If you're thinking that you've never spotted an Ethiopian restaurant in your travels around Melbourne, you'd be right. Mainly huddled in Footscray, dining in one is like visiting a little slice of Africa without even leaving the country.
Thick with incense, Abesha has decked out its walls with woven mats and authentic Ethiopian treasures that serve as a reminder of the disparate nature of our cultures. A polished granite floor lends a rudimentary, almost shack-like quality to the place and, in a culture that places emphasis on sharing, there's a communal eating bowl in the middle of each table.
Abesha takes pride in offering traditional fare prepared with fresh spices in a centuries-old craft. Try the doro wat (chicken with garlic butter), lamb tibs (marinated lamb with garlic, tomato and chilli) or push the envelope a little by trying one of the raw meat dishes on for size - definitely not for the faint of heart. Doing away with conventional utensils, diners employ the services of injera bread to eat their meal, which is used to scoop up soupy dishes.
Replacing the pizzazz of upmarket eateries with a deep-seated sense of custom, Abesha is certainly going to give you a different sort of food for thought.
Penny Wedesweiler
Open
m
t
w
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f
s
s
Breakfast
Lunch
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Dinner
O
O
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O
O
O
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Late
Daily noon-10pm
Ethiopian
Mains: $10-$13
Dessert: $10
Payment accepted: Cash Only
Licensed. Wine is available by the glass. BYO $8 corkage per bottle.
Seats 50
Wheelchair access
and wheelchair-accessible toilets
All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
pedro2011
|
24 April 2011, 9.09pm
Hidden Gem
A group of 8 of us went tonight and it was amazing. Walking in I didn't expect much but the friendly service and food was excellent.
I usually go more SAFE with options but this food was great. Despite no banquet option on the menu we asked for something like this as we had no idea what to get. We they selected for us and it was great.
And it's Sunday night. Seriously git yourself there.
Peter
Food:
Visit: Sun 24 April 2011
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
lukebondy
|
30 October 2008, 2.26pm
Dont eat at Smoking Joe's or McDonalds, eat Here!
This really is a hidden treasure in the heart of the west. I've eaten at a million places in my lifetime and have eaten at a few African and Ethiopian places but this one takes the (pan)cake.
Not only is the food great, you get a taste of the culture in this place, starting with the way you eat the food! You grab your food using a pancake style bread with your hands, which is how I want to eat everything from now on. Wash that down with a Harar beer brewed and bottled in the home land and you're taken to another country... not Ethiopia... a little place called Flavour country.
Head down there and say hi to Manouka (I dont know how to spell it though), possibly the nicest lady in the west, and enjoy yourself. Tell her Luke sent you and she'll be rapped ;)
Food:
Visit: Fri 24 October 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
jmansound
|
30 October 2008, 12.50pm
Get your hungry butt down to this place!! What a feed!! So cheap.
Forget your run of-the-mill cafe's with 14 year old miserable adolescents taking your order, forget paying $25 for a frozen parma with some crappy chips and a chunk of brown lettuce on the side.
Step out of your everyday habits and get some Ethiopian cuisine into ya. From the first step you take into this quirky but authentic restaurant, you're greeted by Malouka, owner / chef / waitress with a welcoming smile and genuine warmth, you can't help but instantly fall in love with this place. The food is traditional Ethiopian, which most people wouldn't have a clue what that is, but fear not, Malouka will happily choose for you (as she did for us) and we weren't disappointed. Forget knives and forks, the food comes out on a giant plate covered in something resembling savoury pancakes, these pancakes become your forks as you use these to shovel the deliciously prepared food into your hungry gob. And to wash it all down, i recommend Ethiopian brewed beer named "Harar". It's advised that you pre book and if you want dessert, be sure to mention that when you book.
For 5 people, including 6 beers and 2 white wines, we were set back a measly $83 (that's $16.60 each!!!) and we were quite full. You simply can't beat that. Match this with super friendly and warm service, great setting, funky african music and of course delicious; albeit unusual food; it's all thumbs up.
So if you're looking to impress your lady friend or are simply after somewhere different, Abesha is the place to head. To top it off, the owner (Malouka) remembered our names (well, my brothers name) 6 months after intially dining there. You gotta love that, only in Footscray. Tell her Luke sent you.
Food:
Visit: Fri 24 October 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
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