The Abyssinian
Last Tuesday night, I met the fabulous Carly from Tune into Radio Carly for a delightful dinner. I do so love a mid-week dinner outing - it breaks up the working week and is a nice treat to look forward to. After posting about my foray into Footscray, where I first tried African food with Deb, Carly suggested we visit one of her favourite African restaurants in Kensington, The Abyssinian.
Many people had been singing the praises of this popular restaurant, and I can see why. The food was wonderful! As was the company. We chatted for three hours about absolutely everything. Blogging, food, work, friends, family, life and love. Carly is so vibrant, she's such great company. I can't wait for our next catch up!
We ordered the Melanzany to start, which was absolutely delicious. These cubes of eggplant were marinated in garlic and chilli, and cooked in a generous amount of oil. They were so yummy - super crisp edges, with a lovely soft flesh and a rich flavour that was overall not too oily. Together with the injera bread, it was a completely scrumptious combination - very moreish!
The injera bread was nice, however I found it to be a little too thin for my preference. Granted I am no expert on injera, after only two eating experiences! However I favoured the injera at Cafe Lalibela , as it didn't become as soggy upon lingered contact with the wet dishes, which was my problem with The Abyssinian's injera. Overly soggy injera is not all that delicious.
For our mains we shared two dishes...
Kitfo - raw, marinated beef. Carly recommended we order this dish, and I'm so pleased she did, as the rich flavour of the mitmita marinade was absolutely delicious.
Derek Tibs - marinated lamb pieces with chilli, onion and rosemary. The lamb was a little dry but really tasty nonetheless. I adored the flavour of the marinade, it was so beautiful, and the charred pieces of sticky onion were just delicious. The eggplant was my favourite dish, but this lamb was a very close second.
Thanks, Carly, for suggesting we visit The Abyssinian. I found the food to be really delicious. The Abyssinian offers a very casual but warm dining experience, with really yummy and exciting food. It's a great place for group dinners, with a couple of long tables. I can't wait to go back there and try more dishes!
For our second date, Carly and I are thinking we'll try out Miss Chu. Duck rice paper roll goodness, here we come! (check out Carly's post about our dinner here).