WARKA
RESTAURANT

Warka is a bit hidden in the back of a small business park on the border of Reston and Herdon. The restaurant is clean with about 12 tables and a fairly large bar.

Dining in Ethiopia is characterized by the ritual of breaking injera and eating from the same plate, signifying the bonds of loyalty and friendship. The quintessence of those bonds are often demonstrated in the form of gursha-that is, the placing of food in the mouth of another diner from one’s own “hand.” Injera, the traditional Ethiopian bread, is part of every entrée. It is a large crepe/pancake upon which the various stew-like dishes are served. The traditional way of eating is with the fingers, which is in itself a delicate art.

Ethiopian food is eaten with fingers because it is tasteful and intimate. Traditionally, in Ethiopia, one does not eat food alone or in a separate plate. Ethiopians say, "Food tastes better when they eat it together." Therefore, food is generally eaten in a group sitting around a wide serving basket, feeding not only oneself but also hand-feeding (giving gursha to one another, especially guests, as an expression of love and hospitality.

tripadvisor.com

'' A friend and I decided to try some Ethiopian food since neither of us had eaten if before. She had discovered Warka and suggested we give it a try. Since this was my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine, it is hard to accurately rate the place. It gets good marks when it comes to decor--simple and cozy. Good service, too--prompt and friendly. We were there for lunch and decided to try some vegetarian entrees. I ordered spicy red lentils while my friend ordered yellow split peas. Both Dishes were about the same consistency as a thick soup. I liked how the red lentils were spiced just right. By just right I mean they weren't so spicy that your mouth burned. Apparently, Ethiopian food is eaten without any utensils save the serving spoon. It was served with a spongy flatbread that we each got plus a large plate with 3 sides for each of us that were placed on a larger, thinner piece of flatbread. One of the sides was a vegetable that appeared to be kale or collard greens. The other 2 were small portions of lettuce and tomato with different toppings. Not knowing about Ethiopian food, we assumed that you ripped a piece of the flatbread and then added some of the items to it. This worked out very well. The portion sizes were just right--not too much, not too little. Plus at $6.99 each, very reasonably priced...." >>more

gayot.com

'' This Ethiopian restaurant is quite impressive with its intense flavors and an almost overwhelming amount of the special handmade injera bread---the flat, spongy, pancake-like bread used for scooping up and holding food. We are enthralled by the fiery pungency of the missir wot, an amalgam of chilies, oil and simmered red lentils served in a large scoop on the injera. Our second favorite: the succulent doro wot, the lemon chicken in a red pepper sauce and served with a hard-cooked egg...." >>more