Nile serves finger-lickin' Ethiopian delicacies

By Faiyaz Kara

Mention “Ethiopian” and “food” in the same breath and you’ll likely be greeted with an incredulous snicker, a famine-related wisecrack or silence, followed by a look of utter perplexity. Granted, Ethiopia is more commonly associated with civil strife and natural catastrophe than it is gastronomy, but to sample cuisine from the “Cradle of Humanity” is to sample the cuisine of our past. Those of you with an appetite for the exotic, limber up your fingers and prep yourself for a utensil-free dining affair at this tourist-area gem.

Actually, utensils are employed, but come in the form of spongy, pancake-like sourdough spools called injera. The idea is to unfurl, then tear off pieces of the tangy bread and use it to scoop up mouthfuls of the gently stewed and sautéed dishes. Oh, and communal dining is also encouraged, which means each saucy item ordered is spooned into a sector of one large injera-layered tin platter, after which digits are free to dodge and dig at will (so long as they’ve been washed beforehand but, really, I don’t need to tell you that).

Diners can also opt to sit at traditional straw tables with stools called mesob, though judging from how stuffed you’ll be after the injera swells in your stomach, a seat with a backrest is a more prudent choice. And after a few bites of the gored gored ($12.95), you’ll know what I’m talking about. The dish, tailored to diners with a penchant for pepper, has a heap of beef cubes lolling in a fiery-red spice mixture called mitmita, which ultimately stains the underlying injera in a drench of scarlet unctuousity. (read more...)

Nile Ethiopian Cuisine
“The only Ethiopian restaurant in the area,” says one judge, “and you can’t get more independent than that.” And the fact that it has lasted longer than others that have come before, it is testament to the good food and charming hosts. This humble eatery is tucked in an International Drive strip center, but persevere, the reward is the satisfying taste of the crossroads of Asia and Africa. You don’t even need utensils. Trust us.