FASIKA
RESTAURANT

Ethiopian food is uncomplicated and healthy, but no single adjective can adequately describe how absolutely delicious it is. Most dishes begin with a bread, as in many cultures, but not in loaf form. Injera is the staple of the Ethiopian diet. It is a light, slightly spongy, pancake-like bread that is placed first on the plate to hold whatever comes after.

Imagine the scent of any exotic spice you have ever experienced. Now imagine dozens of them, filling the air and mixing together in perfect harmony. You may pick out a stray scent of cumin, garlic, onion, curry, ginger or peppers, but you may never be able to place them all.

Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine
Ethiopian on the Tundra - by Peter Lilienthal

''... For diners who enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, or the uninitiated who are ready to give it a go, there's good news. Two new, quite pleasant Ethiopian restaurants-Fasika and House of Lalibela-are making it easier than ever to discover the pleas- ures of this delightful African fare.

Of the two, I prefer Fasika, a small spot that bills itself as the first Ethiopian restaurant in St. Paul. The name means "feast" and that's an apt description of its meals. As at most Ethiopian spots, the menu offers one or more comprehensive sampler platters. Options include a beef combination, a lamb platter, a vegetarian sampler, and the "ultimate combination," which for only $19.50 provides a tasting of just about every one of the twenty-plus items on the menu. A single order is more than adequate for two diners.

Meals are served arranged on a large, circular piece of injera and sided with an unlimited helping of rolled-up pieces of the bread. Protocol calls for tearing off a small piece of the injera, using it to scoop up a bit of wat, alicha, or whatever, and then plopping the whole thing into your mouth. It can take a bit of practice to master, and even longer to gain the confidence to feed the traditional first couple of bitefuls to one's dining companions ..." >>more

AOL CityGuide - by Heather Rose Henderson

'' The quality of the food, the impeccably neat surroundings and the friendly atmosphere make this one of the most engaging Ethiopian restaurants in the Twin Cities. As is customary, there is no flatware: Meals are served on the spongy flatbread called injera, which is torn into small pieces and used to pick up the food and carry it to the mouth.

It's tricky to master this technique with the piping hot stews that are a trademark of Ethiopian cuisine, but let's face it -- it's fun to eat with your fingers! Good choices at Fasika are the vegetarian sampler, which includes several vegetable dishes heavy on the greens and lentils, the lamb sampler, offering tastes of three different lamb dishes in varying degrees of spiciness, ..." >>more