Asmara Restaurant … A taste of Ethiopian

A Monday evening found me and my date in search for Ethiopian cuisine at Asmara restaurant. Almost an oddity, given Asmara is Eritrea’s capital, but evidently the two countries share more than a border. Located on General Mathenge Lane in Westlands area, the restaurant sits at a venue that resembles a converted house, with a large compound that also caters for outside sitting space. Friendly service greeted us from the very outset, with the butler dashing out to shelter us from the rain with an umbrella. We were then escorted into the restaurant by the aptly dressed steward.  

Asmara’s dining room is modest, with few cultural markers apart from the minority African artefacts and carvings hung on the walls. The floor and ceiling are excellently finished, with calming tones that evoke a family dining room. For a Monday night, the place was rather packed, mostly with couples and families, who dotted the tables adjacent to ours.

The staff promptly provided us with the drinks menu, with a less than exciting medley of drinks on the list. Being a smoothie lover, I opted for their Tropical mix smoothie while my date had a well done Martini cocktail.

With a variety of cuisines ranging from continental to Ethiopian to Eritrean, one is definitely spoilt for choice when they get here. Knowing what we wanted we skipped the starter, and moved on straight to the entrée, a guilty pleasure of mine. We ordered the Asmara Mixed plate, one of the specialties of Asmara restaurant. If you’ve been to the sister branch on Juja Road, you know what value you get when you order the mixed plate. This is usually an ensemble of meats and vegetables delivered in neighborly heaps served on a disk of injera- the round, sour flatbread-more than a foot in diameter, thin and limp, like an attenuated pancake. For starters, you might not like the injera, but it is usually an acquired taste. Also worth noting is that no folks and knives are required here. We dig in the old school way: tear the bread into small pieces and use it to scoop up the delicious mix of flavors into your mouth. So be sure to have washed your hands before you indulge in this harmonious meal.

Asmara Restaurant offers a unique dining experience. The food is stellar and the price is right. I highly recommend the place for a meal be it with family or friends.