Due to a schedule miscommunication, Ian ended up closing tonight. Since being stuck in a mall food court makes dinner surprisingly difficult, I decided to swing by and bring him sustenance when I got off work. I found an Ethiopian (slash African, slash Mediterranean) restaurant on my phone and headed over.
E'Njoni Cafe is tucked away on Killingsworth Street, which makes it a little difficult to get to, but it's worth it. The place has a fusion atmosphere that really suits the cuisine's region, the staff (I think it's family run) is super friendly and the food is cheap and delicious. I ordered take away, so I didn't take pictures of the place itself. But, we'll be heading back there.
The place does serve meat, but the menu has a lot of vegetarian (mostly vegan, actually) choices. I took some pictures of our order with my phone, but forgive the presentation as it's in disposable serveware and we were in the mall.
I also picked up some apple curry bao (Asian (Chinese, mostly) rice buns) from Steamers because I've been curious about them. I was a little disappointed with those, but Ian liked them.
Peanut Yam Soup $3. It needed either a little acidity or sodium, but I really liked it. Maybe my favorite part.
Veggies (greens, red lentils, chickpeas and okra) wrapped in injera (traditional Ethiopian/ Eritrean bread) $8 This wasn't exactly what I expected. I ordered a plate with the three separate sets of veggies. I knew it came on bread, but I didn't know it would all be together. The flavors were great, but I'd rather eat each on its own.
Close up of the okra.
The bao and some brown rice. Around $6 from Steamers. The buns were good, but the apple flavor wasn't super pronounced. The Japanese curry flavor definitely reigned. The bao was well made, so I think I might try the other flavors. I also want to try to make bao and other rice cakes/buns at home. The Pacific Market down the street has rice cake flour.
We also saw The King's Speech tonight. I highly recommend it. The cinematography is wonderful and it's beautifully acted. It has inspired me to learn more about pre-WWII Britain. It would be "Britain" in that case, right? And not "England?" Either way, I'm interested. I think a trip should be in order for the future.
