Ponty’s Bistro is a unique little spot tucked away in the Gramercy area, which combines the delectable flavors of West African cuisine with French cooking.
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own
Koshary often referred to, as the national dish of Egypt might have been one of my most favorites. Made of rice, pasta, brown lentils and chickpeas with a tomato based sauce to top it off along with fried onions and hot sauce, this is a definite must do during your travels.
Egypt has always been one of my top bucket list places to visit and this past year when I actually visited – it was almost surreal.
Etete means “mama” in Amharic, which is a perfect name for this Ethiopian eatery. The food served in this homey café feels just like it came out of a “mamas” kitchen.
In fact, just about everything about this stand out spot in “Little Ethiopia” reminds you of home – from the warmth of the servers to the ease of the patrons dining there. It feels like everyone is part of one big family.
The food is served family style on a large round steel platter, covered with an injera (a spongy bread). The injera is laden with different colored spiced vegetables, gravies and meats. The food is rich with wonderful flavors and textures that are eaten by hand using ripped bits of injera that scoop the gravies. One can easily go through a heap of injeras without even realizing it!
Do try their sambusas ( lentil filled pasties), which are delicious as is their rich Yemisir Wat ( red lentils).
The food at Etete is very authentic and definitely worth a try.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Etete | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Ethiopian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 1942 9th St NW (between N T St & N Florida Ave), Washington, DC 20001 | |
| * Phone | |
| (202) 232-7600 |
Asmara, (named after the capital of Eritrea) has been serving up Eritrean/ Ethiopian delights in North Oakland since 1985.
What begins with a rather mediocre facade opens into a roomy, inviting space with cute touches of ethnic décor.
The food is pretty good overall though in certain dishes I felt like there was something missing – perhaps something in the spices they use. Their injeras were very good and we were given plenty of them.
The service is a little slow but overwhelmingly warm and friendly.
All in all – Asmara is a really good bet!
Here is some of what we ate:
POTATOES & CARROTS AND SALAD
The potato and carrots combo and salad are usually served on the shared plate with an injera at the bottom. I thought the potato dish was very bland and devoid of spice and flavor. The salad was nice and crunchy and went very well with the rest of the meal.
TEMTMO/ YEMISSIR
This red lentil stew marinated in berbere sauce was very good. It really had great depth of spices and flavor.
DORO AND GOMEN
This boneless chicken cooked with mustard greens was outstanding. The chicken was cooked down to a perfect tenderness, which melded really well with the cooked greens.
SHIRO
This roasted grounds peas cooked in berbere sauce is one of my favorite Ethiopian dishes. I found Asmara’s shiro very lacking. It was disappointing.
TEBSY
This dish had pan-roasted strips of beef, simmered with onion, butter, and mild spices.
MY RATINGS FOR THIS MEAL
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
I recommend: Temtmo/ Yemissir, Doro and Gomen
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Asmara Restaurant | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Ethiopian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 5020 Telegraph Ave ((between 49th St & 51st St) ), Oakland, CA 94609 | |
| * Phone | |
| (510) 547-5100 |
