das ethiopian 

Sofia Wolinski

If you’re looking for an authentic Ethiopian dining experience, look no further than Das Ethiopian in Georgetown. Located on the corner of 28th and M St., the warm, inviting atmosphere sets the tone for an unforgettable meal.

The menu offers a wide variety of Ethiopian dishes, and I was impressed by the range of vegetarian and meat options. When ordering, I was given the option of receiving my meal house-style, where dishes are served together on a large piece of injera — a spongy Ethiopian sourdough flatbread — or receiving each dish individually, in a more traditional American style. I chose house-style and was not disappointed.

I decided to start with the sambusas, which are crispy pastry shells filled with spicy lentils. They were absolutely delicious, and the dipping sauce that accompanied them was the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.

For my main course, I ordered the combination vegetarian entree sampler, which included a variety of dishes served on injera. The platter was beautifully presented and included dishes such as tikil gomen (cabbage with carrots in sauce), kik alicha (split peas) and gomen (collard greens). Each dish had a unique flavor profile that perfectly complemented the others.

Alongside my main course, I ordered the house salad, which was an exciting mix of beets, string beans, onions and bell peppers in a lemon and olive oil dressing served on injera. Every flavor melted in my mouth in a tasty combination of vegetables and spices. I had never eaten a salad without silverware before, so every bite was a thrilling and novel experience.

The injera was the perfect accompaniment to the meal, and I loved how I could use it to scoop up every bit of the different dishes I ordered. It was light and airy, with a subtle sourness that added to the overall flavor of the meal. The portions were generous, and I was impressed by how much food I got for the price.

The highlight of my meal, however, was the doro wot, a spicy chicken dish that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine. The chicken was plated in the middle of injera and was tender and flavorful, the spices perfectly balanced. The dish was served with a boiled egg and a red pepper sauce, and it was so good that I ended up ordering another portion to take home with me.

What really sets Das Ethiopian apart is the quality of its service. The staff is incredibly welcoming and attentive, and they are more than happy to guide you through the menu if you’re new to Ethiopian cuisine. My waitress brought me numerous additional servings of injera throughout the evening, ensuring I would not leave hungry.

In 2021, Das Ethiopian made Michelin’s D.C. list of Bib Gourmand winners. The Bib Gourmand, a lesser-known Michelin distinction, recognizes restaurants that offer a three-course meal at a reasonable price. While there is no set algorithm for what makes a Bib Gourmand winner, they usually offer a simpler style of cooking than Michelin star winners. Michelin called Das Ethiopian “a haven of soothing colors and lush fabrics.”

Whether you’re looking for a unique dining experience or just want to try something new, Das Ethiopian is a must-visit. The food is delicious, the service is exceptional and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. It’s no wonder that this restaurant has quickly become a local favorite.

Yellow

LEVANTINE FUSION TREATS

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Maeve Pierson

Walking into YELLOW will brighten your mood. Between the glorious scent of freshly brewed espresso and whatever is emerging from the wood-fired oven — which is adorned with yellow tile — the cafe exudes fun and delights the senses. Since opening its doors in Georgetown in December of 2022, YELLOW has been a smash hit. Offering a menu of decadent pastries, wood-fired pitas and sandwiches, specialty soft-serve and unique coffees and teas, YELLOW draws inspiration from Chef Michael Rafidi’s Middle Eastern roots and background in French cooking techniques to create the highest quality cafe experience.

Once you see a pillowy pita sprinkled with za’atar and drizzled with olive oil emerge from the oven, it’s hard not to order one for yourself. Other offerings include the twicebaked almond arak croissant, a sweet, nut-studded and glazed confection that will leave you wishing you had one more bite when you’ve finished.

If you’re looking for savory options, look no further than the wood-fired shakshuka. Two poached eggs nestled inside a stew of smoky tomatoes and onions, charred peppers, feta and harissa are a flavorful explosion — and of course, the dish comes with a steaming hot pita, the perfect vessel for soaking up every last bit of the delicious sauce.

The coffee program at YELLOW is curated by Coffee Director Ayat Elhag and sourced by Counter Culture, a coffee roasting company based in North Carolina. Offerings include a smoked chai, halva honey and turmeric honey lattes, coconut cardamom iced coffee, Damask rose milk tea and several delightful-sounding cocktails. I’m partial to the turmeric honey latte, a slightly sweet and spiced creation that is the perfect addition to any food order.

Perhaps you stroll into YELLOW in the afternoon, searching for a light snack. A wood-fired pita and specialty dip will likely satisfy your peckishness. At $3 per pita and $3 per dip, it’s an economical snack and a delicious one, too. If you’re like me, the sumac-scallion labneh is your obvious choice in dip, but you cannot go wrong with any choice. That said, YELLOW is not your average budget cafe or bodega. The ingredients used are sustainably sourced, and the prices tend to reflect that reality, so perhaps save your order of a $17 lunch pita for when the parents are in town.

Another word of advice: if you’re not looking to play seat roulette, visit YELLOW on a weekday. The weekend gets quite busy, and you will likely find a line out the door. YELLOW does have a no-laptop policy, which I’m sure initially frustrated some students. However, it seems the decision was intentional. It’s a place to meet a friend for coffee and catch-up, sans-laptop and sans-staring at your phone if you can help it.

If you are looking to visit YELLOW, make it an experience where you can be present and enjoy the moment. The cafe hopes to foster relief from daily burdens and stressors so that while you are inside its four walls, the only things that matter are zesty za’atar and silky smooth hummus.

YELLOW opened with limited hours in the summer, but it will now be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Rafidi also started offering “Family Dinners,” prepared meals togo, and discussed plans to expand the menu to include Lebanese flatbreads. He expects YELLOW to return to Navy Yard as well — though he is not sure exactly where or when.

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