Nigerian chef Tolulope Erogbogbo has made it his mission to introduce authentic cuisine from his home country to the world. He shares the next phase of his journey with FORBES AFRICA.
In the luxurious ‘Members Only’ club of Soho House in Los Angeles (LA) in the U.S., Tolulope Erogbogbo, who goes by the moniker, Chef Eros, is in his element, performing with a live band as a hungry audience of about 200 people eagerly await his next culinary masterpiece.
The sold-out private dining experience was in such high demand that another 150 people were confirmed on the waiting list, to be part of the gastronomic experience by Erogbogbo, who does not see himself as just a chef but rather a culinary entertainer.
“This is someone who basically uses food as a medium of entertainment to deliver joy and experiences that are memorable just like a musician and an actor would,” Erogbogbo tells FORBES AFRICA.
And that is exactly what he did.
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Erogbogbo created a carefully-curated dinner. The entire kitchen staff and the musical selection played by the live band were also led and selected by Erogbogbo.
“It felt like watching an artist perform. It was almost like watching Chef Eros sing and it was just beautiful to watch. At the end, he received a standing ovation and people were in tears,” says Deji Bello, an investment banker based in LA.
The city in California is home to Erogbogbo’s new restaurant, ILÈ. It is a far cry from the man who began his culinary journey on the other side of the world in Lagos, Nigeria, where his luxury bakery, Cookie Jar and his flagship restaurant, ILÈ EROS, cemented his status as one of Nigeria’s most promising restaurateurs.
“At university was when I felt the impact of the dining table experience and I realized how important my culture and food was to me. I had to get on the phone with my grandmother and mother who taught me how to make some of my favorite foods,” says Erogbogbo.
“I would listen to the two of them argue over the recipes and I realized that the recipe is not the bible, the recipe is just a guideline. The most important thing I took from the conversation, particularly from my grandmother, was that if you do not cook with love, then do not cook at all.”
After graduating, Erogbogbo returned to Nigeria where his mother helped him to set up his first restaurant venture by the age of 21. As a self-taught chef, he began to immediately carve out a niche when a serendipitous moment led to him creating a private dining experience for the family of Nigerian billionaire, Mike Adenuga.
“And the rest is history. From that family, I got hired by other billionaires in Nigeria and hence the moniker ‘The Billionaire Chef’ was created. My friends would tease [me] and say if you are not a billionaire, Eros will not cook for you. I started to hone into that mindset,” says Erogbogbo.
By focusing on private dining experiences for Nigerian billionaires, Erogbogbo’s brand grew significantly and so did his bank balance. His catering services cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the number of courses and the number of heads at the table.
After a brainstorming session with his team, Erogbogbo’s vision transformed. His new mission is to put West African cuisine on the map, globally, and with that mandate, Erogbogbo set out on a gastronomic journey which saw him travel to exotic locations like the Hamptons, Ibiza and LA.
A seat at the table of one of these exclusive dinners will set you back anywhere from $200 to $300. Each menu features authentic Nigerian meals with a modern twist.
In light of this new brand direction, Erogbogbo moved to LA with the goal of doing three dinners in three cities, namely LA, New York and Houston. He ended up doing 13 dinners in seven cities at a cost of $120,000 to fund.
“At the end of the 13th dinner, which was New York Fashion Week in September 2021, I saw what impact my style of cooking and presenting food had made. I had not just mastered the culinary art of West African cuisine, but I had started to master speaking and using the words to match the food. This day, I saw all my skills come together. As the food was being brought forward, people were applauding. At the end of that trip, I called my mother and said ‘I don’t want to go back, I want to go forward’,” recalls Erogbogbo.
That meant switching his immigration status in the United States to one that allowed him to live and work there. His immigration lawyer advised him on the O-1 visa, which is reserved for non-immigrants with extraordinary ability.
“We hoped it could take 10 days otherwise we would be in breach of my I91 which tells you how long you can stay in America, and I would have been breaking immigration rules if the application did not come back on time. We put it in the application, and it literally took four hours and we got approved,” says Erogbogbo.
And with that approval, he was able to secure his work permit. Next up was ILÈ LA. The intimate space has played host to everyone from actor Michael B. Jordan to individuals from American financial giant, Chase Bank.
“In partnership with Chef Eros, Amplify Africa has showcased the richness of African cuisine through numerous successful collaborations,” says Dami Kujembola, CEO and Co-Founder, Amplify Africa Inc. A notable collaboration was a dinner for Disney, celebrating their flagship African animation series, Iwájú . “Chef Eros’s storytelling and innovative approach to African cuisine provides an unparalleled experience.”
Erogbogbo is also the first West African chef to serve a multi-course dinner at the global music festival Coachella, as part of their ‘Outstanding in the Field’ culinary programming. For that show, Erogbogbo cleared “north of $35,000 in fees”.
“The response has been ‘wow’. People say I am a gifted culinary artist and storyteller. We are moving on to a tour and we are excited about how the tour will be received. We are taking the table into different cities to showcase West African culinary food to the world. We will go to New York, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles, Baltimore MD, Austin Texas, Atlanta and Miami,” he says.
The goal now is to expand his mission through a capital raise to grow the ILÈ brand as well as get the right team. Erogbogbo’s growth is one that has been both strategic and steady with a focus on patiently finding a niche that amplifies its value.
He sums this up in his advice for would-be entrepreneurs: “Ask for what you want because closed mouths don’t get fed. Be honest with yourself and your work. To thyself first be true, and finally be patient because Rome was not built in a day.”
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