"Do we eat zebra? Do we eat elephant?," Hughes said.

Answering with a resounding "No," Hughes opened -- take a breath, now -- Cafe Cafe Mawa Royal African Cuisine. Partnered with My My Giant, Mawa will feature food from her native Senegal.

Opened at the end of March off of Wake Forest Road, Mawa features traditional Senegalese variations on chicken, beef, seafood and goat. On occasion, Mawa will feature Vietnamese specialties inspired by Giant's background.

Mawa, an acronym for "My Authentic West African," began as a brand Hughes sold online and in a couple of locations in Raleigh and New York.

"I started making sauces and drinks in bottles," Hughes said.

Her complete line includes drinks, seafood and exotic ice creams among other offerings. The buzz around her food was so loud she decided to start the restaurant.

Hughes brings in African musicians for food and dancing on Saturday nights. Called "Dinner and Rhythm," it is one of her favorite features.

With the opening of Mawa, Hughes hopes to settle questions about her people's food.

"They don't eat monkeys," she said.

Cafe Cafe Mawa Royal African Cuisine is at 1110 Navaho Drive. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday the restaurant stays open until 2 a.m.

Visit Hughes' Web site at www.mawakitchen.com for more information.

* * *

For those too harried and busy to be bothered with thinking about dinner, there's a new North Raleigh timesaver caped crusader.

Super Suppers is now open off of Leesville Road.

The national franchise of 200 locations schedules two-hour sessions where customers prepare dinners for an entire month. Meals average $3 a serving.

For more information, visit: www.supersuppers.com.