Cafe DEMERA Ethiopian Cuisine
On my way home from shooting pix for my La Brea Tar Pits Photo Tour web site, I stopped off at this restaurant. I like to sample exotic cuisine. Park in front of the McDonalds on La Brea.
Links: Ethiopian
restaurants, Ethiopian
foods and culture info
They served me a vegetarian special (this is not a vegetarian restaurant as you can see
from the menu). Served on thin unleavened spongy bread (injera) wraps was
a marvelous rainbow of foods: a stripe of red lentils spiced like Indian lentils but done
differently, next to a stripe of collard greens cooked with a sauce, then yellow corn
& yellow split peas and some salad on the end.
Everything on the menu is VERY reasonably priced. While not packed, a good number of clientele were coming and going as I ate. This place has atmosphere with the pictures of castles and Tanan Island in Ethiopia. They have genuine Ethiopian instrumental music CDs. I picked one up and am enjoying it as I'm doing this page. The lady there was nice enuf to let me listen to the CD while I ate before I bought it, to see if I liked it.
Have a beer (no Ethiopian brands) or what I had, a coffee. It came slightly strong, like the coffee that the Whirling Dervishes drink in the Middle East with a slight foam like espresso.
Oh, by the way you DONT GET A FORK. (Sure they'll give you one if you ask) You're supposed to eat the food with your fingers. GO NATIVE and tear off pieces of the bread and scoop up some of your dish between your fingers. This makes it taste amazingly good. Wash it all down with your brew or ice water - the spices can be hot. Pick up a CD by real Ethiopians not just Hollywood schlock and this restaurant will last. My bill (free wetnaps for your fingers included) for a meal, coffee and beautiful sounding Ethiopian CD was only $23!
Listing of the menu (I'm leaving off prices as they may change but all were inexpensive)
Entrees:
#1 KITFFO
Finely chopped lean beef with Ethiopian spiced hot butter and mitmita (hot chilies). Served with injera and cottage cheese.
#2 TIBS
Sauteed chunks of lamb with onions and green chilies in an assortment of herbs and spices.
#3 SIGA WOT
Strips of lamb or beef braised in red pepper sauce with assorted spices. Served with injera.
#4 ALITCHA FIT-FIT
Lamb or beef stew mixed with injera. Delicately seasoned with garlic, ginger and turmeric.
#5 GINFIL-FIL
Seasoned injera tossed in Siga Wot. Served very hot.
#6 DORO-WOT
Chicken stew simmered in bebere (red pepper), garlic, onions, spiced butter. Served with hard boiled eggs.
#7 VEGETARIAN COMBINATION
Yatakilt Atlitcha, Yemisir Wot, Yater Alitcha and Yeabesha Gommen. Served with injera.
(you got that? OK here's what it means:)
Yatakilt Alitcha - cabbage, carrots, potatoes, string beans seasoned with onions, garlic, ginger.
Yemisir Wot - red lentil stew simmered in peppers, garlic, ginger and bell peppers.
Yater Alitcha - mild yellow split peas cooked with onions, garlic, sliced green peppers.
Yeabesha Gommen - Collard greens steamed and delicately seasoned with garlic, green chilies.
As you note from my description of what they served me, they mixed and matched a couple of the vegetarian combo items for my combo plate. They didn't have any of the first item ready. Inquire if you specifically want some particular item.
Beverages:
Coffee or Tea, Sodas, Imported Beer, Local Beer, Wine (in a glass), Perrier