MELBOURNE | The Abyssinian Kensington has been making locals happy with its delicious Ethiopian and Eritrean food for 15 years. It’s stayed true to the ethos that’s kept locals coming back for more. Great food and service in a cosy, friendly atmosphere.
The Abyssinian is owned by Eritrean-born Rahel Ogbaghiorghi and Vittorio Silvestro, who respectively cook and serve food from the Horn of Africa. The menu contains food designed for sharing, served atop large plates of injera (a type of spongy flatbread, somewhat akin to a savoury pancake). Servings are generous, so bring a friend or two, and come hungry.
You can order curries and entrees alone, but the most popular option are the chef’s platters. There’s the meat, vegetable, and seafood option, or a vegan option to choose from. Out comes the inerja, with mounds of stews, curries, and fried dishes atop it. Cutlery is optional, but eating using your hands like everyone else is the way to go.
Highlights include Tumtummo – lentils cooked slowly in flavourful light sauce with a blend of African spices, Lamb Alecha – cubes of prime lamb, in season vegetables, tomato puree and spices slowly cooked into a casserole dish, and Asa Kulwha – Nile Perch fillet cubed and sautéed with onion, Spiced Ghee and Berberé, topped with fresh tomatoes and green chillies.
It’s all very flavoursome, with a handful of desserts to finish things off, along with Ethiopian and Eritrean beers and local wines in the fridge. You can also BYO if you like.
The Abyssinian
277 Racecourse Road
Kensington
Victoria 3031
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9376 8754
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Sat: 5:30pm to 10:00pm