West African cuisine has hardly been represented in Luxembourg and the greater region until now. With the Káàbò food truck, two friends Grace and Luisa have been bringing fresh energy to the local street food scene since February, filling this culinary gap with a well-thought-out concept.
The story of Káàbò begins with a friendship — and the shared dream of creating something of their own. Grace, a lawyer with Nigerian roots, and Luisa, who previously worked in fashion distribution and marketing, met through their partners: “My fiancé has been friends with Grace’s husband for years — that’s how it all started,” Luisa explains.
The idea to do something with West African cuisine came naturally: Luisa’s fiancé is from the Ivory Coast, Grace’s family originally comes from Nigeria, so the connection was immediate. “We noticed that this type of cuisine is underrepresented — but the Luxembourg market is very suitable for this, as people here are very open to new things,” explains Grace.
The original idea of a restaurant was abandoned in favor of a food truck: “We’re more flexible and can test whether the concept works,” says Luisa. Káàbò stands for Afro-fusion — a modern interpretation of West African cuisine in the form of bowls and burgers, based on traditional recipes and months of preparation. “Our whole life is fusion,” Grace describes the philosophy behind it.
Menu
The headliner of the menu is the Suya Burger with crispy chicken or a vegetarian kidney bean patty, refined with mango chutney, pickled onions, and sriracha mayo in a brioche bun. The Party Jollof dishes offer classic Nigerian rice with marinated beef or tofu, accompanied by avocado, plantains, and dip. The Mafé — a creamy peanut and sweet potato curry — is served with rice and either beef or tofu. The main dishes range in price from €11.50 to €14.00.
Side dishes include sweet potato fries and fried plantains for €4.50 each, as well as various Pastel pastry pockets for €1.50 apiece. To finish, there are “Puff Puff” — fluffy dough balls with cinnamon sugar or chocolate sauce. “These are a real West African street food classic,” explains Grace. The fried dough balls are reminiscent of Luxembourg’s “Fueskichelcher,” but have a special touch through the addition of nutmeg.
For Luisa, a vegetarian herself, the equal integration of vegetarian options was an important concern: “Vegetarian should not just be an alternative option, but an integral part of the menu.”
With Attention to Detail — in Cuisine and Concept
“We really try to make as much as possible from scratch — for example, most of the burger or our Pastel pastry pockets,” emphasizes Grace. The quality of the food is clearly the priority.
In marketing as well, the two have left nothing to chance. A professional online presence, a uniform design, and a well-thought-out overall image clearly set Káàbò apart from other food trucks — Luisa’s experience in marketing paid off here. “We simply wanted to think about the food truck concept differently and show what’s really possible,” explains Luisa.
The customer feedback? Consistently positive. “Many say they’ve never tried West African cuisine before,” reports Grace. “And we already have our first regular customers — people who come to one of our locations on the same day every week. That makes us incredibly happy.”
Location and hours:
Monday
Cité Policière Grand-Duc Henri
Rue de Trèves, L-2632 Findel
12:00 PM — 2:00 PM
Friday
Parking Lot of the House of Startups
Rue du Fort Neipperg, L-1327 Luxembourg (Train Station)
12:00 PM — 2:00 PM
More Information:
www.kaabo.lu
