When searching for Ethiopian restaurants in Denver, there are plenty of options located within a few miles of each other. However, one restaurant stood out to me: The Ethiopian Restaurant. It was the first Ethiopian restaurant to open in Colorado back in 1985 and has remained a family-owned business ever since. The owner's mother founded the restaurant to share her love of Ethiopian food with others, as there were no other Ethiopian eateries in Colorado at the time. Her son, Henok, continues this tradition of sharing authentic Ethiopian cuisine with the people of Colorado. Because of the restaurant's long history, Henok feels a strong sense of responsibility to uphold his parents' legacy. He achieves this by strictly adhering to his mother's recipes, which have been used in the restaurant since its opening. Henok ensures that new employees are trained to prepare the dishes according to his mother's authentic recipes. Any deviation from these recipes would be noticed by the restaurant's loyal customers, who would likely voice their complaints. In keeping with Ethiopian traditions, The Ethiopian Restaurant does not provide silverware to its customers. Instead, they teach diners how to eat the dishes with their fingers and injera bread. Henok explains that this method of eating is important in Ethiopian culture, and it is just one of the many eating traditions that the restaurant follows to make its food more authentic. For instance, it is traditional for the man to feed the woman the first bite of the meal when dining together. Additionally, leaving in the middle of a meal is seen as rude, as it is interpreted by many elders as a signal that the meal is over. To ensure that the dishes taste and are authentic, The Ethiopian Restaurant sources all of its spices from Henok's family's town in Ethiopia. Henok and his family personally travel to Ethiopia every few months to bring back suitcases full of spices. By doing so, they can replicate the same taste as the food prepared back in Ethiopia. This dedication to their roots is what has kept the restaurant successful for so long. Once customers try the food, they are often hooked, which has resulted in a loyal customer base. During my visit, Henok and his family recommended that I try the vegetarian platter, which included spicy lentil stew (Mesor Wot), mild lentil stew (Mesor Alicha), mild yellow split pea stew (Yater Alicha), and potatoes and cabbage (Tekel Gomen). They believed that this platter best represented Ethiopian cuisine. I also sampled the beef tibs and injera bread. Each dish had a unique flavor profile that I had never experienced before. Henok explained that it was the berbere spice that gives Ethiopian food its unique flavor. The food was incredibly flavorful, and I could see why it was so popular. Throughout my meal, Henok shared his knowledge of Ethiopian culture with me. He explained how to properly eat each dish and described what each one was. He also showed me his wedding video, which was filmed in Ethiopia. He pointed out the traditional aspects of his wedding and explained their significance. By the end of the meal, I felt more knowledgeable about Ethiopian culture and the importance of their dishes. Henok views authentic Ethiopian food as a way to connect with his family's heritage and cultural roots, and it is evident in the food that they prepare.
The Ethiopian Restaurant offers Denver residents a unique cultural experience, providing them with the opportunity to savor authentic Ethiopian food while gaining an understanding of the culture and its culinary traditions. Henok meticulously follows his mother's recipes and cooking techniques to ensure an authentic taste, using exact spices sourced from his mother's town in Ethiopia to maintain consistency. As highlighted in the blog post "The Authenticity of Tibs," the ingredients, recipe, and eating customs all contribute to the authenticity of traditional Ethiopian cuisine. In my opinion, this restaurant embodies authenticity through all of these aspects. Despite the geographic distance, Henok and his mother remain dedicated to preparing dishes in the same way as they always have, potentially because they source many ingredients directly from Ethiopia. Their unwavering focus on following family recipes contributes to the authenticity of the dishes. It is common to encounter recipes passed down through generations, preserving family legacies. Henok was able to encapsulate his family's legacy and recipes through the restaurant, introducing me to another form of authenticity that I did not initially consider: family legacy. Family recipes hold deeper meaning beyond the cultural significance of the dish. They tell the story of the family through their food, making it authentic even if it may not be traditionally so. While I still believe that The Ethiopian Restaurant is traditionally authentic, this new perspective on authenticity highlights the importance of family legacy.
If you want to visit either restaurant please click each link to go to the restaurants website for more information.