Ethiopian restaurant didn’t deliver the goods. Maybe we were there on an off night...?
|||It has a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor (2014), and glowing reviews on Zomato. Granted, there are only three, all within the past six months, but all refer to personal recommendations. On the Eat Out website, the restaurant has a three-star rating and all but one review is positive.
So what happened on the evening we went?
A tiny place which could seat maybe 12 to 15 inside – at a push – and about the same number outside on the mat of Astroturf, Little Ethiopia was opened five years ago by Ethiopian Yeshi Mekonnen. It looks like one of those authentic places you simply must try. Which is the conversation Diva and I had when we were walking past a couple of weeks ago.
I went in later to book a table, but Mekonnen said it was fine, we could just come along, and she didn’t take any details. Which is all well and good if you are going early, but it does get busier later. We were joined by another friend, Nicole, who had eaten there before and vouched for the restaurant.
Ethiopian food is served in small portions with injera, a yeast-risen flatbread with a slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made from teff (a fine grain from a grass) flour, it is the national dish in Ethiopia, accompanying just about every meal. You eat with your hands, tearing off pieces of injera and scooping the food. Conveniently, there is a small hand basin, soap and paper towels at the entrance to the restaurant.
The menu on the website is terribly out of date. As in, prices that were R50 are now R85. The meat-based main meals are mostly stews, and all contain chilli. There is one chicken dish, others are beef, lamb or mutton. Vegetarian options are also of the stew variety, incorporating lentils, split peas, collard greens, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions. There is garlic in just about everything.
On the reverse side of the menu you will find the house specialities, and three dishes that don’t have the burny stuff. Only two were available; there was no chicken. I chose the yebeg alicha, described as pieces of mutton or lamb cooked with onions in “a form of tasty stew” (R75). Along with this I ordered gomen be siga which promised spinach slow cooked with onions, lean beef, and garlic (R65).
Being quite saucy, these were served in bowls on top of the injera, which is spread on a large tray. Both were extremely salty to the point of being inedible (and I like a bit of salt). The meat was tough, and full of small bones and gristle which made up a large amount of the dishes. I managed a few mouthfuls then gave up. The portion size is about a cup at most, so I reckon this is quite expensive for what they are, and obviously made with cheap cuts of meat.
Diva and Nicole went the vegetarian route and shared beyeaynetu (R75), a combination of several dishes: alicha (vegetable stew), kik alicha (split peas with onion, garlic and turmeric), misir wot (lentil sauce with onions, berbere which is the very hot chilli powder, and tomatoes). The menu promises a green salad, which was not present. There was something with beetroots though, a bit of spinach.
Apparently you can have buna (coffee), which is raw, premium Ethiopian coffee beans roasted, ground and brewed in a traditional way using the jebena (traditional clay coffee pots). Buna is prepared according to a prescribed traditional ceremony and is served in small porcelain cups. Nicole says this is fantastic. It costs R200 though (up from the R100 on the website).
With soft drinks (there is a small wine list, and a few beers), our bill came to R247 without a tip. Overall, the experience was not enjoyable, apart from the company.
LITTLE ETHIOPIA
Where: 76 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
Telephone: 021 424 8254
When: Daily 11am-10pm, lunch and dinner