I tried Ethiopian food for the first time! I had no idea what to expect – my friend suggested getting Ethiopian food and only warned me that it’s going to be a heavy meal. I didn’t look up the menu beforehand and showed up to Messob Ethiopian Restaurant for lunch. I got lucky and found a metered parking spot nearby!
We were seated at a breadbasket, called a Mesob, surrounded by small chairs. The Mesob served as our dining table and wasn’t too big, so we were sitting close to each other. There was enough space to fit five people comfortably. There was a separate small table for every two people to put their drinks and hold napkins.
I picked up the menu, but had no idea what to order. My friend did the ordering for the whole party. First, we started off with Tej, which is Ethiopian Honey Wine. The Tej came in a flask-like shape, and to drink it, you hook your finger around the opening and tilt it to drink it. I’ve never had anything like it!
Next, we ordered our food, which comes with injera, a spongy flat unleavened bread, usually prepared from teff, barley, corn, and millet:
Vegetarian’s Delight (Vegan) – a unique combination of vegetables with just a blend of authentic herbs and spices. Yatakilt alicha, yemisir wot, yater alicha, collard greens, pumpkin, salad and tomato fit-fit
Kitfo Special – finely chopped lean beef with spiced Ethiopian butter, collard greens, homemade cottage cheese and mitmita (spiced hot chilies)
Chicken Breast – with fresh garlic, tomato, green chilies, mild
Awaze Tibs – cubes of selected beef with onion, tomato, hot red pepper and spiced butter
The food took some time to cook, so good thing we had ordered Tej!
Before eating, we made sure to wash our hands, since that’s what we’ll be eating with! The injera came in a basket, and each piece was big. The main dish was served on what looked like a big pizza plate that fit right on top of the Mesob. There was injera on the bottom of the plate, with the vegetables laid out around the edge.
The waiter came back soon after to bring out the Kitfo Special, which she placed at the center of the plate. The Chicken Breast came next, and she poured it around the Kitfo Special.
It was time to eat! The large plate is for everyone to eat from. I grabbed a piece of injera from the basket and ripped a smaller piece from it – the spongy texture was really fun to hold and rip! I grabbed some of the Kitfo Special, then the Chicken Breast and some vegetables with my injera. I opened my mouth big and wide to fit it in. It tasted so good! I repeated the process, grabbing different vegetables with my injera each time.
As we continued eating, more food came out: the Awaze Tibs. We had no idea how much food our friend had ordered! The waiter poured it where the Kitfo Special once was, and we watched the steam rise up from the beef. It smelled delicious, and it was gone within minutes. Everyone loved the Awaze Tibs.
The more we ate, the tastier it got. The injera at the bottom of the plate was deliciously soaked with the spices of everything on top! We started eating slower and slower. There was so much food we had to ask for a takeout box. Our friend put a new piece of injera in the box, and scooped the leftovers on top of it with a spoon. He covered it all with more injera. It was a full box!
The meal was still not over. We ordered Authentic Ethiopian Coffee, which was served in a Jebena (traditional clay porcelain). The waiter brought out a steaming pot that she kept shaking back and forth. The coffee beans were roasting inside! She moved it around for us to whiff the smell, then brought it back to the kitchen. When she returned again, she had a tray with the Jebena, cups and plates, and incense. She poured the coffee into the cups, then handed one to each of us. Mmm…it tasted so good! The coffee tasted strong and had a hint of sweetness in it that made it very enjoyable. I didn’t have to add any sugar or creamer to it! It was a great drink after a heavy meal.
This was such an amazing first experience with Ethiopian food! The food was absolutely delicious, I can’t believe I’ve been missing out all this time!
Have you had Ethiopian food?