Certainly one of the more interesting meals that I will ever have is when I go have Ethiopian food.  Most all of the Ethiopian restaurants have a vegetarian/vegan platter that is full of wonderful things and eaten without utensils.  You just tear off a piece of the injera (you get a basket full), which is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture and scoop up a bit of the various mounds of salads and stews that are sitting upon another large piece of injera on top of the large plate or platter.  This injera is so fun and yummy to eat with.  It is made with iron-rich teff flour and I just love eating with it. Today we would visit Abyssinia, on W. Tropicana near the Orleans.

What you get on the platter is a variety of warm and cold offerings of stews and salad. I had a green lentil stew, a yellow lentil stew, and a red and very spicy lentil stew. There was also one with some cooked greens.  A salad with lettuce and tomatoes. Another mound was spiced cabbage with carrots. Finally, there was an injera salad with bits of injera with tomatoes and chile peppers.  All of them were uniquely spiced and gave such a wonderful variety.  Once you finish the mounds you tear off bits of the injera that everything was placed on that has soaked up all of the juices.  That is the good stuff.

There is enough food on one of these veg/vegan platters to feed two people or one if you are hungry enough.  It is always good to finish off the meal at the end with some delicious Ethiopian coffee.  Ethiopians know their coffee…because that is who we have to thank for it.  Some of the Ethiopian restaurants will do an elaborate coffee ritual for you and that is treat when you have the opportunity.  I just had a cup and it was rich and flavorful. This is a cuisine which loaded with protein and good things for your body and is just so much fun to eat.  You really need to experience this for yourself if you have not had the chance. And just think of all of the water they are saving by never having to wash any utensils.  Smiles.

Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

4780 W. Tropicana Ave.  Suite 108

Las Vegas, NV. 89103

(702)220-5304