It’s been an unpredictable couple of years for Bay Area chefs Solomon Johnson and Mike Woods who have helped to bring pan-African and Afro-Latin cuisine to the mainstream through countless pop-ups, catering events and more. Two years ago the dynamic duo launched The Bussdown, a casual pan-African concept serving high quality cuisine out of an Oakland cloud kitchen, mid-pandemic. Thanks to its critical acclaim and popularity, they soon thereafter began a new venture called OKO, a monthly, fine dining pan-African supper series.
Fast forward almost a year, and the two chefs are making some major moves. Starting October 10th, chefs Solomon Johnson and Mike Woods are taking their fine dining supper club, OKO, to new heights by taking over the iconic Tribune space in downtown Oakland. And beginning this Fall, The Bussdown, will have a new, permanent home in Washington D.C.’s Western Market food hall.
Both chefs have had history in Tribune’s 8,400 square feet space. Chef Johnson had worked there during the lunch hustle, while Chef Woods worked there as the chef du cuisine. Moreover, The Bussdown did a previous month long residency there in March. The duo plans on running OKO at Tribune for at least one-year, bringing to it upscale Creole classics with a pan-African twist.
Though the chefs are still building out the menu, they will continue to showcase their food diasporas and philosophy through an a la carte menu format — a shift from OKO’s previous tasting menu format. Look forward to dishes that include a rasta pasta with head on shrimp and line caught halibut with sofrito buerre blanc.
We chatted with Chef Solomon Jonson on this upcoming opening. Here’s what he had to say!
How has your experience with OKO supper club been? Talk about your approach to serving African Diasporic cuisines and how the reception has been.
OKO has been a passion project of both myself and Chef Michael Woods since the concepts origins began during the pandemic. We felt as though Pan African food deserved a grand stage and we wanted to honor that with the food we place on that platform. We couldn’t create a fine dining concept without reflecting diasporas that inspired us and we made it our duty to become enforcers for the cuisines.
Our commitment to our craft has made our brand a house hold name in the Bay Area and we plan on delivering far more exciting dishes with the new space.
Talk about the new location – are you excited about it? What does it mean to you to be taking over this space?
Growing up Chef Mike Woods always looked for the tribune building as both a landmark and location indicator while moving through the streets of Oakland. As a Bay Area native he’s always been connected to the history of Oakland. During his culinary career he was fortunate enough to take over the space back in December of 2019 just before the pandemic.
With me by his side running the am lunch shift, we had very big plans for what can be done by at the Tribune. It is a very full circle moment for both chefs, having created a concept during the pandemic and housing it with full access to the space that was never had before. The possibilities are now endless.
How will this differ from what you’ve been doing with Oko so far?
We will provide an a la carte menu with fine dining flare at affordable rates for those who couldn’t make the tasting before but still enjoy a well curated dining experience. accompanied by a regional inspired craft cocktail, or local and natural wine pairing. The menu will change seasonally as the chefs are excited to dive back into the unique restaurant ecosystem that is Oakland.
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