Worcester Restaurant Week: Every 3-course meal you can eat for $25.20 during the 2-week event

ethiopian food :: Article Creator

Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant Shares Rich Culture Through FoodBlack History Month

"I want the customer to leave (and) be like, 'Oh, I remember that place. It's the best food, the best culture.'"

SACRAMENTO, Calif — Hanita Alyu, the owner of Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, says she's living her dream of sharing her culture through food. Her business is nestled in the corner of a shopping center off Fulton Avenue in Arden Arcade.

"It's called Abyssinia. It means Ethiopia," said Alyu.

She works alongside her husband and her mother, Nigatwa Woldetsadik.

Woldetsadik runs the kitchen and prepares traditional Ethiopian cuisine. It includes the freshly made injera bread eaten with every meal.

"I grew up eating the food and cooking it with my mom, so I was like, 'Why not open up a restaurant?' So that's how we took over this place," said Alyu.

But that wasn't always the plan. Her initial goal was to open a daycare after studying child and adolescent development at Sacramento State University. When the original owner of the restaurant decided to retire, Alyu stepped in.

Ethiopian traditions influence the food and how it's served.

"With the food, everybody eats together, so it's like family-style. You don't have your own plate. When it's served, it'll be like in a big plate and everybody will sit around and share," said Alyu.

To stay authentic, Abyssinia only uses spices and coffee imported from Ethiopia. The spices are just as colorful as the varieties of food served at the restaurant.

"The most popular food here is the Grand Sampler. It's a different variety of veggies and meat dishes. There is some spice to it. There's mild dishes (and) there are some vegetarian dishes," said Alyu.

GET MORE RACE & CULTURE FROM ABC10:►Explore the Race & Culture home page►Watch Race & Culture videos on YouTube►Subscribe to the Race and Culture newsletter

This Black History Month, she's taking pride in her culture and her country. She says it means a great deal to have a month representing the Black community.

"Because it will show different cultures and then different restaurants, let's say different places that are Black-owned, that you can go and see or shop or eat. It's important because you don't get to see that throughout the year a lot," said Alyu.

Although it may have been nerve-racking in the beginning to start a business, Alyu says taking the risk has paid off.

"Before this, I used to think people wouldn't enjoy our food. But starting this and seeing people enjoying it and then they come in and they're like, 'Oh, we love this food.' And it's so satisfying because they're sharing what I'm feeling," said Alyu.

Coffee, originally found in Ethiopia, also plays a big role in Alyu's culture.

Abyssinia offers a traditional coffee ceremony in which a host will first roast the coffee beans by hand. Incense is also burned as the coffee brews and then a younger person will pour the coffee, starting with the eldest and then everyone else sitting in a circle socializing.

Alyu says it's a different scene than what most people may picture when they think of Ethiopia.

"Ethiopia, it's a beautiful country, never been colonized. We kept our tradition, our food. It's the same food that's been cooked for years," said Alyu.

In honor of Black History Month, she invites people to step out of their comfort zone and keep an open mind when it comes to trying new food.

"I want them to leave happy because it's a wonderful food. I have a lot of customers, they come in for the first time and they enjoy it because it's very flavorful. I want the customer to leave (and) be like, 'Oh, I remember that place. It's the best food, the best culture,'" said Alyu.

She suggests taking a look at Abyssinia's online menu as a way to learn more about Ethiopian cuisine. The restaurant is open from Tuesday through Sunday. It's located at 1346 Fulton Ave.

ABC10: Watch, Download, Read

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant, Healthy Food Full Of Traditional Flavors

Taste Of The Town: Awash Ethiopian Restaurant in Miami Gardens

Taste Of The Town: Awash Ethiopian Restaurant in Miami Gardens 03:09

MIAMI - Awash Ethiopian Restaurant encompasses a traditional Ethiopian 'Gojo bait', known as a country-style home environment. It was designed by owners Fouad and Eka Wassel. The couple has four children, two boys and two girls.

Inside, it's a welcoming atmosphere featuring a shop with rare Ethiopian spices, coffee, and tea alongside a decorative bar featuring imported Ethiopian beer and wine, Ethiopian art, traditional music, and a coffee ceremony on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The food is served family style, it's shareable and affordable.

The name Awash comes from a river found in Ethiopia. The river is significant to the country because it travels throughout Ethiopia, never leaving its borders and remaining a source to the Ethiopian people.

The cuisine is rich and full of color and flavor, as well as natural and healthy.

The national dish of Ethiopia is injera, a sponge dough-like substance made of the tef grain, which is shaped and cooked into a pancake and served with spicy vegetables and meat stews known as wat. From this basic set-up stems a wide variety of dishes.

Guests do not use flatware. They use their hands, ripping off a piece of the healthy, high protein injera to scoop up each food item on the platter and then eat the bite together.

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant is located at 19934 NW 2nd Avenue in Miami Gardens.

Vegan Food Near Me: 12 Tasty Ethiopian Restaurants In The US

Unlike the vast majority of international cuisines represented in the US, Ethiopian cuisine has predominantly remained under Ethiopian ownership. These incredible eateries are often family-owned and operated, gaining the loyal patronage of locals with never-ending vegan-friendly injera and comforting vegetable and lentil stews. Here are just 12 of the many vegan-friendly Ethiopian restaurants across the US. Show your support of independent and Black-owned businesses and fill your belly with nourishing food from your local spot.

12 Ethiopian restaurants you need to try

Ras Plant Based

1 Ras Plant Based Brooklyn, NY

This organic farm-to-table restaurant in Crown Heights is not to be missed. Founded by Chef Romeo and Milka Regalli, the entire restaurant is a tribute to their Ethiopian heritage, kindness, and the plant-based lifestyle. Choose from plant-centric or vegan meaty options like key sir (with savory beetroot, carrot, and onion), Mama's Tofu, and Ras Special Tibs, which are made with sauteed seitan instead of cubed beef or lamb.Find it here

Bunna Cafe

2 Bunna Cafe Brooklyn, NY

Residents of all five boroughs flock to this vegan Ethiopian spot in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. The menu is extensive and offers both à la carte and combination platters for one, two, three, and seven people. Those unfamiliar with the cuisine can rest easy, as each menu item is accompanied by a picture and a detailed description. Every dish is delightful, but the key sir "selata" (sauteed beets, carrots, and potatoes)—the restaurant's take on salata—is a must. Don't sleep on the Enguday Tibs, either. A play on the mushroom-based dish by the name of inguday, this menu item features cremini mushrooms sautéed with spices.Find it here

Bolé Ethiopian Cuisine

3 Bolé Ethiopian Cuisine Minneapolis, MN

Co-founded by Solomon Hailie and Rekik Abineh, this vegan-friendly restaurant was named after the neighborhood the pair grew up in. Their menu provides plentiful options for the vegan crowd—from the classic combination platter to à la carte fasolia (green beans, carrots, and tomatoes), misir (split lentils), "tiquel" gomen (a play on tikil gomen made with cabbage, carrots, and onions), house salad, and more. As versatile as its menu, the restaurant is great for takeout or a cozy date night.Find it here

Tadu Ethiopian Kitchen

4 Tadu Ethiopian Kitchen San Francisco, CA

Despite having two San Francisco locations, this amazing eatery often falls under the radar of vegan locals and tourists alike. If we lived in the city, we'd easily order takeout from Tadu at least once a week. Popular vegan-friendly items include firfir (sliced injera mixed with berbere spices and vegetables), eggplant tibs, kik alicha wot (chickpeas cooked in spicy turmeric, garlic, and ginger), and azifa (sautéed lentils with lemon, ground mustard seeds, onions, and jalapeño).Find it here

Massawa

5 Massawa New York City, NY

Since the 1980s, Massawa has been serving flavor-packed Ethiopian cuisine to the people of New York City, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. It's not an entirely vegan establishment, but it does offer a separate vegan entrée menu, featuring delights like birsin (spicy brown lentils), shiro (made with puréed split peas), and timtimo (stewed savory red lentils).Find it here

Makina Cafe

6 Makina Cafe Ethiopian-Eritrean Eatery Long Island City, NY and Brooklyn, NY

If you're in the mood for takeout, head to Makina Cafe's food truck in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn or its brick-and-mortar in Long Island (which is also takeaway only). The Ethiopian-Eritrean menu is delicious yet simple, you just pick your base (injera or yellow rice), pick your veggies (mushroom tibs and beets salad are two standout options), and then pick your sauce.Find it here

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine

7 Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine Los Angeles, CA

Right at home in the Los Angeles neighborhood known as Little Ethiopia, Rahel's distinguishes itself as completely vegan. The menu does not lack for variety, though. Spare yourself the major indecision and sample it all with the Special Combination Dishes. You'll get your fill (and then some) of the various stews, salads, and vegetable dishes that are available on the à la carte menu. If you can, choose to dine in instead of ordering takeout—the atmosphere is part of the experience.Find it here

Enat Kitchen

8 Enat Kitchen Portland, OR

Promising recipes "straight out of Mama's kitchen," Enat offers something for all diners. While meat is offered on the menu, vegan options make up about half of the choices—from the azifa fitfit appetizer (injera mixed with lentils, olive oil, chili pepper, and onions) to the dedicated vegan entrée menu.Find it here

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

9 Awash Ethiopian Restaurant San Diego, CA

California's southernmost county has its fair share of Ethiopian restaurants, but vegans rave about the options at Awash. The Vegetarian Combination includes all the vegetable hits in addition to injera (which is also available gluten-free). The lentils, yellow split peas, shiro (ground chickpea stew), collard greens, cabbage, and carrot dishes displayed on open-faced injera will make you crave Ethiopian like you never have before.Find it here

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

10 Awash Ethiopian Restaurant Miami, FL

This isn't a chain, it's merely a coincidence. The name Awash refers to a significant river in Ethiopia, and it just so happens these two restaurant owners think alike, both in naming their business and leaning into plant-based offerings.Find it here

Hannah K./Yelp

11 Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant Austin, TX

Austin is home to a few vegan-friendly Ethiopian spots, but Aster's has been a family-owned institution since 1991. The menu works a bit differently than other places—instead of offering à la carte options, customers choose one dish as the main and three others that serve as sides. No need to fuss over the decision, you can't go wrong.Find it here

Demera Ethiopian Restaurant

12 Demera Ethiopian Restaurant Chicago, IL

While Chicago-style pizza gets all the hype from out-of-towners, local vegans know some of the best plant-based eats are at Demera. Vegan-friendly offerings include the usual Ethiopian vegetable-based fare—misir wot, gomen, kik alicha, and injera—but customers with a sweet tooth also have the option of ordering the chocolate cheesecake to complete the meal.Find it here

For more vegan restaurants, read:

Search This Blog

What to Cook