PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAEat wa-t and you’ll appreciate the Ethiopian saying that people who eat from the same plate never betray one another. At Cafe Lalibela, these spicy stews are served on large tin trays and shared. Eaten with injera (traditional bread), the food is mopped up and eaten without utensils. Injera is made from flour, water and yeast that has been left to ferment for three days. Spongy in texture and tangy in taste, by the time you get to centre of the dish, the bread has soaked up the flavours of mitmita and niter kebeh (spice pastes made of salt, butter and varieties of chilli) and the experience is literally hands on.
Start by ordering an Ethiopian beer before turning to the menu of vegetarian and meat wa-ts. Try the combination of me-se-r wa-t (a lentil stew) and the do-ro wa-t (chicken marinated with berbere, niter kebeh and hard boiled eggs). For the more adventurous, the du-le-t is available on weekends; made during festivals, this dish of minced lamb, liver and tripe is definitely for those who like adventure travel. If you like travelling in a group, book the coffee ceremony. Sidamo coffee beans are roasted over a coal-fire with frankincense, then ground, brewed and served.