The Kansas City Star
A simmer in Addis Ababa - Ethiopian cuisine has an appeal all its own
by LAUREN CHAPIN
"... The first-time visitors, one dressed in a NASCAR T-shirt, the other in Chiefs wear, hesitantly scan the small room for an empty table. Both order the all-you-can-eat buffet, one opting to dine authentically, without utensils, the other asking for a fork but no rice. He pats his tummy and explains, ``I'm on a diet.''
In their dungarees and sports-fan gear, they look like barbecue-joint guys, not culinary explorers checking out an exotic cuisine. But an encouraging cross section of Kansas Citians fills Addis Ababa Ethiopian Cafe on 39th Street. There's a 20-something fellow with a mohawk in need of a trim; a pair of Ethiopians who speak with owner Mekedem Belete in their native tongue; two young African-American women lunching with a white co-worker.
Several times a year, readers on the prowl for an Ethiopian restaurant call or e-mail for help. A couple of weeks ago, a former military man who lives in Iowa called because he couldn't remember the restaurant's name. He and his military buddies, once stationed together in Ethiopia, wanted to reunite over dinner. After all those years, they still craved the nondescript- looking fare with its addictive flavors...
Long after I was full, I continued to pick. I grabbed one more green bean, another chunk of tender lamb, another mouthful of lentils. Swearing off another bite, I leaned back in my chair, cradled my beer mug and sipped to soothe my palate. But then I got another waft of garlicky beef, and I was at it again.
The cuisine seduced me, and it was easier to surrender than to resist. With luck, more of us will be seduced by the slow-simmered dishes with the intriguing flavors. And, like the dieting diner, give in to the goodness and eat two heaping plates of food... " >>more
pitch.com
Best Vegan Lunch Option
"...
No matter what you order at Addis Ababa, you'll either look as though you've lost an epic highlighter fight or you'll leave behind a neon napkin. Oddly, while the food isn't fluorescent, the stains show up that way. Even more intriguingly, menu items that seem unassuming taste remarkably different thanks to the Ethiopian blend of spices -- you've never had green beans like these . Best of all for the cruelty- and/or cash-conscious crowd, most of the menu is vegan-friendly, and even with an avocado or mango smoothie on the side, Addis Ababa's filling lunch-time buffet falls on the cheap side of $10... " >>more
pitch.com
The spicy Addis Ababa Ethiopian Café seduces us like Sheba snagged Solomon.
by Charles Ferruzza
"... Beef and lamb variations -- tibbs -- are more substantial, but there's a method to the maddeningly mushy composition. Instead of using forks and spoons, diners at Ethiopian restaurants eat everything with their hands, scooping it up with the crepelike injera bread.
Eating at Addis Ababa is a communal affair. Most dinners arrive on one big, silvery, round tray arrayed with various mounds: a dollop of amber split peas, yekik alcha watt , fragrant with ginger and garlic; a heap of stewed collard greens -- not bitter but deftly seasoned with ginger and a hint of jalapeño; and the terrific, burgundy-colored lentil stew misir watt , which packs a wallop thanks to the berbere (a kick-ass blend of red chili peppers, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander and fenugreek).
Were these the same spices that Sheba carted off to Israel? The earthy, slightly bitter fenugreek -- known as hilbeh in Hebrew -- is such an ancient spice that surviving Egyptian papyri list it as a necessary ingredient for the mummification process. (Hopefully, the berbere mix will add years to my current life rather than to my afterlife.)
There's a novelty to eating without utensils, and the staff at Addis Ababa makes a pleasant ritual out of the process. Before dinner, a vinegary salad arrives in a plastic bowl, accompanied by a fork. Then, in preparation for the tactile part of the meal, servers bring two steamy hand towels to the table. With freshly cleansed fingers, Carol and I could pry off the triangle-shaped slices of griddle-baked injera from a neatly piled stack brought with our platter. The bread, which unfortunately isn't served warm, has a vaguely sourdough taste and an off-putting grayish-purple color... " >>more
erasetheanswers.com/blog
Thirteen Months of Sunshine
by Greg
"...
Kansas City is a barbecue town. It's a steak town. It's the world headquarters of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar®, also known as "America's Favorite Neighbor®" and "The Worst Place in America to Get a Salad®." I know something about this last part because I am a vegetarian. Being vegetarian in Kansas City is kind of like being Jewish in Salt Lake City. You can survive, of course, but it isn't always easy. Kansas City does have several ethnic restaurants that stray from the Midwestern meat-and-potatoes formula. One of the most recent additions to the list of interesting vegetarian-friendly restaurants is Addis Ababa Cafe on 39th. If you aren't aware that Addis Ababa is an Ethiopian restaurant before you walk in the door, you will certainly figure that out when you sit down. The tabletops feature posters hoping to lure tourists to Ethiopia with its "Thirteen Months of Sunshine." I don't know about that, but I do know that the food at Addis Ababa is excellent--and inexpensive. My dining companion and I split a vegetarian combination platter that was about $13. It was a good way to sample several Ethiopian dishes, including collard greens, lentils, split peas and green beans, all prepared with spices that might seem unusual to the typical Applebee's patron but will reward the more adventurous. And the patient. The dinner service was a little slow, but that seems like a reasonable sacrifice for a good vegetarian meal in a barbecue town.... "
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owner Mekedem Belete