Serves meat, vegan options available. Restaurant offering West African vegan/plant-based food. Specializes in Ghanian food such as egusi (spinach stew), alicha (cabbage and pepper stir fry), red-red (black-eyed peas), and nkatsi nkwan (peanut butter & vegetables). Also serves sweet plantains, saffron rice, and other sides. Mostly does catering, but otherwise open for individuals when the Ithaca Farmer's Market is open. Relocated from 545 3rd St, Ithaca Market Steamboat Landing. Previously listed as vegan, but reported to serve meat September 2025. Open Thu-Fri 11:00am-3:00pm, Thu-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sun 11:00am-3:00pm. Closed Mon-Wed.
4 Reviews
First Review by tfish
JasonBloomberg
Points +468
Curiosity Rewarded - Edit
Asempe means curiosity and in this case ours was rewarded with a delicious Ghanaian Vegan feast at Asampe Kitchen in Ithaca, NY.
Read moreNkatsi Froyi & Saffron Rice: "Creamy natural peanut butter cooked slowly with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and a blend of spices, creating a rich stew"
Red Red & Plantains: "A flavorful Ghanaian favorite, Red-Red is a stew of black-eyed peas simmered with onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes"
Egusi & Saffron Rice: "Rich and hearty, this traditional West African stew combines spinach with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and spices"
Emomi & Saffron Rice: "Dive into this luscious stew where okra meets a medley of onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, all simmered together"
Brodze: "A side of sweet & melt-in-your-mouth fried plantains! Comes with 7 pieces"
Sobolo: "Hibiscus, ginger, cloves, cane sugar, African spice
Cold with ice"
I'm generally not a fan of plantains or okra, but both were delicious. The okra wasn't slimy and the plantains we slightly sweet, not starchy. Every dish here was distinctively different. Even better than the food is the attention to hospitality. Four of us shared this feast for about $21 each.
If you are by yourself you can get a sampler plate for about $25.
We will be back.
Food ☆☆☆☆☆
Service ☆☆☆☆☆
Ambiance ☆☆☆☆☆
Pros: The food, The menu, The service
Guest
veggivet
Points +186
Healthy, flavorful food in a flash - Edit
Stumbled upon their new brick and mortar location, at Press Bay Court (114 W. Green St.) on a Thursday evening. The owner and chef, Kuukua, was very warm, and welcomed me into the unpretentious space with a huge smile. I ordered the combo plate with plantains, along with the hibiscus drink. My dinner was ready in a flash, because all the food is cooked that day and is just waiting to be served. All three dishes were excellent, hot, and spiced just right. The saffron rice was cooked to perfection and flavorful on its own. If you like a little, (or a lot) of heat, just ask for a teaspoon of Kuukua's hot sauce.. A little goes a long way!
Read morePortions were very generous, and pricing was extremely reasonable.
The only potential downside for diners who may be concerned about cross-contamination is that meat, usually goat or lamb, is served on Sundays. The owner said she literally had to do this to survive, as West African cuisine uses meat often. She was very open and honest about the decision. Of course, the meat is prepared in the same kitchen and is served on the same dishes with the same utensils as she uses the rest of week. Probably not an issue for most diners, but not all. This is why I am rating at 4 instead of 5 stars.
Pros: Healthy, flavorful food at nearly fast food speed, Welcoming, warm atmosphere, Very reasonable prices
Cons: Serves meat (usually goat or lamb) on Sundays, Same kitchen, dishes, etc. used for meat prep
Guest
StephanieLanger
Points +1092
So flavorful - Edit
I don’t have any pictures, but they where at Syracuse Vegfest and we bought a couple of meals from them. The food is so amazingly delicious, wonderful flavors. Also, the people running it are friendly and kind. You can’t go wrong with getting lunch here.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-09-24
Guest
tfish
Points +4393
So glad we found this at the Ithaca Farmers Market! - Edit
We had a phenomenal meal, so glad we stumbled across this & can't believe it wasn't already on HappyCow. The platter of all 4 mains for $25 was a good size for a medium-sized lunch for the two of us. The obvious choice if you're getting lunch at the Farmers Market!
Read morePros: Unusual food, Great flavors, Good prices
Guest
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