Nina Sodji's guest appearances

Nina Sodji

Faturday Omaha

Lives Radio Show & Podcast with Stuart Chittenden

Restaurant Hoppen

OwlTail

This episode it’s Food Recognize Food with Nina Sodji of Okra and they make delicious rice bowls that will satisfy your hunger. Nina’s home country is Togo, but she has a passion for expressing the flavors of the entire continent of Africa. Okra has been negotiating a move to a location on 72nd Street in the former Omaha Bakery close to Nebraska Furniture Mart. We talk about Nina’s story on how Okra came to be, and you will instantly fall in love with her warmth and heart.

This episode it’s Food Recognize Food with Nina Sodji of Okra and they make delicious rice bowls that will satisfy your hunger. Nina’s home country is Togo, but she has a passion for expressing the flavors of the entire continent of Africa. Okra has been negotiating a move to a location on 72nd Street in the former Omaha Bakery close to Nebraska Furniture Mart. We talk about Nina’s story on how Okra came to be, and you will instantly fall in love with her warmth and heart.

Okra Food Recognize Food With Nina Sodji

In my conversation with chef and entrepreneur, Nina Sodji, we talk about her innovative take on traditional west African cuisine at Okra African Grill, her business ups and downs, and her passion for food and community.Nina Sodji first immigrated to America in 1994 with a business visa, hailing from Togo, a west Africa nation. She began her career as a nurse who had a growing passion for cooking. Nina ran with her heart, opened an African grocery market in Omaha in 2004, and later added a restaurant and was successful until the 2008 Great Recession. She went on to achieve a culinary degree from Metropolitan Community College, and a bachelor’s in business management from Bellevue University. It was at MCC Nina that noticed the foods she grew up enjoying in Togo were derived from lots of cultures: French, Spanish, German, Indian and neighboring African countries. The flavors she grew up loving were a result of her country's complicated history of colonialization, invasion, and political unrest. But the flavors were magical together and sparked her curiosity in experimenting with her favorite Togolese dishes. Nina’s restaurant, Okra African Grill, is her vision to bring these dishes to life in Omaha. An homage to all African cultures and the transcontinental history that have influenced Togolese foods, her cuisine tells a complex story.This show, one of a year-long series, is supported in part by The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

In my conversation with chef and entrepreneur, Nina Sodji, we talk about her innovative take on traditional west African cuisine at <a href="https://okraafricangrill.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Okra African Grill</a>, her business ups and downs, and her passion for food and community.Nina Sodji first immigrated to America in 1994 with a business visa, hailing from Togo, a west Africa nation. She began her career as a nurse who had a growing passion for cooking. Nina ran with her heart, opened an African grocery market in Omaha in 2004, and later added a restaurant and was successful until the 2008 Great Recession. She went on to achieve a culinary degree from Metropolitan Community College, and a bachelor’s in business management from Bellevue University. It was at MCC Nina that noticed the foods she grew up enjoying in Togo were derived from lots of cultures: French, Spanish, German, Indian and neighboring African countries. The flavors she grew up loving were a result of her country's complicated history of colonialization, invasion, and political unrest. But the flavors were magical together and sparked her curiosity in experimenting with her favorite Togolese dishes. Nina’s restaurant, <a href="https://okraafricangrill.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Okra African Grill</a>, is her vision to bring these dishes to life in Omaha. An homage to all African cultures and the transcontinental history that have influenced Togolese foods, her cuisine tells a complex story.This show, one of a year-long series, is supported in part by <a href="https://www.omahachamber.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce</a>.

Togo native and chef/owner Nina Sodji discusses how she introduced Omaha to African cuisines, how she rebounded from dark points in her career, what it's like to open a restaurant in a pandemic, and the great success Okra is experiencing now.    Subscribe, rate, and review my podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! Also follow up on  Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, AND my blog Restaurant Hoppen! A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Togo native and chef/owner Nina Sodji discusses how she introduced Omaha to African cuisines, how she rebounded from dark points in her career, what it's like to open a restaurant in a pandemic, and the great success Okra is experiencing now.   Subscribe, rate, and review my podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! Also follow up on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Restaurant-Hoppen-114647706594861/?modal=admin_todo_tour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/danhoppen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dan_hoppen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram</a>, AND my blog <a href="https://restauranthoppen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurant Hoppen</a>! A <a href="http://hurrdatmedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hurrdat Media Production</a>. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on <a href="http://HurrdatMedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HurrdatMedia.com</a>. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.