A New Ethiopian Dining and Etiquette In Town
Dining on Ethiopian cultural food is one step closer to a meaningful fellowship as you tear injera with your bear hands ditching utensils in lieu of a proper handwashing.
With the largest number of Ethiopian population outside of Ethiopia residing within the DMV, much has been said about the root causes of political and historical factors that created omphalos of Ethiopian population around here.
As a recent expatriate myself, I can understand why so many of us decided to call it home proudly. I have had the opportunity to travel a bit to a different part of the country. It’s not easy for a newcomer Ethiopian to settle elsewhere.
Walk anywhere in the district and look around you. The aroma of the spicy flavors of the diverse and rich stew of Ethiopian cuisine is somewhere around. As we proudly boast in introducing the best quality of coffee, it is of no mystery that an Ethiopian will feel home away from home in the DMV area.
The views in this blog are all my own and do not necessarily reflect opinions of the Ethiopian American community.
While there are many Ethiopian cuisines around, I have always had my own reservation when it comes to the enjera and authenticity of the spices used. Not everyone may be “ crazy as I am in experimenting with different food. When I seldom venture into any random restaurants I’ve always dared myself to indulge in a double mission of surprise in etiquette and the menu which I would not know no matter the explanation. As I considered myself “expert” on our spices and of course the enjera, I have not been fully satisfied at least to a degree of my expectation when I venture with other food and culture.
I was treated for a dinner by a dear friend to one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I have seen so far in the DMV and thought I would share it with you all.
Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar has pioneered Ethiopian cuisine for its impeccable and authentic Ethiopian dining experience.
My friend and I agreed that the enjera they used is literally better than the one we grew up consuming back home. A little secret here: Since the majority of the dishes if not all, involve the use of the flatbread, the quality of the enjera is detrimental to the entire dining experience. Imported enjera from Ethiopia had been an alternative means for local Ethiopians. None has figured it out until now the appropriate fermentation process ( some attribute the inefficiency of the local enjera to the atmospheric difference and water). Tsehay seems to get that logic and had figured out a way to have a quality enjera that is neither sour nor too heavy. It literally melts in your mouth even without you dipping for any stew.
We ordered the veggie combo balanced, affordable platter, a blessing to those who have difficulty deciding what to order, and to others who want to sample a good fraction of an unfamiliar menu. We were both thrilled with each well-spiced seven variety of delicious veggie-friendly cooked to perfection in harmony with true Ethiopian Spice. Whatever you choose to call it, I reiterate you can expect good results from this restaurant.
We promised we would not just return but help to spread the word among family and friends.
