In Egbeda axis, Lagos State, a visit to Iya Lola’s Bar will satiate your hunger for great catfish pepper soup and an ice-cold drink. 

I was somewhat distraught when my wife dropped the hint that she and the kids would be celebrating the last Easter holiday at her mom’s place. This didn’t settle well with me, perhaps because I make a horrible cook. The consequences of her action began to dawn on me some five hours after they left as pangs of hunger hit me. As I was reviewing my options, a sudden craving for catfish pepper soup beckoned and the only picture I could see was Iya Lola’s pepper soup. I quickly locked the door and headed towards the bar.

Iya Lola’s Bar is quite popular around the Akowonjo-Egbeda area of Alimosho LGA because the bar makes delicious pepper soups. Also, the bar is always filled irrespective of the season. I was lucky to find a good spot from where I could catch live football action showing brightly on the big screens placed strategically in the pub.

Shortly after I settled in, a lady, clad in a branded T-Shirt with a face cap, came to me smilingly and said: “Good evening sir! Please, we are running a promo and I would like you to partake in it. When you buy two bottles of beer, you get one free.” I ordered a bottle. As she was opening the beer, another waitress joined us and said there was pepper soup in case I feel like eating something. She said the catfish goes for ₦1,800 while the turkey is ₦1,700. I opted for catfish, which arrived in less than five minutes, and delivered steaming hot!

It came with an assortment of boiled yam, plantain, potatoes, and crayfish. It was well garnished with veggies. I immediately got to business. At this point, my beer was halfway down and I was thinking of a replacement in view of the free drink. Halfway done with the pepper soup, I became full and I knew I wouldn’t go further. It was at the point of requesting a takeaway plate for my unfinished pepper soup that I accosted Lola outside the bar. Though busy, the charming bar owner took the time to talk to me. When I broke the ice, the business lady took me down the memory lane of a business she inherited from her mother.

Lola said: “Iya Lola Bar is well known for making delicious catfish and turkey pepper soups. This business was originally owned by my late mom, who ran the business for over 20 years until her demise. She was second to none around the Egbeda axis. People came from far and near to enjoy her pepper soup. Another thing that made her more popular was that all her drinks were sold at the company’s standard retail recommended price. More so, they usually come chilled. Customers who come from very far places still patronize us for this same reason. Today, all I know and do as a businesswoman is the application of my learnings under her tutelage.”

Lola is definitely not doing this alone. The fair-skinned culinarian said it has been God all the way. She also cites support from her younger siblings and customers who have remained steadfast over the years. She affirmed that they are determined to keep the family legacy alive, making the business more fashionable. “What makes our pepper soup different is that we take time to prepare it. Right from the killing of the live fish to its washing, we ensure that we use the standard recipe that we are reputed for.”

She explained her pepper soup offerings are always garnished with scent leaves, cooked yam, potatoes, plantain, and crayfish. “If you are a lover of catfish pepper soup, come to our bar and you are in for a nice treat,” said Lola.

How to make Catfish Pepper soup

video credits: https://allnigerianfoods.com

Tosin Ayinde is the Managing Editor of meiza.ng.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.