With three locations in the Baltimore region , Platinum Amala is on a mission to make West African food as ubiquitous as Chinese and Italian cuisine .
Lexington Market ,” says Arra Cho . “ We have clients that come from Virginia and Georgia and when they pass through , they always stop with their ice chest and know that my parents are going to pack it safely for travel . They may only come twice or three times a year , but they know they are getting seafood they can ’ t get anywhere except in Maryland .”
On the prepared food front , the new version of Lexington Market includes an expanded variety of cuisines and specialties such as empanadas , Korean barbecue , tacos and more . Platinum Amala , run by Khadijat Abiola and her son , Basith Salami , is part of this new class . A true pandemic success story , Platinum Amala got its start when Abiola started selling her Nigerian and West African food out of her home in 2019 . A restaurant followed in October 2020 .
“ At Lexington Market , we want to expose a larger swath of people to West African cuisine ,” says Salami . “ A lot of people comment , ‘ What does this taste like exactly ?’ And there ’ s really nothing to compare it to because these dishes are West African in origin and have a unique taste . So we are happy to show people new tastes and textures .”
In addition to the vendors , which include prepared food , grocers and services like shoe cobbling , florals and more , the market ’ s transformation includes a makeover of the space and installation of new public art . The team decided to completely overhaul the layout , adding a new adjacent building
The of Lexington Market
MURALS
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The market tapped beloved local artist Ernest Shaw Jr . to complete four 16-foot murals along the plaza . Shaw ’ s been painting for nearly 30 years — his vivid portraits of notable figures in the Black community adorn walls all over the city , including his painting “ Holy Trinity ” of Malcolm X , James Baldwin and Nina Simone — and he ’ s also an art educator at a West Baltimore public school . For this project , he draws on images of people and references that nod to the city ’ s history and culture .
ANDRÉ CHUNG
34 BALTIMORE . ORG