Yesterday I met some other adoptive parents for lunch at the Queen of Sheba restaurant. It was my first time eating Ethiopian food and it was a very different experience. I wish I had been a little hungrier as I didn't actually eat that much. Plus the injera (the traditional bread used in lieu of utensils for scooping up your food) is quite filling on its own.
We ordered a combo platter of vegetarian and meat dishes. The dishes are arranged around the platter with what I believe was Doro Wat (whole boiled eggs and chicken stew) in the center. The options varied in heat from mild to quite spicy. I believe it's berbere that is commonly used to add heat to many of the Ethiopian dishes. Meats include lamb, beef, and chicken. There are many vegetarian options and I believe Ethiopians do not eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. A couple of my favorite dishes included the lentils and beans. Other menu items I could identify for sure were the Vegetable Alecha - (stew) and the Sega Wat (diced lamb). As I mentioned, injera is your utensil so you rip off a piece (it's a very soft and spongy flat bread) and use it to grab your food.
The owner and his wife were very friendly and I believe it was their son, Lou (6yrs), who drew me a picture. He was born in Calgary and is an avid soccer player (he said he had to leave to go to play or his team would lose).
I wish we had ordered the coffee. The coffee ceremony is a large part of Ethiopian culture and is performed many times during the day. Apparently the Queen of Sheba blends and roasts its own coffee so I'm sure it would have been great. I'll try to remember for next time.
There were about 16 of us there, including kids and including one beautiful girl adopted from Ethiopia. One of the couples I met is leaving to bring their son home on Tuesday!! I wish them a good journey, easy flights, and the kindest security officials.
I'm looking forward to my next Ethiopian meal. I wonder if M will be familiar with Ethiopian food when she comes home? Chances are she won't be as she'll probably still be on the bottle and formula. I look forward to when it's my time to bring her along for dinner with the group and to all the other adoptive parent functions.
Overall, I enjoyed the meal but I need more practice with the injera. I'm not a spicy food person so I didn't try everything but what I did eat I enjoyed. The flavors are very different from I'm used to, of course, and I think some of the dishes will grow on me.
