COCONUTS HOT SPOT – There are very few places in Bangkok where patrons are encouraged to eat with their hands, but at Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 3, silverware and chopsticks are practically unheard of. This little Arabia eatery serves up Ethiopian fare that’s meant to be eaten traditionally, by using injera, a spongy, sour flatbread employed as an eating utensil in Ethiopian cuisine.
Situated 100 meters down on the left of Sukhumvit 3, there’s a certain strangeness about the entire restaurant. The dining area seems like a well-lit strip club, with laser disco balls and blaring Ethiopian music providing most of the atmosphere. Hookah smoke lingers in the air and a clutch of shady characters haunts one of the restaurant’s dark corners. This is, after all, little Arabia, and both the food and the trapping bear out that title.
Hearty, large-portioned dishes redeem the uncomfortable atmosphere. Offerings like the lamb key wot or the beef alcha wot (both THB300) don’t skimp on the good stuff, meaning they’re served with a sizable portion of meat and an equally large quantity of injera. Ethiopian cuisine is as basic as it is tasty. Traditionally, a wot, or curry, is served with vegetables and injera, and Habesha hews to this formula. Diners have the option of beef, chicken or lamb mains served with injera, and they can elect to order a plate of gomen, known in English as “vegetables,” to go with the meats and flatbread.
Vegetarian options are far from limited, as it is customary in Ethiopia to often abstain from meat. The shiro wot uses the same spicy red curry sauce as its meaty counterparts, but employs chickpeas to substantiate the dish. Lentils come in many forms as well. The misir key wot and the misir alicha (both THB200) mix the bean with spicy berbere sauce and turmeric curry, respectively.
Every dish at Habesha is served with a portion of chili powder on the side, as is customary in Ethiopian cuisine. While most curries are already handsomely spiced, you can always sprinkle a little on top for an extra kick.
FIND IT:
Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant
63/1 Sukhumvit Soi 3
BTS Ploen Chit
Restaurant is 100 yards into the soi on the left
Photo: Cole Pennington
