In 2015, Ethiopian Love opened on Smith Street as Honolulu’s first Ethiopian restaurant, remembers chef Abraham Samuel.
“When we were in Chinatown, we had a full restaurant; the pandemic killed it,” Samuel says.
The biz now pops up several times a week in the space next to Bevy Bar at SALT At Our Kakaʻako. It opened earlier this spring, and features the same menu as its former Chinatown location.
The eatery is known for its house-fermented injera bread, family-style Ethiopian platters, and vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes.
“We have 11 different kinds of items for vegetarians and vegans,” Samuel says. “It’s like a dream come true for them.”
Most customers begin their meal with sambusas (two for $11). The homemade pastries are stuffed with brown lentils, green onions and herbs, and served with a house spicy sauce.
Samplers — including a veggie option ($21) and ET Love sampler ($25 for one, $48 for two) — are designed to be shared, according to Samuel. The veggie sampler comes with options like yellow split pea stew and red lentil stew.
All samplers are accompanied with injera, which is like a “very flat thin bread,” Samuel says.
“Injera is fermented,” he says. “We ferment it for three days and bake it in house. Every time we serve it, it’s freshly baked.”
He also explains that customers unroll the bread and use it to pinch or scoop up the platter’s contents, as no utensils are provided (Ethiopian food is traditionally eaten with your hands).
Other sampler options include collard greens, tomato salad, sauteed brussels sprouts, turmeric chicken stew, spiced beef stew, lamb stew and cauliflower with Ethiopian herbs.
Customers can also order meat options — like the awaze wot ($25), or beef stew, and turmeric braised chicken stew ($24) — as a la carte entrees.
“Our awaze wot is slowly cooked beef stew; it takes five to six hours to make,” Samuel says. “It’s slowly cooked with Ethiopian herbs and spices.”
Diners usually conclude their meals with the eatery’s unique peanut tea ($8) — a special house recipe with peanuts and honey — and either baklava or tiramisu for dessert. The latter is a newer addition to the menu, according to Samuel.
Ethiopian Love is currently open from Fridays to Tuesdays for dine-in or takeout. Those who want to dine in can enjoy outdoor seating in Bevy Bar’s patio area.
CONTACT
Ethiopian Love
675 Auahi St. Ste. 130, Honolulu
Instagram: @ethiopianlovehi
Open 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, Mondays-Tuesdays; open 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
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