Afropean Street Food

Rudy and Joel like to call their approach to food “Afropean,” which allows them to incorporate ingredients and cultures into dishes served on their award-winning food truck, L’Afro Truck, and at their restaurants Le Marquis (The Marquis) and La Darkanda (Dark Kitchen).

By Angela P. Moore (@travelnistatravelagency)

you think about the country. If you open your mind, I can speak to everyone. All the dishes on the menu some people know. Some [are] from Cameroon and some from Guadeloupe, and this is the best way to talk to people,” says Rudy.

With some recipe modifications needed due to not being able to find specific ingredients, some of the duo’s popular dishes on the menu include the Afrocaribéenne (braised chicken with West Indian curry, Afro-Caribbean sweet potato duo and coconut vanilla sauce), the Afrosubsaharienne (braised chicken with penja pepper served with basmati rice, plantains and a Cameroonian spiced peanut sauce) and the Afrovégane (cassava semolina, candied tomatoes and herbs, plantains, corn on the cob and braised okra with a sauce of your choice).

The Lainés add extra touches to dishes by creating special concoctions, cooking over charcoal, adding special herbs and spices and creating sauces such as a yassa sauce, which uses kankan spices and more.

When speaking about New Soul Food, Rudy shares that what he is doing with his brother goes beyond cooking good food. “We try to educate White and Black [people]. The food is the best way to touch everybody,” he says.

And they have the fan base to do so. Named “Best Food Truck” by the Street Food International Festival in Paris in 2017, their first venture, L’Afro Truck, has served food on the forecourt of the National Library of France (FrançoisMitterrand site) and La Defense.

The Lainé brothers are no strangers to the kitchen; they come from a family of chefs and pastry chefs. Growing up, the brothers would help their father at the family’s restaurant. According to Rudy, the brothers loved to cook with their father, and they couldn’t wait until they were grown so they could follow in his footsteps. Now in business for over seven years, Rudy hopes to one day come to America to share his version of soul food. “My dream is one day to go to New York,” he says.

At all of their locations under New Soul Food, Rudy and Joel are intentional about representing their family roots and the impact that they can have. “When you think about one dish,

Everywhere they go, the lines grow with new and repeat customers. This proved helpful when opening Le Marquis in 2019. The culinarians’ goal is to introduce Parisians and those visiting the city to braised chicken, a dish of African street culture. They have done that and so much more.

If you come for the food, be sure to have a drink, specifically one of the hibiscus-infused drinks, a frozen cocktail or beersap, a blonde ale beer the duo created.

As word continues to get out about these two brothers in Paris, more food enthusiasts near and far will soon be introduced to their passion and commitment. Both Rudy and Joel believe that using food as a way to connect people and cultures creates a better place for everyone.

Visit newsoulfood.com for locations and hours and follow Rudy and Joel on Instagram (@newsoulfood) for happenings, events and more.