Tucson Citizen
Watt's for Dinner -
By Jenny Hunsperger
Cheap Eats: At Zemam's Food's tasty; bring the wine
''... What was ordered: Two "Zemam's Plates" with small portions of six entrées: Zigni (tender beef strips simmered in hot, spicy sauce), Lega Tibs (cubes of beef cooked in a mildly seasoned tomato sauce), Yetakelt Wat (seasoned medley of fresh vegetables and potatoes), Kik Wat (split peas cooked with onion, garlic and green pepper), Yedoro Alicha (tender chicken slowly cooked with onions, garlic, ginger root and spices), Gomen Alicha (carrots, cabbage and potatoes in a mild sauce) - $17 for all six
Comments: OK, I admit it: Zemam's isn't new and there's nothing particularly timely about this review other than I was craving Ethiopian food, and I love this restaurant. But it makes sense for the "hot" issue, you see, because Ethiopia is a very hot place.
The experience at Zemam's is just as important as the food. The small restaurant is in a converted house, where the walls are covered with African artifacts and the aromas from the kitchen are deliciously intoxicating. One especially nice touch is that you can bring your own bottle of wine, because the place lacks a liquor permit. The unique thing about Zemam's is the tradition of using your hands to eat with a spongy, sourdough-tasting tortilla, injera. Not having silverware is a bit intimidating at first, but I personally find injera easier to get used to than chopsticks.
The meats were so incredibly tender and succulent that I'm half convinced the owners have a bunch of crockpots stewing all day in the kitchen. Aside from the spicy, tomato-based seasonings, the beef didn't taste as "ethnic" as one might expect, less so than Indian food. The chicken comes on the bone, which makes it a bit difficult to strip away and eat with injera, but its flavor is superb..." >>more
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