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| - Always the best food on earth! These are some of my favourite things ever!!! I'd eat this cuisine everyday for the rest of my life if I could. Absolutely worth the wait. I need a one-way ticket to Addis Abeba and Mulatu Astatke and I are gonna eat and listen to Yekermo Saw on repeat. The Lion of Zion ! blessing of the Almighty unto thee ! in the name of the One and celestial.
Legend has it that the fabled lost Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia and with one bite ... it'll be all up in your mouth! Seriously, you will be talking directly to G-d her/him/it -self when you eat this food. As you saunter into the deliciously holy temple that is East Africa Restaurant you'll be ensconced in a warming red glow and a most enchanting scent which will undoubtedly transport you to a faraway spice market somewhere along the Eastern Rift Valley at the cradle of civilisation in the Horn of Africa. We are all African. We all come from Africa. Our ancestors were all borne into being ... right here in Africa. As you take your seat you will melt through space and time. This is the culminating point of the Spice Route. This is the terminus of the spice trade. This is where all things delicious come to be eaten. This is the sanctum sanctorum; the holy of holies, where the magic happens. Ethiopian cuisine is probably my favourite food in the entire world. This is an historic account of true fusion; ancient fusion. This is where spices from the four corners of the world reach their scrumptious confluence. This is the meeting point of global flavour. The amazing Jewish Ethiopian/Eritrean mom and pop dynamic duo who run the show here are some of the best people in the world and they are the proverbial mom and pop of all humanity. Mmmm scrumptious and delectable humanity. I always order my vegetarian platter. This comes with a beautiful stew of root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and turnips simmered to perfection in a sort of "curry" sauce. There are also two kinds of lentils on this platter; one oh so sumptuously flavoured savoury version and a more piquant spiced version. There is a beautiful tomato salad that'll knock your socks off. Then the spinach; I don't know what they do to that spinach but it's the best I've ever tasted. All of this is served on a pillowy soft and spongy sourdough-leavened flatbread called Injera; somewhat similar to a crêpe. You absolutely must order the beetroot salad; you've never had beets like this before. They also make a special Ethiopian cheese but if you're a keener you'll order it a day in advance because it goes fast. Finish your meal with Ethiopian tea or coffee. This is the best coffee you'll have at any restaurant like this. The tea is beautifully flavoured with a delicious and special African cinnamon. Wow, you can almost see the ancient ruins of Lalibela in the distance. Is that a civet stalking some prey? No, is it a gazelle or kudu? Yes, folks, rediscover your African roots here; you'll remember your ancient heritage with that first mouthful of glory and it only gets better. Humans became human beings in Africa and through Africa we will once again rediscover our humanity. Remember at the end of your day and at the end of each meal that countless men, women and children across the African continent lack the bare minimum of necessities for survival; abject poverty, malnourishment, drought, famine and starvation are the reality for so many people. Whilst this may seem inconceivably unfathomable to some of us living in Western opulence ... it is sadly all too true. Instead of buying materialistic Christmas gifts this year ... think about making a charitable donation to the CHF -- Canadian Hunger Foundation -- they have been ceaselessly engaged in the fight against poverty, inequality and hunger across the globe for the last fifty years. Don't buy some empty bauble, toy or iThing this season ... instead give the gift of a dairy cow, goat or vegetable garden to a family in dire need. Enjoy.
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