We visited the only Ethiopian restaurant in Cleveland for my birthday, Empress Taytu, and had a wonderful experience.
Located on the East side, in an area which some may consider "shady," there is no concern to be concerned, as they have gated parking.
We arrived early,sat at the bar drinking a glass of Sheba Tej, a transitional Ethiopian honey wine.
View of the bar and sitting area beyond.
Our table under the thatched roof, created a nice, intimate setting.
We were fortunately to sit at the limited quantity of traditional type sitting, with lower chairs and tables.
Appetizers! Note the table is recesses a bit, in to accommodate the tray of food.
Ambasha- skillet baked bread served with home made spiced cottage cheese. The cheese had a consistency and taste similar to ricotta cheese.
Yetesenega Karya- jalapenos mixed with peppers and spices, served with bread. Very hot jalapenos.
No utensils! Part of the fun is eating with your hands, the way the Ethiopians eats.
Indian beer.
Our entrée. The meal is served on Injera bread, which is a light, spongy, pancake-like sourdough flatbread made of Teff flour. The flour is mixed with water and fermented for a few days, then baked. The bread is torn and used to scoop up the food. Extra bread is served on the side
We ordered and shared the Meat and Veggie Combo dinner for $17.50. Ordering two appetizers and sharing an entrée was enough food for two.
This entrée included:
Tiki Gomen (Top of plate): vegetable stew of cabbage, carrots and potatoes.
Dorowat Chicken: Ethiopian ceremonial dish. Chicken marinated in lemon, sautéed in spiced butter, stewed in berbere sauce (mild blend of dried ground chilies) with onion, garlic and ginger root.
Kai Minchetabish: Chopped beef cooked in tasty combination of seasoning and spices.
Misir: Red lentils cooked in berbere sauce, herbs and onions.
Kik-Alicha: Yellow split peas flavored with turmeric, green pepper, and various spices.
In the center was a salad. Not sure why this was included in our entrée as the menu listed Gomen, which is collard greens cooked in onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Perhaps they ran out?
My only complaint is the very slow service, we were forewarned, and we expected it to be slow, but wasn't prepared for it to be this slow. Receiving drinks took forever, and we had to ask for water. We had hoped to experience the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, however they seemed to forget about us for about 20 minutes. When they finally came to the table, we decided it was time to ask for our check.
Although they were very slow, they were apologetic, and the service was friendly. I would like to go back and try the Tibs which is a stir fry, and try the Coffee Ceremony. Overall, this was an amazing experience.
