We ventured high and low to find authentic Ethiopian food in Durban, but eventually stumbled across Cafe Abyssinia — and what a find!
At the lower end of West Street, just up from Park Street, you will find Ethiopia Mall, a small piece of Ethiopian culture in the heart of Durban. Here you will find shops catering for the Ethiopian community and a handful of bars and restaurants and bakeries serving authentic Ethiopian food.
Amongst the hustle of daily life within the CBD I found myself being led down a tight corridor into a small cafe adorned with whole legs of raw beef being skillfully carved and diced on a giant wooden board and the aroma of strong Ethiopian coffee being brewed. Coffee plays an almost ceremonial role in the Ethiopian dining experience with Ethiopia being widely considered the spiritual home of the coffee plant. Groups of people were tucking into an array of incredibly fragrant dishes served on spongy flat bread. Within five minutes of leaving my car I was in another world. We sat down and ate…
Unfortunately these restaurants aren’t designed to be easily accessible to non-Ethiopians, and even though there were a few quizzical looks there wasn’t a moment that we felt unwelcome. The menus, if any, are also not in English.
However, luckily for us one such restaurant has been brave enough to venture into the suburbs with the purpose of serving Durban people.
Cafe Abyssinia is not only the historical name for Ethiopia, but also the name of this wonderful cafe owned and run by Charity Asfaw, an Ethiopian lady who found herself in Durban due to her husband’s work. On my first visit I was struck by her openness and hospitality as well as how bravely she served her food, so different to what we’re used to.
Ethiopian food consists of a number of stewed meats and vegetables – or wat as they call it – with different degrees of spiciness served upon injera, a steamed flat rice bread draped over a large platter. Food is eaten with ones right hand, using the bread much as we would when eating a bunny chow – the bread works both as a plate and cutlery.
Although many of the ingredients are not dissimilar to what we would find at our own curry houses, the flavours are worlds apart and much of this can be accredited to berbere, the Ethiopian spice that Charity imports from Ethiopia already ground and mixed. I asked Charity if she could not buy spices and make her own, and she simply said that many of the spices are so different and unavailable – which explained why I found the flavours both unfamiliar yet deeply satisfying.
I would recommend that if you’re a first-time visitor to Cafe Abyssinia that you speak to Charity and get a broad selection of all the offerings in smaller portions. Prawns, fish, beef and chicken feature strongly and there are ample vegetarian options to choose from. Ethiopian food makes excellent use of both lentils and chickpeas making this a great choice for meat and non-meat eaters.
This little cafe offers an incredibly authentic Ethiopian experience served with sincere hospitality – and we’re so lucky to have it on our list of places to eat. *
77 Problem Mkhize Road (Cowey Road)
031 836 4777