September 21st, 2012 
Emily 
Have you ever tried Ethiopian food?
The first time I had it, I was a college student in Washington, D.C. My more worldly friends suggested we go out for Ethiopian, and I went along with it, even though I had no idea what Ethiopian food was. Heck, I didn’t even know where Ethiopia was…
Anyway, we went to Adams-Morgan and one of my friends ordered expertly from the menu. Of course, I was baffled by the food the waiter brought, and even more baffled by how to eat it. I had never eaten such messy stuff without silverware before. I watched and learned, and then never ate Ethiopian again until I met my husband.
To my unrefined tastes, eating Ethiopian food was like sopping up baby food with a sour sponge, and then eating it. I much preferred French fries.
My husband loves food though, any kind of food, and so we inevitably went out for Ethiopian food in Atlanta, Georgia.
I continued to be unimpressed with the cuisine. The injera (aka sour sponge bread) was just too sour. All the pureed thingies were really sour too. I just didn’t like it.
But when we got to Kenya, we were told that one of the best restaurants in Nairobi is Ethiopian.
I was wary, but we went to Habesha to try it out. (Dear Husband, please note that I am very accommodating of your food interests. You can bring me French fries to reciprocate.)
Habesha.
Turns out, Habesha was AWESOME!
I can’t get enough! We go there several times a month now because it’s so delicious! It’s even better than the Ethiopian food we had in Ethiopia! Look at all my exclamation points!!
Look how happy he is to be eating Ethiopian food!
I think there are two reasons for my change of heart. First, thanks to the kind tutelage of an acquaintance, I now know what to order. We get: zilzil tibs (delicious pieces of fried beef), shiro (an AMAZING paste made from powdered chick peas and butter), and mixed vegetables. Second, the injera is different here, it’s lighter in taste and color and not so sour. I can eat it without wincing.
Zilzil tibs.
So, armed with my new knowledge and my positive experience, I’m willing to try Ethiopian food again in the U.S. I just hope it can live up to Habesha.
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Love the exclamation points!!!! I might just have to try some Ethiopian food now.
Becca
Haha, thanks! Yes, you’ll have to try. Although if you live in a small town (I grew up in one in Maine) you might not have anything more exotic than The Olive Garden.
I LOVE ETHIOPIAN FOOD! I first tried it while living in New York City and became addicted, but to my eternal sorrow, there are no Ethiopian restaurants in Taipei. I did find a fantastic Ethiopian restaurant in San Jose, Ca, and whenever I fly back to see my parents, we all go out for lunch. In fact, I’m flying back in a few weeks for an overdue visit. My stomach is grumbling just thinking about it.
Nice, glad you’ll get your taste of it soon. I’m worried it just won’t be as good in the U.S., since I never liked it as much as I do here. Maybe now that I know what to order it will be better.
Ooh I’ve always wanted to try Ethiopian food! I’m sure I’d adore it – I love sour tasting things anyway. My favourite foreign cuisiines are Korean, Greek, Indian, and Malaysian. Omnomnom!
Yep, if you like sour you’d love Ethiopian. I wonder if they even have it in Korea though. You might have to wait until you go RTW!
I love South Indian (didn’t realize there was such a huge difference between the regions of India) and Indonesian and Thai!
I love Thai food, too! I’m not as familiar with the different cuisines of India, but I do love Brit Indian food in the U.K.
I love Ethiopian food so much!! There are a few Ethiopian restaurants in Atlanta…I wrote about going to one of them this past summer, started my post the same way as yours haha…. http://mishvo.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/suburban-summer-part-4/
Nice, I’m looking forward to checking out your post.
I enjoy Ethiopian food. At first I didn’t like the bread, but now I love it. With meats I ask for the spice to be toned down or else it will actually burn my mouth and more. There are lots of Ethiopian restaurants in Atlanta.
Let’s go out for Ethiopian together when I get back to Atlanta!
One of my favorite memories was eating at an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle. Oh yum!!! So delicious. And what a wonderful experience to eat with only my hands. Thanks for helping me to relive the memory.
Awesome! Everyone is giving me high hopes for Ethiopian food back in the U.S.
My husband had an Ethiopian nanny for much of his boyhood, so for him, it’s like home cooking! I think I know which restaurant you went to in DC. It is one of my favorites when I am in that city!
My husband and I are going to DC later this year, so we’ll have to try it again. It’s been years since I’ve been there!
Eating Ethiopian food in DC is one of my best American memories. I would go there with my Ethiopian friends and let them order the food. I haven’t been to an Ethiopian restaurant in Nairobi yet, though I’ve been to one in Nakuru. I should try out Habesha. There’s one in the CBD and one in Kilimani, if I’m not wrong, right, Emily?
Yes, I’ve only been to the one in Kilimani, so I can’t vouch for the one in CBD. I’ve also tried Abyssinia in Westlands, and it was pretty good too. They had great doro wot.
I am about to have my dinner and my stomach’s crumbling right now heh. I guess it’s always like that with the local food. You try to get used to it, then you have some more and more and you finally love it. I want to try Habesha!!
It’s so delicious and we live within walking distance, which is great. I don’t know what I’ll do to get my fix once we leave!