS AND STUFF THAT WE WOULD
OFFER AWESOME. WELL, LET’S GO
THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DISHES
BECAUSE THEY LOOK AMAZING. AND
RIGHT NOW WE’RE HERE ON THE RICE
. SO IS THAT NORMALLY SERVED
WITH OTHERS DISHES? YES SO RACE
GOALS WITH MAJORITY OF OUR
DISHES. SO LIKE RACE GOALS WITH
CASSAVA LEAVE, IT GOES WITH THE
FLOUR SAUCE THAT GOES WITH THE
GRUMPY SOUP. AND THEN I ALSO
HAVE PALM BUTTER, WHICH IS OUR
NATIONAL DISH. AS WORD FOR FU.
UM AND I HAVE A SALAD, A KALE
SALAD, AND I HAVE LIBERIA.
ANGELLA PHRASE RAISES A WHOLE
WAR IN AFRICA AND EVERY COUNTRY
THINKS THEY MAKE THE BEST.
LIBERIA MAKES THE BEST ONE. SO
YOU GUYS CAN SEE BUT TALK TO USE
LIKE LAUGHING OVER THEIR HEAD.
SYRIANS, THE GUARDIAN. EVERYONE
YES, IT’S A WHOLE BEEF. SO
THAT’S THE LIBERIANS OLIVE
MONGELLA FRIES AND I HAVE A
FRUIT PLATTER AND OUR RICE BREAD
. RICE BREAD IS FOUND ON EVERY
CORNER AND LIKE VERY EVERYWHERE
YOU WALK SOMEONE SELLING RICE
BREAD. SORRY, BROUGHT THAT
STAPLE FOR YOU GUYS TO TRY
TODAY. A AS WELL, WELL, THIS ALL
LOOKS AMAZING AND LET ME JUST
I’M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BITE
HERE. SO YOU SAID THE FIRST
WASHED MY HANDS WASH IN THERE.
AND THEN YOU TAKE A LITTLE PIECE
OF KOFU FLICK MY HANDS A LITTLE
BIT. SO THAT SO THIS AND THEN
AND THEN YOU DIP IT IN THE PALM
BUTTER. SO WHAT KIND OF FLAVORS
CAN EXPECT IN HERE HAS TO FOOD
HAS CRAB HAVE FRESH BEEF, SO
MUCH FLAVOR BURST? WOW. OH MY
GOSH, THAT’S AMAZING. THANK YOU
. MY GOODNESS. OKAY, I’M GONNA
WASH MY HANDS AGAIN. WHO HERE
HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A HEAT, BUT
NOT VERY SPICY, VERY SPICY, BUT
IT HAS A LOT OF FLAVOR. ALL
THAT’S DELICIOUS. SO HOW DID YOU
GET INTO HOSTING POP UP
RESTAURANTS? SO I STARTED DOING
THIS BACK IN 2016, AND IT WAS A
MEANS TO PAY MY BILLS AND TAKE
CARE OF MY FAMILY. AND FOR THE
POP UP DOING A LA CARTE STYLE
WAS SELLING THEM FOR CASH. SO
YOU KNOW IT WAS QUICK MONEY THAT
I COULD AFFORD TO LIVE ON. AND
THEN I STARTED DOING THAT I WAS
SHARING THE CULTURE PEOPLE WERE
LEARNING ABOUT LIBERIAN FOOD. I
LOVE WHAT I WAS DOING, CAUSE I
LOVE TO COOK. CONTINUE DOING IT,
AND THAT’S HOW IT STARTED. FROM
THAT. THAT’S VERY COOL. AND I
LOVE THE IDEA OF SHARING YOUR
CULTURE AND YOUR RIGHT SOMETIMES
IT’S JUST A SIMPLE AS LIKE. I
NEED TO MAKE MONEY. AND THIS IS
THIS IS WHAT I KNOW HOW TO DO
AND YOU DO IT. VERY WELL. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO YOU TO WIN THE HASH
DETROIT COMPETITION AND BE AMONG
THE MANY LIKE THERE’S A LOT OF
SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANTS AND
BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF
THIS FOR ME. IT’S NOT JUST
ANOTHER BUSINESS LIKE THIS BUILT
THIS WHOLE PAPA BUSINESS BUILT
ON SOMETHING LIKE REALLY BIG FOR
ME LIKE MY DAD SOLD EVERYTHING
HE HAD AND BROUGHT US TO THIS
COUNTRY TO START OVER AND GIVE
US A GOOD LIFE. AND BEING ABLE
TO GET TO THIS POINT WHERE I CAN
MAKE HIM PROUD. AND YOU CAN, YOU
KNOW NO LIKE WHERE WE ARE AT
RIGHT NOW, UM, I FEEL LIKE I’M
MAKING MY COUNTRY PROUD. AND I
FEEL LIKE I’M BRINGING MY
CULTURE TO DETROIT. AND I’M SO
GRATEFUL TO COMERICA BANK TO
HASH DETROIT FOR HELPING US WITH
EVERYTHING THAT THEY’RE DOING
FOR US TO GET HERE. SO FOR ME,
IT’S BEING PROUD THAT, UM
BRINGING MY CULTURE TO DETROIT
AS A DETROITER. I SAY THANK YOU
BECAUSE IT’S AWESOME TO HAVE
THIS MIX OF FOOD AND JUST TO TRY
NEW THINGS MEET NEW PEOPLE MEET
NEW CULTURES. I THINK IT’S ALL
AWESOME. SO BEFORE WE GO, CAN
YOU TELL US HOW PEOPLE CAN TRY
YOUR CUISINE AND HOW THEY CAN
FOLLOW YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY? YES
SO YOU CAN GO TO MY INSTAGRAM
PAGE LITTLE ON THEIR SCORE.
LIBERIA I POST ALL MY UPCOMING
POP UPS. THERE ARE NEXT POP UP
WE HAVE COMING UP. IT’S GOING TO
BE A FRAME IN HAZEL PARK. YES,
THAT’S SEPTEMBER. 10 AND 11. AND
WE HAVE BOTH DAYS WE HAVE TWO
SEATINGS AVAILABLE. SO GO TO OUR
INSTAGRAM PAGE. YOU CAN GET THE
LINK ON THERE AND PURCHASE
TICKETS, AND THAT’S HOW YOU CAN
TRY OUR FOOD. DEFINITELY TRY