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January 21, 2007 Edition 1
WHEN considering global cuisine, Ethiopia is not really a country that springs to mind. Armed with nothing more than the fact that a staple of the Ethiopian diet is a fermented pancake which didn't sound very nice at all, we honoured the request to review Addis In Cape with some trepidation.
Our experience was a valuable lesson in how not to jump to conclusions.
The restaurant occupies three levels, with what appears to be a lounge on the ground floor; the bar, kitchen and small smoking section on the first floor; and the main dining area one flight up. All the furniture and décor is imported from Ethiopia, with the ceiling adorned with brightly coloured velvet umbrellas embroidered with gold thread. Distressed walls, exposed brick and carved dark wood chairs complete the look.
The Ethiopian alphabet is painted on the wall, along with wise sayings like "Little by little the egg will walk".
Even the two chefs come from Ethiopia, the manageress informed me, as does our waiter Daniel. Dressed in flowing white robes, he was able to advise us on the menu and make welcome recommendations about the food with which we were unfamiliar.
The menu does contain detailed explanations of the main components of the dishes, but the waiter's knowledge is essential when "yenkulal wot" is described as "only eggs but like you have never tasted before".
There are only two starters, but several main courses both vegetarian (all R70) and meat-based (R70-R85). No pork is served. An Ethiopian meal is traditionally shared between friends, and since it was just the two of us, Daniel suggested a selection of half portions which would allow us to try as many different flavours as possible. These cost R50 for meat and R45 for vegetarian.
Just before the meal was served, Daniel brought a bowl and a jug of water to the table to wash our hands, a practice of which I heartily approve, especially since at Addis your fingers are your utensils.
The food arrived on a huge platter spread with a piece of injera (the notorious pancake). Everything was in little wooden bowls, and as Daniel explained each one, he tipped it out on to the platter in a little heap. There was doro wot - chicken marinated in lime juice and cooked over a slow heat with onions, garlic, ginger and berbere, which is a traditional spicy paste of herbs and chilli. The dish is finished with kibe, a spicy butter; a small bowl was included for us to taste or add to our meal.
The second meat dish was beg alicha, a light lamb stew flavoured with tumeric, garlic and ginger.
I had to try eggs like I have never tasted before so we had a bowl of yenkulal wot, as well as douba wot, a spicy butternut dish which can be mild or hot. Lastly, we ordered a side dish of fresh tomato salad (R25), and the platter was garnished with carrots, potatoes and cabbage. The whole lot is served with a basket of injera, which is white, very light and spongy and virtually tasteless. It is usually made with teff flour (a grain grown in Ethiopia) but is substituted with rice flour here. According to Daniel's instructions, we unrolled the pancakes, tore off a bit and used it to pick up the food.
The food was incredibly tasty, and had varying levels of spiciness, with the chicken being the hottest. It also contained a hard boiled egg. The lamb was a winner with my son, and the vegetarian elements balanced the meal. Although the half portions looked small, they proved to be more than ample.
Once we had finished eating, we were provided with warm towels to wipe our hands.
There is not much in the way of dessert - just vanilla or chocolate ice cream with hot chocolate sauce, and tej, which is Ethiopian honey wine, but for a traditional finale, one should try the buna, or coffee.
It is served in a pot on a tray, with incense and a bowl of popcorn.
Our bill, with mineral water, came to R263 before the tip, and we left Addis In Cape with a great, heart-warming experience - and a most pleasant meal - under our belts. |
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