USA TODAY
Indianapolis - Local tastes
By Shari Rudavsky
Abyssinia, 5352 W. 38th St., 317-299-0608; Ethiopian . "My favorite was yemisir wett , red lentils cooked in a tangy sauce that derives its heat from red peppers. Injera , bland on its own, proved the perfect foil for this dish, the spiciest on our plate. Tikel gemen , a mix of cabbage and potatoes in a buttery sauce, was also delicious, though a tad greasy. Even the novice, who confessed a dislike of cabbage, approved of the dish. Timatim fitfit , a saladlike mix of tomato, onion and pieces of the injera melded with jalapenos, also drew raves. I'm never a huge fan of this option, as the bread in the dish strikes me as redundant, but this preparation worked well. The waiter had asked us how spicy we wanted the food, and the chef hit it right on the mark. My carnivorous dinner companions told me that the one meat dish on the plate was their favorite. Yebeg alecha , a lamb dish cooked in an herb butter sauce, looked like stew to me, but both the veteran and novice consumer of Ethiopian food at the table assured me it bore little resemblance to the Western dish, arriving in a sauce that was spicy but not overpowering. Still, I didn't feel deprived at all. That just meant more vegetables for me." Entrees: $4.99-$10.95.(photo by Amber Sigman) >>more
Indy Star
Abyssinia's charm is bonding over food, taking your time
By Shari Rudavsky
The child in me still likes to break the table taboo of eating with your hands. But try dipping your thumb into mashed potatoes or snagging a broccoli stalk with two fingers when you're over the age of 5. It's not likely to charm your dinner companions.
That's just part of the reason I'm always delighted with Ethiopian food, a rare cuisine that actually encourages you to eat with your hands, sopping up your meal with pieces of enjera, a type of spongy bread.
Add to that the fact that most Ethiopian restaurants have ample vegetarian (and vegan) options, and a nonmeat-eater like me is sold.
Because these factors immediately predispose me to like almost every Ethiopian restaurant I've ever tried, I invited a skeptical but game Ethiopian food novice along when I most recently visited Abyssinia, an eatery on the Westside.
The food
We started our meal by sampling two of three appetizers. Ayib bemitmita ($2), a farmer's cheese sprinkled with powdered hot pepper, did not bode well for the rest of the meal. Crumbly and mild even with the hot peppers, the cheese tasted like a drier, though somewhat fresher, version of cottage cheese. The hot pepper on top reminded me of failed cottage cheese diets, when you'll put anything on the stuff to get you to down it instead of more enticing, higher-calorie foods.
The other appetizer, yesiga sambusa ($2), a pastry stuffed with ground meat, fared only a little better. My two dining companions, who split it, were not wowed, though they did eat every morsel of meat. One described the meat filling of the dumpling as tasting like hamburger.
Then the main dishes -- spread across a platter of the enjera and accompanied by two types of the bread on the side -- arrived, and whatever doubts we had disappeared.
Meals here come family-style. Everyone dips into the same platter, using the enjera (sometimes spelled injera ) to ferry the food to your mouth. The menu encourages such communal eating, saying that in Ethiopian culture this dining style promotes bonds of friendship and loyalty.
Certainly it helped create our loyalty to Abyssinia. The food, each and every dish, was delightful, exploding with flavors, many of them unfamiliar.
My favorite was yemisir wett ($5.50), red lentils cooked in a tangy sauce that derives its heat from red peppers. Enjera, bland on its own, proved the perfect foil for this dish, the spiciest on our plate.
Tikel gemen ($5.50), a mix of cabbage and potatoes in a buttery sauce, was also delicious, though a tad greasy. Even the novice, who confessed a dislike of cabbage, approved of the dish.
Timatim fitfit, a saladlike mix of tomato, onion and pieces of the enjera melded with jalapenos, also drew raves. I'm never a huge fan of this option, as the bread in the dish strikes me as redundant, but this preparation worked well. The waiter had asked us how spicy we wanted the food, and the chef hit it right on the mark.
My carnivorous dinner companions told me that the one meat dish on the plate was their favorite. Yebeg alecha ($9.99), a lamb dish cooked in an herb butter sauce, looked like stew to me, but both the veteran and novice consumer of Ethiopian food at the table assured me it bore little resemblance to the Western dish, arriving in a sauce that was spicy but not overpowering.
Still, I didn't feel deprived at all. That just meant more vegetables for me.
The service
Casual and congenial defines the attitude here. As we dithered over what to order, our waiter hovered patiently. And he seemed genuinely sorry when he informed us that the restaurant did not have one of the appetizers and had only one serving of mango juice remaining.
But Abyssinia also has a thriving takeout business, so don't expect your food to arrive at the table quickly, as one waiter must juggle a few tables and takeout orders.
Somehow it's hard to be too fussy or in a rush here. While we lingered over our meal, several other diners sat happily even longer.
Atmosphere
Abyssinia, in a strip mall, does not exude charm but looks like an aggrandized takeout joint. A television in the corner playing Ethiopian music videos adds an air of the exotic.
If the place is not crowded, you and your party should snag a massob, a basket made of woven grass that doubles as a low table. Diners perch on stools made of similar material. Your drinks and extra enjera sit on small folding tables to the side. It may sound uncomfortable but, like eating with your fingers, it's all part of the experience.
The Bottom Line
You'd be hard-pressed to find a better meal at these prices. Think of it this way: For about the same cost as a meal at a sit-down burger joint, you can have a taste of an entirely new culture. And while you can eat a burger and fries with your friends, it's just not as much fun as utensil-free dining in this setting.
Call Star reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354.
NUVO
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After the closing of much-beloved Queen of Sheba, Abyssinia has helped to fill the gap in Ethiopian cuisine in the city, offering great stewed vegetables, lamb and chicken dishes and flavorful cooked greens. Diners use a spongy sourdough flatbread to scoop up flavorful dishes and salads. Try the spiced tea with cardamom.
(visit review)
