[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]hat used to be Puertos Del Pacifico (and still has remnants of it painted on the window) is now Mama D’s, the first African restaurant in Boyle Heights specializing in the cuisine of Cameroon.
Like many deep Los Angeles food gems, the restaurant is located in a frenzied strip mall on Soto Street, sandwiched between El Pollo Loco and Samurai Sushi. The family-run establishment is the latest business to take a risk on opening during a pandemic in the [real] Eastside, a calculated risk that seems to be paying off. During a recent dinner rush, the owner, Claudia Bih Wanki-Flinn, was busy filling Doordash and Postmates orders.
Wearing a colorful T-shirt, the 32-year-old chef greets each customer with a smile, her green eyes lighting up the kitchen as West African music videos play on the TV screens in the COVID-restricted empty dining room.
The house favorites are the egusi stew with beef and the Big African Plate with shrimp. Two generous plates that can be enjoyed outside in a tiny two-table section of the parking lot reserved for outdoor dining. This strip mall sets itself apart with neatly tended planter boxes, potted succulents on each table, and globe string lights that gather in the center like a big top circus tent.