BY: Glynnis Mapp

EAST AFRICAN CHEFS across the city are becoming a hot commodity to Toronto’s prized multicultural bevy of restaurateurs.

From west-end watering holes (there are a slew of great spots on the Ossington Avenue strip) to a number of downtown gems, Ethiopian chefs and their share-plate style of dining are getting noticed.

Having opened her spot more than a year ago, Zeni Ashine, owner of Parkdale’s M&B Yummy Restaurant, may be a new kid on the block, but she has already acquired quite a roster of regulars and has found a way to survive amongst the hundreds of new restaurants.

Their cuisine is not the only thing getting urbanites to chow down; their ability to adapt to their changing customers is also a draw. Ethiopian chefs are shifting and shaping their menus to appeal to Toronto foodies, and arguably some of the countries most discriminating palates.

Come summer 2008, Ashine will be offering all-vegan fare. Yes, vegan.

Traditionally, Ethiopian fare is packed with slowcooked meats like chicken and beef, cottage cheeses on the side for ample dipping and lots of other vegan nonos, but Ashine and her from-scratch menu has vegan customers salivating. Her affordable prices — $8 to $10 for platter-sized entrees; $15 for really large dinners and $1 for fried dumplings and brick-sized spring rolls — also help to rack up points with her health-conscious neighbours who want a change from always making their own dinners with pricey organics.

It’s all because of a little ingredient called teff.

The crepe-style sourdough flat bread she offers — the bed for mounds of bold flavoured vegan-approved wats like slow-cooked pureed chick peas, red lentils and collard greens — has also evidently become all the rage for west-enders. She also replaced traditional seasoned stewed meats (called tebs) with a surprisingly sumptuous “vegetarian chicken” made out of soy flour.

“Most of my customers are vegan and many people are allergic or just want to be healthy,” Ashine says. “I even noticed that once I cooked more vegan food, I also started to lose weight, and I was happy,” she laughs.

And so are her customers.

It’s really not hard to warm up to Ashine, her cuisine and homey hospitality. She floats daintily around customer tables with a bright smile and inquires sweetly to first-timers and regulars alike: “You like it?”

Almost everyone does.

Satisfied, but muffled responses follow, customers approve through big mouthfuls, messy fingers give hearty thumbs up.

“Good. Eat, eat,” she encourages, beaming.

Adding to the ceremonious comfort is her Ethiopian coffee ($10 for six people) –– a real treat.

Ashine takes greencoloured beans and roasts them in a small pot that she brings to the table and shakes for customers to see. Wafting the browning beans over, she also brings an incense burner with intensely fragrant frankincense rocks and a giant serving of sugarsweetened popcorn to munch on.

Ashine also attributes her success to that authentic yeasty teff grain bread, injera.

In fact, it’s the only thing she says she doesn’t make herself. Not to say that she hasn’t tried. Many Ethiopian chefs don’t make their injera in-house. Chefs say the temperamental teff and barley grains make it difficult to create: the injera is usually cooked with a close eye and an exacting recipe on non-stick ceramic cookware.

Instead, Ashine buys it from a local Ethiopian health food grocer at $3.75 per package of five teff injeras, a steep price she says she’s willing to pay if her customers are happy. But she’s not the only one.

“It’s so tricky to make it, but it’s the most important part of the meal,” says Mohammed Haddis, operator and main chef of the popular African restaurant Ethiopian House (located at 4 Irwin Ave). “Sometimes, it’s the mood of the chef, maybe sometimes even the mood of the teff for you to get the recipe just right,” he says jokingly.

He has also struggled to make the tricky flat bread to appease his regulars at the Wellesley and Yonge Street resto, but just couldn’t get the recipe right. He also buys it from a local Ethiopian grocer, who has managed to get a hold of imported wheat and barley injeras without the teff for less of a sourdough taste.

“Most people associate sourness with spoiling, even though that’s the traditional taste,” Haddis says. “So, we use the more neutral ingredients instead. We also cut down the spice a little bit. Some people find it overpowering.”

And it’s what his customers prefer.

A healthy menu and great prices keep them coming back for more — veggie and meat dinner entrees are about $10 to $12; lunches are about $8 — but not without adjusting their menu to suit to the tastes of sensitive customers.

“We listen to what our customers want and change the recipes to suit them, but we try to keep it as authentic as possible too. If they want something extra, we’ll bring it for them. If they don’t like it, we’ll change it,” says Haddis.

Ethiopia House has been lauded for years since opening in 1999, and has been attracting general downtowners and students who like the communal aspect to eating Ethiopian- style. It’s also blocks away from the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, and perfect for feasters who want an international nook to call their very own. What customers also love, Haddis says, is the ambiance — art and traditional Ethiopian knick-knacks and wall coverings that shout out to patrons in beautiful, bright rainbow colours. The aroma of roasted coffee beans and frankincense waft through the two-storey restaurant. A great after-meal delight, customers love the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony ($12 for six people).

“People are very comfortable. They come with their friends; it’s a place where they can relax,” Haddis says. “I feel like I’m bringing a little piece of Ethiopia to people here.”

African restaurants across the city

ADDIS ABABA RESTAURANT
1184 Queen St. W.
416-538-0059

QUEEN OF SHEBA
1198 Bloor St. W. (near Dufferin Rd.)
416-536-4162

LALIBELA
869 Bloor St. W.
416-535-6615

MANYATA/ SPICE ROOM & CHUTNEY BAR
55 Avenue Rd.
416-935-0000

TERANGA AFRICAN BAR & RESTAURANT
159 Augusta Ave. (at Dundas St. W)
416-849-9777

Originally published in Sway Magazine, Spring 2008

Related Articles:

• Sway Toronto holiday resturant picks