Ehtiopian cuisine can be summed up in a few simple words: flavorful stew on bread. The meat dishes are packed with savory spices such as "berbere" (Ethiopian spice mixture which includes chile pepper, garlic, ginger, cardamom, pepper)
The dishes, referred to as 'Wat", begin with sauteeing onions, then adding berbere or a slew of varying degrees of spices (depending on level of heat in the dish), legumes such as split peas and lentils, and meats such as lamb and beef. Wats can be vegetarian, vegan, or entirely suited for carnivores. Vegans rest assured that majority of Ethiopian cooks have found many alternatives to cooking with animal fats due strict fasting periods where consumption of animals is forbidden.
"Wat" is incredibly flavorful. In fact, there is hardly a dish at Gojo that isn't packed with toothsome ingredients. And to get the best representation I suggest the meat and veggie combo, which offers more than a half dozen "Wats", and costs only $13.99. Represented will be Doro Wot, Key Wot, and Alitcha Wot in the meat category.
Doro Wot is the national dish of Ethiopia, a chicken stew using chicken legs where the meat falls off the bone, and is seasoned with "berbere", cumin, garlic,and many other dried herbs.
Key Wot, the spicy beef stew, is one of my favorites. It tastes very similar to Hungarian Goulash, as along with the "berbere" there are strong flavors of paprika - along with cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, fenugreek, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, and more. I think this dish speaks to the allure of Ethiopian, as there is such a beautiful amalgam of flavors.
Finally, Alitcha Wot delivers another truly unique flavor profile and texture with lamb, yellow split peas, garam masala, cayenne, and tomato paste.
Misir Wot, the red lentils cooked with berbere deliver such a beautiful flavor and texture that you don't even realize it has no meat. I highly recommend this, and this generally comes on the combo plate. The lentil and split pea wats are in my opinion the best and most flavorful. Other items you will find on your combo plate are collard greens, cabbage, string bean, and carrot. All of them prepared in the "Wat" style, simmered in onions and garlic and seasoned with "berbere".
It blows my mind that my dining partner and I had two beverages, the meat sambussas (pastry stuffed w/ a blend of minced beef, onions, scallions, peppers & herbs) and the meat/veggie combo, and the total came to $22.
Highly recommend this experience, and indulging in these beautiful spices!