Today we’d like to introduce you to Bala Tounkara. Them and their team share their story with us below:
A native of West Africa, Bala Tounkara has been a part of the culinary industry for over 16 years. Ironically, in the West African tradition cooking was not a part of the male role; however, Bala’s love of cooking eventually drove him to the kitchen. Bala began his career as an employee dining room cook at Bally’s Casino in Tunica, Mississippi in 2002, where he learned all aspects of basic culinary skills.
While being a part of the food and beverage team at Bally’s, Bala took advantage of the Culinary Apprenticeship Program being offered by top executive Chefs Steve Pairolero and Tammy Hansen. During the program, which lasted six months, Bala was exposed to casual, upscale, and fine dining which really sparked his interest. Because Bala was a standout in the program, he got the opportunity to work at the renowned Horseshoe Tunica Casino & Hotel. During his time at Horseshoe, Bala had the opportunity to work for four years in Nawlins with the award-winning Chef Kelly English. Chef Kelly trained and helped him to improve his way of thinking about food.
Additionally, Bala has had the opportunity to work with exceptional chefs like Jimmy Gentry and Steve Pairolero. Through persistence and hard work, Bala has risen from being an employee dining room cook to becoming a banquet chef, Chef De Cuisine in Binion’s Steakhouse, and Assistant Executive Chef at Horseshoe Tunica. In May of 2019, Bala opened “Bala’s Bistro” in Memphis, TN. Bala’s Bistro is a family-friendly restaurant that features West African cuisine with some French and American influences. Bala attributes his success to never giving up and setting goals that others may see as impossible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We opened a restaurant in May of 2019 Then right at the beginning of 2020 Coronavirus started and then the city started closing the restaurants down limited seating so this was our first obstacle But we survive throughout the whole of 2020 until 2021 The second obstacle came around 2021, short staffed, limited supply we still have limited supply right now in 2022 and then the biggest One is the food cost right. Food are so high we are scared to raise the price because we will lose the customer. 80% of our food comes from overseas and my vendor is having a hard time getting their supplies.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Bala’s Bistro is a traditional West African restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, known for its wonderful ambiance and a wide variety of delicious and diverse cuisine like The Chicken and Lamb Maafe “Peanut Stew”, Vegan Saka Saka, Jollof Rice, and Ginger Juice, Baobab Fruit Juice, Hibiscus juice.
Our mission is to delight our guests with flavorful cuisines from around the world. We specialize in African and American cuisines, serving the very best of both worlds to our customers. No matter what you are craving, be assured you can find something you would enjoy in our diverse menu.
Contact Info:
- Website: balasbistro.com
- Instagram: balasbistro
- Facebook: balasbistro
- Twitter: balasbistro
