Houston chef Ope Amosu wants to increase the visibility of West African cuisine, making it a part of everyday life. He’s off to a good start. The Nigerian-American chef founded his concept ChòpnBlọk first as a pop-up before moving it into a food hall in 2021. On October 1, the restaurant debuted its first brick-and-mortar location in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, a popular dining and nightlife strip that once served as Houston’s historic Freedmen’s Town.
“We’re bringing more than just food to the Montrose community,” said Amosu, a 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalist for “Emerging Chef”. He calls the restaurant a love letter to the African Diaspora — Houston is home to one of the largest Nigerian communities in the country — and he wants to showcase the vibrancy and diversity of West African cultures.
ChòpnBlọk cofounders Ope and Janelle Amosu
The new ChòpnBlọk spans 3,000 square feet, with 70 seats in the dining room, 12 at the bar, and 20 more on the outdoor patio. It’s a big upgrade from the 670 square feet he’s working with at the food hall, and the larger space has allowed him to expand the kitchen’s capabilities.
Design was a collaborative effort between Houston-based Gin Design Group and AMAO Creative. The interior features art, textiles, and architecture inspired by West Africa, including a stenciled mud wall, custom wallpaper by a Nigerian artist, and shoppable product and book displays.
The restaurant operates with a hybrid counter-to-table service model. Customers order at the counter, then choose their seats. From there, floor staff equipped with point-of-sale handhelds bring dishes and ring up additional drinks or menu items as needed.
Buka is a red stew with rice, beans, and beef
ChòpnBlọk’s menu at the new venue expands on the original and includes more Nigerian staples as well as dishes with broader West African influences. One standout dish is the buka stew, a traditional red stew served with steamed rice, beans, and boneless short ribs that draws inspiration from the stew that Amosu and his family ate throughout his childhood. There’s also a Senegalese peanut curry developed in collaboration with Mawa McQueen, a James Beard semifinalist and Ivory Coast native with restaurants in Aspen. Other items include suya (steak skewers served with peanut pepper spice), deviled Scotch eggs, and seared Cameroon prawns.
Plantains are highlighted in multiple ways across the menu to reinforce the food’s importance to
West African foodways. They’re available stewed, featured in bread pudding as a dessert, and incorporated into an Old Fashioned cocktail with bourbon, palm sugar, and bitters.
The bar pours other cocktails starring Black-owned spirits and ingredients native to West Africa, plus a wine list with bottles exclusively produced by Black winemakers.
The design pays tribute to traditional West African art and textiles
Beyond serving lunch and dinner, ChòpnBlọk’s Montrose location also aims to be a community gathering space, and will host events to amplify West African culture, including live music nights, panel discussions, and special dinner programming.
With two locations under his direction, Amosu has plenty to do, but he’s still looking forward and sees a lot of potential for the concept.
“Expansion has always been in the brand plan,” Amosu said. “Our ultimate goal is to make West African culture and cuisine more accessible, so we definitely are working towards expanding within Houston and into other markets. We think that the ChòpnBlọk concept and format is able to be successful throughout our hometown and beyond.”
