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No. 00270 |
May 17-23, 2003 |
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Dining out in ArushaSpices and Herbs Ethiopian Lodge and Restaurant
I must admit my initial impression of Spices and Herbs Ethiopian Restaurant hardly inspired the visions of an exotic land, alive with history and culture, that I had in mind. Perhaps expecting to uncover a slice of Addis Ababa in central Arusha was unrealistic. But the setting in which I found myself was more a tropical wonderland – complete with lush gardens and squawking birdlife – than the desert-like enigma I imagined would accompany an Ethiopian meal. Thankfully, the unanticipated environs eventually proved to be the perfect accompaniment to a Saturday dinner. Spices and Herbs’ verdant surrounds and indoor and outdoor seating options gave a relaxed, no-fuss welcome that was continued by the restaurant’s staff. An expansive menu offering 10 choices of both meat and vegetarian dishes also bore, at last, some of the exotica I had been looking forward to. If the dishes’ ingredients were familiar, their Amharic names were refreshingly unusual. Among the treats on offer were yedinich wot (Potato stew), yefasolia wot (Split pea and string bean stew), yebeg tibs (Fried lamb with Ethiopian butter, onions green peppers and rosemary) and yeassa wot (Fish stew). Wot, as Spices and Herbs’ owner later informed me, means stew in Amharic, and it was three wots and the yebeg tibs that we eventually decided on. But it wasn’t simply stews and fried lamb that arrived. No Ethiopian meal would be complete without injera, the spongy Ethiopian staple that is somewhere between Indian roti and a thick pancake, and our plates came bedecked with lashings of the stuff. Made at Spices and Herbs from a mixture of the tiny Ethiopian grain, teff, and rice flour, injera is fermented for at least 48 hours before being steamed on a hot plate, which gives it an airy texture that contrasts sharply with its sourness.
Meanwhile, yebere siga wot (beef chunks) proved more inspiring than its English name. Tender and subtly spiced, it was a better filling for the light injera than the spinach. Two other meat dishes, including the yebeg tibs (fried lamb), were also impressive, with the delivery of the lamb in a tower-like dish an added enhancement. On the point of presentation, the dark colour of the meals and the gentle paleness of the injera combined well on large white plates. The only shortcoming of an otherwise enticing spread was the ratio of wot to injera. Perhaps, as an Ethiopia inchoate, I was doing something wrong, but a substantial amount of sour bread remained once the main dishes were finished. And, taken alone, injera loses much of its appeal. Otherwise, a generous choice of vegetarian and meat dishes, attentive service and a coolly tropical setting worked to highlight a cuisine that fuses simplicity and flavour with success. Details:
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Last modified:
May 15, 2003. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
You
don't need to travel far to sample authentic Ethiopian cuisine in a relaxed
setting, writes Ian Gould
On
to the main game, and the dishes were, for the most part, a success. A yekosta
wot (spinach stew) was an effective combination of tender leaves and a
supporting lentil sauce, or yemisir wot. The lentil sauce invigorated a dish
that would have otherwise lacked power. The accompanying serving of injera was
an easy and tasty means of eschewing cutlery to tackle food that was gloriously
hands-on.