Trendy Belltown seems an unlikely place for a casual restaurant specializing in the flavors of West Africa, but that's exactly what you'll find here at the Seattle Center end of the neighborhood. We love Afrikando's hearty African home cooking. The bold and spicy flavors of hot climates merge with the influences of France in West Africa. Start your meal with the spicy and delicious halibut soup, which has a thick tomato base, and maybe split a plate of the akra fritters, made with black-eyed peas. Although the thiebu djen, a Senegalese fish dish, is hard to resist, we always go for the mafe, baked chicken topped with a homemade habanero sauce and accompanied by root vegetables smothered in peanut sauce. Be sure to try the strong Senegalese tea.