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| - Empress Taytu is an Ethiopian delight. My vegan friend and I wanted to eat somewhere Saturday that would fit his dietary needs and he recommended coming here if I was up for an adventure and I am happy we went!
Empress Taytu is in a somewhat depressing, desolate, warehousey part of Cleveland; and like most things it pays to stray from the beaten path.
We were seated traditionally in comfortable arm chairs around a woven table with a recessed surface. Our table was under a straw roof hut of sorts, in a comfortable and cozy setting.
While I enjoy my meal, the best thing I had was the Brazilian beer, Xingu (strange, in a Ethiopian restaurant). The black beer has the look of stout but is smooth and pretty light and absolutely fantastic.
The food was good, not amazing but solid. We had red lentil samoas, accompanied by a chili-type salsa/dip that were very good. We also had some greens with a think bread (not injera) that was also pretty tasty and very earthy. For dinner we both ordered the Vegetarian Combo that had red and yellow lentil dishes, greens and some cabbage on a bed of injera PLUS some on the side. There was enough for at least four people. Injera can be a bit strange for those who have never tried it, myself included. It is thin, spongy bread that is the medium used to eat the dishes. Pull, tear, scoop, eat. It is rather plain so as not to influence or overpower the food and is not something to be afraid of. It holds up well with each dish we ate. Kind of like the tortilla's thicker cousin.
All in all, dinner was very good. The food was flavorful, the staff was kind and the was beer delicious. I would recommend checking it out and don't forget the Xingu.
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