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I had never tried Ethiopian food before, but my boyfriend always raved about it after stumbling across a restaurant in NYC. Well, we found a local Ethiopian restaurant right here in Raleigh! It is called Abyssinia and is located in the Mission Valley shopping center near the movie theater.
The food was great! I was surprised that I had never heard anything about it, since the people I know seem to really seek out new ethinic foods to try. It is kind of hidden away in the shopping center, so I'm guessing that some people just don't know it is there. The food was great, and served authentically. The ambiance is a little spare, but the food makes up for it. I enjoyed it and plan to go back and bring some friends.
Just thought I'd share in case anyone is looking to try something different. By the way, I have no affiliation with the restaurant, we just happened to see it one day when we were going to a movie.
Maybe that Ethopian place has improved quite a bit over the years, because when the first and only time I tried this place several years ago with a group of friends, we vowed never to go back, it was that bad. We were one of only two small groups in the place at the time, and waited 90+ minutes to get our food (w/ one drink refill the entire time). What we got was in general mushy and bland (especially the bread, which looked like porous, moldy sponge), and what wasn't bland was bitter. I'm glad you had a good experience, and hope that is the norm nowadays... but as far as trying it again, I'll just take your word for it!
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law had a very similar experience to dhwilkin's at an Ethopian restaurant in Michigan.
A soggy bread like substance that appeared to be at, or past, the point of spoilage was served to the diners so they could scoop a bland watery stew mixture from a common pot using their fingers - no utensils provided.
Maybe this explains why Ethiopian food does not enjoy the broad appeal of other ethinic restaurants. Or maybe my relatives and dhwilkin both ordered the only such dish on the menu. Either way, they never returned to the restaurant again!
Miamiblue- I was just talking to some friends about how I missed the Blue Nile restaurant in Durham. I am going to have to give Abysinnia a try. I especially loved the coffee I had at Blue Nile. I will be hitting there on Friday! Will have to let you know how it goes. Thanks for the reminder.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, dhwilkin. I guess we lucked out!
We started off as the only couple in the place and the lady helping us was very attentive and friendly. Our expectations kind of dropped when we went in and saw how dead it was (my boyfriend literally said, "Maybe we should have gone to Taco Bell instead."), but we were very pleasantly surprised. I had no preconceived notion of the food since I had never tried it before, but he had very high expectations from Meskerem in NYC. He was very happy with the meal. I also really enjoyed the food, which was very flavorful and some even a little spicy. We got a combination platter with a few different types of meats prepared in different ways, and a couple of different sides. Yes the bread is unusual, but that is what makes it special - it is authentic Ethiopian bread!
It seems really strange to me that anyone would comment on "wierd bread" (injera) when going to an Ethiopian restaurant. Injera is part of almost every Ethiopian meal. That would be like going to a Japanese restaurant and saying it was bad b/c they served sushi...I mean, you need to do a little research before you go.
That restaurant is very popular with those with children adopted from Ethiopia--they have gatherings there fairly regularly.
The "bread" is called Injera.
"Injera
Injera is not only a kind of bread—it’s also an eating utensil.
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, this spongy, sour flatbread is used to scoop up meat and vegetable stews. Injera also lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over.
Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia. While teff is very nutritious, it contains practically no gluten. This makes teff ill-suited for making raised bread, however injera still takes advantage of the special properties of yeast. A short period of fermentation gives it an airy, bubbly texture, and also a slightly sour taste."
New York also has a number of Senegalese restaurants; I hope we get one soon in the Triangle!
I would LOVE this! Yassa Poulet, Maffe Gerte, Ceeb u gen, kosam, YUM....have you been to the place in the E.50s in NYC (forget the exact location--59th maybe?)
frogandtoad, thanks for the educational content. I enjoyed the Injera and thought it a novel way to have edible utensils. It certainly makes for less to clean up at the end of the meal!
Well, my group's trip to the Abyssinia was very spur of the moment, a "let's try something new" moment to be specific, and none of us knew what was constituted Ethopian food or had any real expectations going in. I certainly like doing research before eating somewhere, but in this case it wasn't an option.
The descriptions of the type of bread and it being used as an eating utensil do indeed describe what my group was served. I actually thought using the bread as plates/utensils, kind of like a freeform sandwich, was a neat idea. Now, I freely admit I don't have the broadest palette when it comes to food, but the rest of my group usually likes all sorts of different flavors, so at least it wasn't just me. I don't know, maybe it's just a food that rarely evokes a middle ground in people's reactions?
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