The Mercury News
From coffee shop to Ethiopian fare - by
Aleta Watson
"The sign out front at the Super 8 motel on The Alameda clearly says Ethiopian cuisine, but the weary traveling couple who wandered into the coffee shop for lunch clearly was surprised to learn there weren't any sandwiches on the menu.
Owner Sahlu Okbato poured on his considerable charm, and soon the two were happily devouring little dishes of Ethiopian meats and stews on a tray lined with the spongy, nicely sour flat bread known as injera .
Queen of Sheba Restaurant has that effect on people. Doubters become believers as they explore the colorful, mildly spicy cuisine of Okbato's homeland. Everything from the exceptional injera to the traditional kifto -- lean, hand-minced beef cooked with a clarified and seasoned butter -- is made fresh by Lomi Segni, Okbato's sister.
Okbato is a good guide, but the best bet for first-timers is one of the platters with an assortment of complementary dishes. My companions and I opted for a kifto platter ($10.99), a vegetarian platter ($10.99) and an order of juicy doro tibs ($8.99), chicken breast sauteed with onions and chiles.
With Segni working alone in the kitchen, the food is not fast to arrive. While we waited, we satisfied our curiosity about Ethiopian beer by splitting a dark, smooth and smoky Hakim Stout ($3.50). Ethiopian wine is also on the menu.
When the food arrived, it was an event. Okbato placed a large enameled tray ceremoniously in the middle of the table, lifted the conical straw dome, and spooned the aromatic dishes onto the layer of injera in little piles with a distinctly Western-style salad with vinaigrette in the center. Atop the saucy doro tibs , he layered hot white rice -- a non-traditional touch that he recommends to soak up the sauce. more >>
Rose Garden Resident
Local cafe makes total transition to exclusively Ethiopian cuisine
- By Mary Gottschalk " In an effort to lure new customers and to get current ones to be more adventuresome, he's started a $7.99 buffet lunch on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
"People are reluctant to try different dishes," he says. "I thought this might encourage them to try new dishes. We offer one chicken, one lamb, one beef and four vegetarian dishes as well as rice, breads and salads."
Okebato has also expanded into catering, including corporate, private and weddings. Additionally, he is hosting a winemaker dinner with J. Lohr on July 14.
Nicole Saffaie, Northern California sales manager for the winery on Lenzen Avenue, says she had never tried Ethiopian food until Okebato approached her company.
"Ethiopian food has a lot of intense spices," Saffaie says. "I suggested certain reds and whites that would go with his food. I've chosen a Riesling, a Chardonnay and a cabernet.
"It should be a nice evening. A lot of people have not eaten Ethiopian food. It's an entirely different experience. This is a chance to experience something out of the ordinary."
The winemaker dinner will include a variety of dishes, including appetizers, entrees and dessert. The price is $19.95 and includes dinner and wines. more >>
Metro
Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper
Pulling the tablecloth from under San Jose Coffee Shop's split personality
- by
Traci Vogel "... IN ETHIOPIA, people eat their tablecloths. This bit of culinary sleight of hand is made possible through the magic of teff, the grain used to make injera, the spongy pancakelike bread on which Ethiopian food is served. Traditionally, injera (pronounced "en-jair-ah") is served draped over a wicker hourglass-shaped table, and diners tear pieces of it off and use it to roll up the bean stews and meat dishes. High in fiber and protein, low in fat and nearly gluten-free, teff is making inroads in the United States at health food stores.
 At San Jose Coffee Shop, the injera rests on something like a pizza plate. Cultural dissonance hardly fazes the owners of this friendly restaurant; Sahlu Okebato moved from Ethiopia to the Bay Area when he was a teenager and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in electrical engineering before taking over the coffee shop space attached to the Super 8 motel along the Alameda. With his sister in the kitchen, Sahlu created a split menu, featuring both American diner food and traditional Ethiopian fare. The restaurant décor itself sports a dual personality-the front room decorated with a distinctly Denny's bent, with a counter and red vinyl booths, and a backroom decorated more formally with tables. The second section has signage ordaining it the "Queen of Sheba" room, which is what Sahlu is considering renaming the entire restaurant. The complete menu is available in either room.
Don't be afraid to experiment at the San Jose Coffee Shop. Sure, the club sandwich on the American side may be good, but trust me-you want the doro wot. ...." Photograph by Dave Lepori
- Metro, Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper more >>
Spartan Daily
San Jose State University Paper
Alum moving ahead with Ethiopian cafe - By Michelle Ochoa
" In August 2003, a San Jose State University alumnus took the reins of a little restaurant currently named the San Jose Coffee Shop, tucked next to Motel 8 on The Alameda.
Sahlu Okebato saw an opportunity and thought, "I can combine traditional American with exotic Ethiopian food."
Okebato said he graduated from SJSU in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He then went on to work with Compaq for two-and-a-half years as a design verification engineer, testing products for functionality. The company's merger with Hewlett-Packard left thousands of employees, including Okebato, looking for other lines of work, he said.
Walking through the doors, the cafe looks like any other place where one might stop for a quick bite to eat. Nondescript booths sprawl across the room.
To the right is a more elaborate dining area with Ethiopian flair. Upstairs is a bar that's open on weekends. What makes the place special is the wide range of food and beverages as well as the friendly staff.
Customers can come in for hot oatmeal, omelettes, chicken sandwiches and burgers or try a traditional Ethiopian dish such as yebere tibs (spicy beef in its own juices) served with injera (a sticky, stretchy flat bread that tastes like sourdough and is served with many Ethiopian dishes) and a salad. Guests are encouraged to eat the Ethiopian food with utensils or with their hands, scooping food into the injera and then eating.
The cafe also offers a full bar, including Ethiopian and American wines and beers, as well as full espresso service, featuring Ethiopian and American coffees. more >>
Rose Garden Resident
Restaurant offers Ethiopian cuisine as as well as traditional diner menu items
- By
Mary Gottschalk
" Priya Friday says she started dining there close to six months ago when she heard they were serving Ethiopian food.
"Being a vegetarian, it's quite enticing. I went to see what they had and found this wonderful, wonderful restaurant," says Friday, who works and lives at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment down the block on University Avenue.
"Sahlu is just a warm spirit," she says of the owner. "When you come in, you feel like you came into somebody's kitchen. He invites you to sit down, he doesn't tell you where to sit. He asks how you're doing and he'll have a conversation with you.
"It's not like other restaurants that ask you what you want. Sahlu and the staff ask how you are. It's a lot more than just a restaurant."
Friday recommends the vegetarian combo, which she describes as "divine and flavorful," but laughingly warns that the Ethiopian coffee "will keep you awake for weeks. It's the tiniest cup, an espresso-size cup, but I was bouncing off the walls."
Martin Mieger stopped at the San Jose Coffee Shop for breakfast in December when it was too crowded at the nearby Cozy Restaurant. Okebato stopped by his table, pointing out the Ethiopian foods in the back portion of the menu, offering a sample of the food and a tour of the Queen of Sheba Dining Hall in the rear.
Mieger, and his wife, Lexa Most, promised to return to try the Ethiopian fare. They did in early March, ordering a lamb dish.
"We thought it was great," says Mieger, a construction consultant and project manager who lives nearby. "The food was good, it was interesting and different and the people were cordial."
A fan of ethnic cuisines, Mieger says they will return. "We like supporting the neighborhood restaurants."
Karen Wark, program director of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, says she went to the San Jose Coffee Shop when a friend told her they were now also serving Ethiopian food.
"It was fantastic," Wark says. "I tried their vegetarian sampler and it was extraordinary. Just outstanding.
"I had them cater a small event here at Rosicrucian Park and they did a great job. I both live and work here in the Rose Garden and it's a double blessing that we have this great restaurant." more >>
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