Merilyn's Kitchen

This is a popular hidden gem of the local Nigerian/African community that I discovered only because my Nigerian coworker told me about it. Everything tastes like it's made by the Nigerian mom you never knew you had.

The parking in this strip mall REALLY SUCKS. You can park along the street but expect to walk.

I've had the pleasure of trying various items from here because my coworkers default to this place for potluck dishes. The meat pies are freshly baked every day and the puff puffs (a deep fried sweetened dough) are like giant fresh, round donuts. The chicken in the tomato stews are hit or miss because they can come out fresh, or really dry and old.

I dined-in once with coworkers but don't expect excellent service. The owner is almost always the only one running the restaurant and take out is usually the avenue to go. Price wise, the food is exotic so expect to pay $$$ for some items that may seem plain.

The food is good overall, but I'm taking off points for service and the fact that not all popular items are available even during peak hours, so you should call ahead of time before making the trek here.

I was happy I could get my Nigerian food fix while visiting Calgary. The ladles were grateful. I ordered to-go. I enjoyed the pepper soup. The egusi was standard and the shaki & beef were soft (which I appreciate).

I was not going to give a bad review, but this is the third time I'm experiencing a lousy customer service from them; this place is the worst place ever to order your food.
Customer service so poor, order jollof rice walk right there to get my order got back to work, and she gave me fried rice. I called her back, and her reply was not even apologetic. So rude. Like fix up your customer service or rather put people who can smile and not frown their faces when people place wants to order food like you're not paying for the service. Fried rice tasteless.

Took the family here for lunch. It wasn't crowded and it was easy to place an order. We didn't have to wait long for the food. The pounded yam and ogbono came out piping hot. The food was authentic Nigeria without any "american influence". Tasted just like the food back in Nigeria. My only complaint was the quantity of soup, they didn't give enough soup for the pounded yam. Over all a decent place.

Very rude customer service...I called to place an order because we couldnt visit the store. The lady that answered, is very rude and eventually hung up on me after saying " Are you done"? I dont recommend this place

Interpacific Business Park is a hodge podge of businesses that you either know about or you don't. It has a great variety of restaurants for such a small mall but lunch time parking, especially during the winter months, is a nightmare. The complex is home to 2 East Indian restaurants, Desi Grill and The Clay Pot; a Chinese Noodle House, Fat Kee; an African restaurant, another that I think is African/East Indian but I've never been in it so am not sure! There is also a tattoo parlor, Cakeworks, a Peruvian restaurant and a mechanic shop and a whole lot more.
Merilyn's Kitchen is one of the African restaurants and despite its big sign I have to confess that I never noticed it till now. The place is nicely set up with tables and settings and it looks like more than a quick meal place. I decided to run in and get some take-out.
I walk up to the counter at the back and it is a small hot food table but it is empty except for two large platters sitting on top of the empty covered containers, one looks like round fried bread dough and the other plate was full of oval breaded items. A smiling lady greets me. I had been looking for a menu of some sort and didn't see one so I asked her if she was open for lunch. The answer is yes so I asked if she had a menu. Sadly, I was handed a dog-eared and fading piece of paper which was obviously a black and white photocopy of a menu. It is a simple menu, there is a choice of 2 kinds of rice, bread and something else served with vegetables and your choice of meat. There were other things as well but I can't remember what they were. I opt for the fried rice with chicken.
I asked the lady how long she had been opened and to my surprise she replied with eighteen months! I asked her what the platter of oval things were and she told me they were Scotch eggs! She immediately saw that I was surprised as she had told me the food was Nigerian, she explained that the Scotch eggs were because her country had at one time been a British colony.
The good was decent but overall I think it was a little overpriced. It was $15.25 including GST for my meal. The fried rice was exactly as she explained to me, rice cooked in chicken broth with peas and carrots. It was flavourful and not greasy. The chicken had a bit of a slow heat that is a cross between ground white pepper and cayenne. It was a nice tasting dish, not overly spiced. The food was tasty but unexciting. It was different but not something that grabbed your attention. I might go back to try the Scotch eggs because she had several dozen of them ready so I think there must be some kind of demand for them. I'm giving this place a 3 star because they food was decent if a little overprice and it's better than a 2-star. I'm going to go back just to support a small business that looks like it needs help with getting the word out. There aren't that many Nigerian restaurants around.
I was there around 12:15 p.m. No one else came in after me that I saw. It might be busier at other times but I haven't seen any reviews for this place. I really hope small places like this make it. The restaurant business is a tough one. I can't help wondering if the lack of patrons is because there is no marketing being done. The lack of a proper menu is also quite sad for a business that has been open for that length of time. I really hope small places like this make it as they are part of the multi-cultural make-up of Canada.