My boyfriend and I happened upon this restaurant Friday after a day at the beach on the north side of Chicago. We are both adventurous eaters and thought it would be interesting to check out, and interesting it was! When you first walk through the doors of The Ethiopian Diamond, located in Edgewater, you are greeted by a tiny vestibule with newspaper stands and a large wooden door. On the other side of that door was one of the best food experiences of my life.
The dimly lit restaurant is surprisingly large and we were met by a very accommodating waitstaff. In the back of the restaurant was a stage where about a dozen instruments were played in turn by one very talented man. The decor consisted of large colorful paintings on the walls and lamp shades that looked like woven baskets.
The menu is very large and intimidating for someone like myself, who had never eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant before. I wanted a taste of everything so I ordered the vegetarian Taste of Ethiopia and my boyfriend ordered the same but with meat. They have many vegetarian and vegan options available.
The food came on a huge platter covered in Injera, or Ethiopian flat bread. This pancake-like bread is used in place of silverware and has a slight acidic flavor. My vegetarian taste of Ethiopia consisted of Shimbra Assa (chickpea dough in a spicy red sauce), Yemisir Watt (Red lentils in a spicy sauce), Kik Alicha (split peas in a mild sauce with onion, garlic, and ginger), Gomen (collard greens with onions and garlic), Tikel Gomen (cabbage with carrots), and Dinich Alicha (Potatoes, carrots, and onions cooked with garlic, ginger, and Ethiopian spices). Everything I had was delicious. I would especially recommend the chickpea dough in the spicy red sauce. It has a strange consistency and I had to double check with the waitress because at first I was sure I was eating some kind of ground meat. I must add that it was very fun to eat with your hands.
My boyfriend and I each tried a different Ethiopian beer. They were both very light and tasted similar. We also had a glass of honey wine, which I would not recommend. This wine was a little too cloyingly sweet.
No reservations are necessary and the waitstaff is mostly made of Ethiopian immigrants who really know the food and beverages well. They were beyond helpful in explaining the preparation of the foods.
This was a really fun and exciting eating experience and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to people who are risk takers. I say risk takers because while I felt fine after my vegetarian options, my boyfriend (who ordered meats) got sick. I had heard from people before that eating Ethiopian food is a little like playing with fire, and I guess they were right!
Meals range anywhere from $12-$19 with appetizers ranging from $3-$6.50.
A photo of myself enjoying my meal and an Ethiopian beer. Clockwise from the top: the chick pea dough, the potatoes and carrots, the collard greens, the cabbage and carrots, the red lentils, and the split peas with a salad in the middle.
My boyfriend's meal. Clockwise from the top: beef, lamb, spinach, chicken.
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