- Food critic Opeyemi Franklyn supports Chef T amid criticism of her jollof rice collaboration with Burger King Nigeria.
- Chef T, also known as Tolani Tayo-Osikoya, is recognized for her food platform, Diary of a Kitchen Lover.
- The collaboration features a signature jollof rice dish created for the fast-food brand.
Food critic Opeyemi Famakin has defended popular food content creator Chef T amid the backlash surrounding her recently launched jollof rice collaboration with Burger King Nigeria.
Chef T, whose real name is Tolani Tayo-Osikoya and who is known for her food platform, Diary of a Kitchen Lover, recently teamed up with the fast-food brand to create a signature jollof rice offering.
The collaboration initially generated excitement among food lovers, but reactions changed after some customers tried the meal. Several Nigerians took to social media to criticise the dish, with some saying it did not have the smoky flavour associated with traditional Nigerian party jollof.
Amid the criticism, Opeyemi Franklyn, who described himself as a friend of Chef T, has spoken out in her defence.
According to the food critic, some of the negative reviews may have been influenced by where the meal was purchased. He specifically pointed to the Asaba branch, suggesting that customers there may have had a different experience from those who tried the meal at other outlets.
Opeyemi said his own experience was completely different, revealing that he visited Burger King’s Victoria Island, Lagos branch shortly after arriving in the country.
He claimed that he came directly from the airport and was the first customer served at the restaurant.
Addressing those who disagreed with his positive review, Opeyemi said:
“And what I ate, the review remains the same. You guys went to eat yours in Asaba. It was in VI Victoria Island I ate my own. I was the first customer, from airport I landed. Are you guys m%d? I said what I said. If me saying what I said will make you guys lose your trust for me, beautiful.
“Go away, go the f**k away. If you have different experiences for me, it’s fine. Just the, all of us, we came for him, because of us, he locked his comments, No. I’m just here to clarify that, you are not relevant, powerful, plenty enough to make me scared of you to put off the comment.”
Meanwhile, the controversy has also sparked a conversation about what customers expected from the collaboration.
Chef T and her supporters have maintained that the Burger King jollof was not created to imitate the traditional smoky party jollof commonly served at Nigerian celebrations.
Rather, the meal was presented as a different take on jollof rice, with a garlic-forward flavour profile suited to a fast-food setting.
The backlash has reportedly seen Chef T disable comments on some of her social media posts, with Opeyemi also referencing the move while defending her against critics.
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