Ethiopian Review

By Teddy Fikre

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Seriously, let me ask you one question. Is there any cooking like your enat’s (mother’s) cooking? What restaurant have you been to where the food came even within a mile of your mother’s cooking? Is there anyone that will really take the time to cook like your mom cooks food? Didn’t you think growing up that your mom had magic powers in her hand, because anything she touched would be a thousand times more delicious than before she touched it?

Thus, welcome to the world of Enat Ethiopian Restaurant. A couple of weeks ago, a few buddies of mine (Mike, Sayem, Niguse, and Tsega) told me to meet them at Enat Restaurant. They know how much I LOVE kitfo, and since the restaurant was right around the block, I was like, sure why not. I had no expectation really. Just go to the restaurant, order the usual suspect of food I always order when we go out to Ethiopian Restaurants (Goden Tibs and Kitfo) and then sit back and talk about sports and politics.

Sure enough, the afternoon started off just like it always does. We are talking about politics while we ordered some ginger ale. Just another typical day at a typical restaurant. But I started noticing a few things. First, the place is BEAUTIFUL; no expenses spared on decoration and the tables all have white linen. I’m impressed, so I decide to do the fail safe check of all checks. I went to the bathroom, and wow, spotless! As you can see, I take my dining experiences seriously. If I am going to pay during these recession times, well I better get my money’s worth!

So I go back to the table, sit down with my buddies, and the waitress comes over to take our order. Another plus, the whole staff was friendly and checked on us regularly. So to this point, I’m a happy customer. No more was needed to get me to be a regular customer. We proceedto order kitfo, just kitfo, at the advice of all my friends. Obviously, they know something I don’t know—I have sneaky friends I guess.

The food comes, we are still talking politics, and I notice how nicely decorated the food is. Now I’m really impressed! So a moment of silence to count my blessing, and then it’s on to the main course!

As I am talking about Obama, I tear a piece of injera and grab a gursha (bite) of Kitfo. I am pontificating about Health care, I take a bite… then…

An explosion of my taste buds, through Enat’s magical cook, I have been transported back to Ethiopia. You think I am kidding right; this was the BEST kitfo I have ever EVER tasted in my life. My friends know something is up because I stopped talking. They say that the best compliment on your cooking is a silent mouth, well I became a mute.

I had to find out more about this restaurant, so I started talking to the owner, Abiy Bisrat. Abiy has been in the United States for quite a long time. We talk about—surprise, politics—and then we start talking about his experience in America. He tells me how he worked at all kinds of jobs when he first moved to America; back breaking work when he could have taken short cuts. He tell me how he could never compromise his ethics, how he would rather work for 20 hours a day before he loses an inch of his morals by working 10 hours a day. As he talks, I am reminded of my father, a man just like Abiy who worked his whole life tirelessly, whether it was at 7-11, Taxi, Post office, Security officer, all to provide us with food and to nourish us with an opportunity to succeed.

And then Abiy tells me why he named the restaurant Enat. His daughter, when she tasted the kitfo, said “ENAT!”. Thus, the rest is history. Enat Restaurant lives up to the name, the food really is like the cooking of a mom. Obviously, Enat Restaurant has magic in their hands, you will too once you take a gursha (bite) of their food.

This Sunday, November 15th, Enat Restaurant is running a promotion where all patron’s get 20% off any one entrée item (I highly highly recommend the Kitfo) or 50% off any second entrée item after the purchase of the first at full price. The promotion starts at 5:00 PM on Sunday until close of business and limit one order per person.

Event Information:
Place: Enat Ethiopian Restaurant
Address: 4709 N. Chambliss St.
Alexandria, VA (off 395 Duke St. West exit)
Phone: 703.642.ENAT (3628)
Date: Sunday, November 15th
Time: Dinner (5:00 PM til’ close)

This promotion is good only with the Brown Condor coupon and only on Sunday November 15th. So print out the coupon, go to Enat Restaurant, and tell Abiy you flew in on a Brown Condor.

(The writer can be reached at teddy.fikre@browncondor.com)