The Cameroonian chef Marie Doumba Doumbé has opened her new establishment on Place François-Joseph Dargent in the former premises of the Sapori restaurant, which have been completely redesigned in her image. “I started at Chez Doudou in Pétange, where I stayed for nearly two years. But some building work nearby prompted me to look for a new location,” she explains. Doumba Doumbé fell in love with the premises close to her home and decided to rent it. The space belongs to Cohabs, a company specialising in coliving.
From accounting to cooking
A native of Cameroon, Doumba Doumbé grew up in Belgium, where she first studied accounting. “When I realised that it wasn’t for me, I went into cooking simply to earn a living. I started with pastry-making, then I discovered all the positions... and I got hooked.”
She then trained in classic French cuisine in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Liège before joining the kitchens of Parc Le’h in Luxembourg. In September 2023, Doumba Doumbé embarked on the adventure of opening her own restaurant. A few months later, Chez Doudou was awarded the score of 12/20 in the Gault&Millau 2025 guide.
A cuisine that features African roots and creativity
In her dishes, the chef builds bridges between the Africa of her origins and the Europe where she grew up, creating a fusion cuisine in which African spices are subtly expressed in dishes that are both daring and refined. “I often think of the dishes my grandmother used to prepare. My culinary memory comes from her,” explains Doumba Doumbé. Sweet and savoury tastes, vegetables and multiple influences--from Cameroon to the Ivory Coast, Ghana to Morocco, even as far afield as the West Indies--feed her inspiration.
The preparations are lighter, less spicy than in the African tradition, but rich in character. “I like to work with ginger, manioc, vegetable charcoal, palm oil,” she says. “African cuisine is all about smells first, then flavours.”
A tasting menu full of nuances
During our visit, the tasting menu revealed the chef’s full palette:
- salmon sashimi, pepper purée and a touch of guacamole;
- endives with strawberries and rhubarb;
- nearly raw prawns, ginger carrot purée, West Indian sauce and seasonal vegetables;
- beef with vegetable charcoal sauce, served with plantain chips, slices and dumplings;
- and to finish, roasted pineapple, vanilla ice cream and ginger cream.
All of this is served in a vast dining room that can seat 49 guests and features an open kitchen, encouraging interaction between the chef and customers. At lunchtime, you can opt for a weekly menu at €30 (starter-main course or main course-dessert) or €38 (starter-main course-dessert). The menu is renewed every month. The team, still in training, is gradually building up its strength. A terrace at the back completes the experience.
11 Place Dargent, Luxembourg (Eich), closed on Sundays and Mondays. chezdoudou.lu
This article was originally published in French.
