Going Ethiopian

I'm like every other New Yorker who is reeled in by the not so typical. In fact, the more uncommon the better. This past weekend I was pleased to say I had my first taste of Ethiopian cuisine. My friend took me to a quaint little place on Mulberry St. near Soho called Ghenet, which means paradise. I was welcomed with an exotic yet very familiar aroma packed with spices that my untrained nose can't figure out. The walls were deep red and adorned with raw paintings capturing the essence of Ethiopian life. I was experiencing life from another world.

My friend and I decided to order a combo platter made for two. There were two types of meats chicken and beef. I don't remember the names. We also got to choose up to two vegetables each. We got lentil, mildly spicy bean, split peas and potato cabbage carrot thing. It's served with Injera, which is a pancake like bread that is not only food but utensil. No forks and knives here.

Injera is the folded triangles to the top of the massive plate. It also lines the plate of food.

Injera is the Ethiopian staple bread. It's definitely unique. It is a thin pancake like bread that is sour. Not very sour, but undeniably noticeable. Injera is taken and broken up into pieces so you can pick up globs of food.

The whole dining experience awoken taste buds I never knew I had. There were some things I liked and some I was not so fond of. I can't make up my mind about the bread. I liked the texture and resilience of injera, but I don't know about that tangyness. Overall it was a memorable experience. I wasn't completely floored by the food, but that could be due to the tummy ache I had. I would love to give it another try under better tummy conditions.

Here's our plate. We still had alot left over. It was a bit much for two people, especially one with a tummy ache.