Umana Yana is a precious Guyanese restaurant in Southeast London, run by Debbie Monfries and her spouse Junior.
For a decade-plus, they've been making fresh, authentic Caribbean food that's up there with the very best in all of London. But the last 12 years have actually been a battle after massive telecom boxes were built right outside, damaging trade. Thankfully, the community has actually rallied behind this independent company in its battle with the council, including one noteworthy patron: @CentralCee. The rap artist, who himself has Guyanese heritage, signs up with the Monfries family to discover their battle, and how to make the tasty signature meals worth defending.
To support Umana Yana's campaign, see linktr.ee/ umanayanaa.
Visit Umana Yana:
294 Croxted Rd, London SE24 9DA
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I love when people use their platforms to help small businesses. It’s foul they put those boxes right in front of the restaurant
Those boxes are there for Karma after she built her business on theft 😂
@prettygirlleanna1 explain
@prettygirlleanna1how is built on theft?
@tobubiify that was my mom’s shop, she was selling it because we were moving, this lady convinced my mom to give her the keys to start cleaning before the contract was completed, because she seemed trustworthy and my mom is very kind hearted she agreed, she even sent her worker with her for two weeks to teach her to make roti and show her the ropes. Then this lady goes on to keep pushing back the contract until she never paid a dime. My mom was out the country and after such a long time she just let it go.
Thanks to all of you for sharing Debbie and Junior’s story and BIG UP Central Cee for what he did. It means so much to all of us who have worked for years to get these boxes removed – only to be told the other day, 12 years later, that the council will not be removing them. Debbie and her family deserve the world. And they really do make banging food ❤pay them a visit and support them wherever you can!
council doesnt care about us they just care about how they can prioritise on p
Out of curiosity, what about having them painted with street art that reflects Umana Yana and Guyanese food? Here in Toronto, the city actively hires street artists to paint those sorts of things. I’m assuming the rules are different in London, but if those boxes could be turned into a sort of extension of Umana Yana through art, maybe that could be the next best thing?
@K1ddkanuckthis is actually a banging idea, I suggest u comment this again not just as a reply and let’s make it viral. we could potentially just use those phone boxes as promotion for the store 🎉
Cench always stay humble n stay dedicated 100%
You his boyfriend
@Anonymous56657are u his ex or sum why u stay obsessed 😂
@wizzysauce 😂
@Anonymous56657seem like your the gay one here
@MaliqueCampbell-h1n so what if im gay. You got a problem with that?
That’s why places like Toronto, Brooklyn/Jamaica Queens and London can relate – we all have a consistent mix of rapping since the 1980s, patois slang (no matter what race you are 😂), roti and doubles, carnival, grimy surroundings and experiences, and we all know people from several Caribbean islands, and really people from all over the world whose cultures have also influenced us. You can move around interchangeably between these 3 places and you will feel completely at home if you grew up in one of them just from the city vibes, hood people, over the top diversity and hip hop / West Indian culture.
That’s so heartwarming :’) I’m Indian, but b+r in the UK, and know that South Asian influences have crisscrossed so many other food cultures over time. Stay blessed. It’s a beautiful world. Listen to the pain and try to heal it, but don’t let it crowd your whole field of view. One love
@samyakjain727carribean roti is so different than southeast Asian roti thats for sure.
lol not just Brooklyn? The whole New York City can relate to this
@VDLI4N never said it wasn’t
@VDLI4N Well, seeing as I am Southeast Asian I have eaten it plenty. I am just giving my observation like I am allowed. I like both but I am a fan of carribean food too.
The least the telecoms companies should do is maybe put the restaurant signage on the boxes and add extra light boxes and signs for the restaurant.
Sadly they won’t do that.
Protect this woman and her business at all costs!!!!
Nah
@Anonymous56657 envy got you upset lmao
@SmokeyThaLion 😂
It’s crazy man she is an actual Theif
@Bam104 try protecting England!!!
Love that he’s getting in touch with his Guyanese roots 💯👏🏾
😂 He white as snow
@Anonymous56657guyanas a melting pot. Got native, Asian, black, white and mixed people there. Just like many other countries in the Caribbean and South America
@Anonymous56657there are Chinese Guyanese what does him being dark or light have to do with it
@Anonymous56657he’s a darker complexion than she is and she is FROM Guyana lol you just wanted to hate
@allegraanegra455people really don’t understand these countries
That “woi” at 8:02 sounds so Caribbean😂 I’m happy to see him connecting to his Guyanese roots.
I pray things work out for Umana Yana🙏🏾🤞🏾
Chile this is marketing… he ain’t even greet auntie right
@LaAerialhow was he suppose to greet her?
@LaAerial settle down
Woi isn’t Caribbean lol it’s originally from British
When she said “lemme hug yuh up”🥹 Caribbean Community Love Is The Best❣️🇯🇲🇬🇾
Yes ❤ Love from Florida
Better put a Trinidad 🇹🇹 flag whenever ya talk the islands pls 😂❤
🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾
@BateNateok..
@BateNatewe are one people🇬🇾🇯🇲🇹🇹🇧🇧❤❤
The way she said you brave man when he say medium spicy. My heart awww 😂
Central Cee comes across as a surprisingly grounded individual. Every time I hear him talk he seems genuinely warm and real. Incredibly refreshing to see.
I agree with you, he only been up like this for a year or so tho, hopefully he stays grounded tho
That’s cuz what he raps about he ain’t lived that so called gangsta trapstar lifestyle his just a neek in real life. Go back to his old pictures of him he was a good yute and still is. All that rapping bad and acting tough is an act
@Gtagalxoxo all that waffle to say nothing, get your bread up
@Fahim8997 wallah why is my man hatin too much
😉
1:28 for anyone surprised central is party Chinese, the owner of the restaurant is also part Chinese her father! a lot of guyanese are mixed Chinese, Chinese fled everywhere because our country fell, we are practically everywhere carribbean, south east Asia etc
Lots of Chinese ancestry in Jamaica too she looks like my grandma 🇯🇲 ❤
@Badoo100lots of jamaicans and chinese in panamá too 🇵🇦
Wonder if ppl know that the Caribbean isn’t a race of people it’s a culture
Tell em!!!
No, Guyana didn’t have a lot of Chinese. But the little they had most mixed into the other races like in Jamaica.
My local Guyanese spot! This lady is super sweet and glad they’re getting the attention they deserve 🙂
Wow, they really did her DIRTY. First promised they would, then never did, and now are saying they never will. Very grateful for the reporter who brought the story to the masses. I hope the community continues to support these lovely people.
Thank you 🙏 means a lot to us and yes you’re right! They’ve done her dirty and it needs to be known
what?? did the donation not go through? what are u talking about
@MM-ex5kz no they’re talking about the removal of the boxes
I live near there, she does good buisness at Herne Hill Market on a sunday so she’s doing well.
Never knew cee was Guyanese! The actor from bad boys is also Guyanese. Big up Guyana 🇬🇾
Big up GT!! As a fellow Guyanese I feel nice 😅❤
Leticia Wright who plays BLACK PANTHER IS GUYANESE TOO!!!! I’m a Guyanese chef…I can’t wait to introduce more ppl to GUYANESE cuisine with my food truck ❤❤❤❤❤ GUYANESE good is top tier!
@Chessica450-m3dwhere you located ?
About time the Guyana culture is being recognized
Claps to Central Cee comin out in his busy schedule and supporting real people with talent….hat’s off….She was damn genuine when she said she wanted to hug him so basically the vibe he gave there was genuine enough and Cench being Cench him telling “aLriGht”….All sorts of Support to her and the”Save Umana Yana” campaign.
Innit?! 😂 0:15
I just love that even though he was clearly shy about cooking on TV he gave it a proper go to help their business