Mise en Place: Oluwatobi Temitope Oni of Teetasty Foods dishes on auditing, food waste, and crayfish

Oluwatobi Temitope Oni, or Chef Tee, of Teetasty Foods // Courtesy Oluwatobi Temitope Oni

Oluwatobi Temitope Oni, or Chef Tee, opened Teetasty Foods in midtown to expand on her successful catering business. Being among the few to bring Nigerian food to the midwestern masses required a few compromises, like adding hand pies and fries to the menu, but Chef Tee maintains a hard line on the traditional Nigerian dishes. She enjoys sharing the background and cultural notes for the dishes, so don’t be too shy to ask questions on your next visit.

Tell us about yourself:

I’m a mother, I have two beautiful kids, and I’m the chef and owner of Teetasty Foods. I’ve been in the food industry for 12-13 years, starting out with a catering business in Nigeria before moving to the United States close to seven years ago. I have a passion for good food, good culinary taste, and everything food-related and the food industry!

Has food always been an interest or career, or did you start with a different path?

Food started as a side gig for me. I was working with the Lagos Internal Revenue Service as a revenue supervisor, or tax auditor, and even when I moved to the U. S., I continued my career in anti-money laundering and fraud analysis. So it was always on the side, but my passion for the food business always superseded anything else on the side. At one point I was like, you know what, this is it–I’m just going to follow a passion fully.

How does your past career help in your restaurant and catering business?

I always say that no knowledge gained is wasted. I run most of the things myself, like HR, knowing my numbers. It’s a one-man show, and it’s crazy. But those experiences over the years have helped me to be able to put my books together, my taxes, etc.

What was your path from moving to opening a restaurant?

I moved here through marriage. My husband and I got married, and it came with the beautiful experience of building a family. It was so easy for me to start cooking again from home. I started cooking for friends and family, and as more people started buying from me, I had to get a commercial kitchen. At that point, I was doing a lot of weddings and parties, and people were always asking “Where can we get this in small plates?” People wanted a taste of the food in smaller (non-catering) portions, and I was getting tired of working back and forth from home and the commercial kitchen. I wanted my own space, so that is what brought about the brick-and-mortar.

What is your earliest memory of cooking?

From the age of six or seven with my grandmother and my mom, because I grew up with them in the same house. My grandmother’s style of cooking was a little ancient, and my mom was a little more modernized. It was a good balance for me and I was able to pick pieces and form my own way of cooking.

How do you like to relax or decompress after a stressful day?

I have two toddlers, so it’s hard to relax. But to be honest, spending time with my family is my number one key. Occasionally, I make plans with friends and do some self-care at a spa because my back is killing me.

Are there any ingredients you use that are challenging to source here?

Yes, I’m very particular about the taste. For some of the traditional dishes on the menu, we have to bring them in frozen from Nigeria. Things like crayfish we use, for instance, are different than the crawfish found around here. I get the best melon seeds from Nigeria.

If you could fix one aspect of the restaurant industry in a snap, what would it be?

Food waste, which is very hard to fix. I would rather create initiatives for repurposing food waste to help those in need. That would contribute to sustainability efforts and mean that restaurants can make positive impacts in the communities around them.

Teetasty Foods is at 3711 SW Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64111.