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Photo By Joe Lamb
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Emanu
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"What the hell is it? It's creepy," my dining partner Aaron quietly says when we get our meals at Emanu and he picks up his first roll of injera. Of course, that's almost everyone's first reaction to injera, the spongy bread with the sourdough taste that's the foundation of all Ethiopian food, in any form. And that's why it's such great fun to take people to their first Ethiopian restaurant -- to see their reaction to the bread. Perhaps some of us are just easily amused.
People are even more horrified when you look at them in all seriousness and say, "You're supposed to eat with it, instead of your utensils. Pick it up, and use it to grab your food."
"But why?!" Aaron asks, looking at me as if I'd just told him to slurp wine from my sandal.
"Because that's just the way it is," I say, an answer he's not too fond of hearing.
Moments later, he starts giggling. "This is so fun," he says, pushing the injera around his plate in all manner of geometric patterns; I wait for him to make small motor noises with it or aim it at my mouth like a paper airplane.
Emanu is back, and the night Aaron and I were there everyone in the completely full restaurant seemed to be having as much fun as we were. Having been closed for a year after leaving its Reading Road location, Emanu has finally arrived at 6063 Montgomery Road. The smell of fresh paint and the boxed dishes behind the bar area hint at the restaurant's newness -- it's only been open four weeks. With a minimalist look -- sleek black tables, billowy white linen curtains and African tapestries that my dining partner snarkily remarked are probably from Ikea -- the place could just as easily be Japanese (minus the tapestries).
As its Web site (www.emanu.com) says, Emanu was born from a simple concept: Take the family kitchen and open it to the public. That's certainly how you feel when Sam Yhdego waits on you. His mother is in the kitchen, and his father is "helping in any way that he can," Sam says. That alone might be worth coming to see, for those who've never experienced it at home. There are only the three of them, except on busy nights and weekends.
If you go to Emanu looking for instant gratification, you won't find it. As Sam says, "This isn't fast food. It takes a lot of time to prepare food like this. This food is made fresh." That's why it might take up to an hour to get it. But that's the price you pay for this remarkable fare.
When I say remarkable, I mean can-make-fried-dough-and-lentils-delectable remarkable. For instance, if I tried to make lentils and fried dough something to salivate over at home, someone would find me in the kitchen three days later passed out from hunger. Even though I am allergic to lentils, when Sam brought these out as a free appetizer for my friend, I practically risked anaphylactic shock just to try one.
I watched my friend's face after biting into one -- the way his eyes rolled back into his head, I knew he was either possessed or really enjoying those fried lentils. So I snagged one, trying to hide the move from Sam, who was already on to my food allergies; he later came to the table to stop me mid-bite when I snuck some of my friend's Kilwa Beghie (Beg-Tibs) ($13) with tomato in it, another food allergy.
"It has tomato! Stop!" he said. Never before had I seen a server so invested in my food allergies.
When I got my entree, Kilwa Derho (Doro-Tibs) ($10), chicken sauteed in spiced, clarified butter (Nitr Kibe), onions and jalapenos, I was amazed at the combination of flavors, so different from the standard fare. With Nitr Kibe, you can't discern any one flavor; there can be as many as 20-30 different spices in it, from red chili peppers to ginger to cardamom. (Be aware, though, that "green peppers" on the menu means "jalapenos"; Sam's mother will not buy anything else.)
My friend's Kilwa Beghie -- "delectable lamb" simmered in red pepper sauce, Nitr Kibe, onions and exotic spices -- was wonderful. He almost didn't order it, because he worried that the lamb would be gamey. Not at all. It was all perfectly "delectable," he said.
When you order, be sure to ask for Ahmelti (Gomen) ($9) on the side. This is collard greens and lightly spiced cabbage cooked in vegetable oil with onions and peppers. Sam also brought out a wonderfully hearty carrot, green bean and potato combination that was an excellent complement to the flavors of our entrees. That's the wonderful thing about Ethiopian food -- mixing and matching. Like Indian, so many dishes complement one another. Brought together, the experience is a taste orgasm.
If you go to Emanu within the next few months, call ahead about the liquor license. Though they've applied for it, they haven't gotten it yet. Most guests brought wine or beer with them. There is no corking fee. ©
Emanu East African Restaurant
Go: 6063 Montgomery Road
Call: 513-351-7686
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Prices: $10-$22
Payment: All major credit cards
Red Meat Alternatives: Vegetarian
Accessibility: Fully accessible
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