African Cuisine/Restaurants

Bunny Chow

July 5, 2023 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Burgers, Chicken Wings

**** Cape Fire Grill/Bunny Chow has closed

Back in August of last year, LouiZiana Food closed and was replaced by Bunny Chow. "FOY" Sandy was quick to let me know when the place opened that it was serving South African food, something that's a bit of a rarity in San Diego. In fact, I only recall being to the stand in the Hillcrest Farmer's Market, Sabor Piri Piri in recent years.

Over the course of the last 9 months, between trips, I managed to visit Bunny Chow a couple of times.

Bunny Chow 01

The folks working on all my visits have been friendly and welcoming. The menu is huge and there are "photos" of the various dishes taped to the front table.

Bunny Chow 10

The bright yellow color of LouZiana Food has been kept and the tables now have covers with designs on them

Bunny Chow 03

All my visits were for lunch and on my maiden voyage into B. Chow land, I went with something that I am somewhat familiar with. I got the Chicken Thighs with Peri Peri ($14.95). I also got a side of Chakalaka ($3) as well. When I unpacked my lunch I was a bit taken aback by the appearance of the chicken.

Bunny Chow 04

Bunny Chow 05 Bunny Chow 07 It looked like it needed to be airlifted to a burn center; it was so black. A quick taste confirmed things. The chicken skin was incinerated and bitter. The flesh very dry. The peri peri was quite sour and very mild in terms of spice.

Bunny Chow 06

I did enjoy the yellow rice, which was moist, tender, not overly sweet, and mildly buttery-peppery. I understand that "Geelrys", the yellow rice, has its origins in Cape Malay Cuisine, firmly rooted in the food brought by slaves brought to South Africa; Indonesians and Malaysians were among those brought by the Dutch.

Bunny Chow 09

I also enjoyed the Chakalaka which had nice sour-earthy tones. I was told that this had some spice, but I thought it more tangy-sour than anything else.

Bunny Chow 08

It was also much more tender than I expected. One of the guys in the office sniffed the air and asked me what it was? I told him "chakalaka". He said, "what?" I then went off and said, "you know, like Boomshakalaka, Boomshakalaka, Boomshakalaka, Boom!" I got a blank stare, so I added:

"Why'd the chicken cross the road?
To get from the left to the right
He stepped out of rank, got hit by a tank
He ain't no chicken no more"

Of course, I totally forgot, this was before his time. And if this seems strange, you might enjoy this clip for some "clarification"? 'Nuff said.

After this visit, well, I was a bit conflicted with regards to the food. That chicken was terrible, but I enjoyed the sides. I decided to return.

Bunny Chow 02

I really wasn't sure what to order and finally decided to go for it and got the Bunny Chow Sampler Platter ($19.95) with an upcharge for Lamb Curry ($2) and a side of Peri Peri – spicy ($1.50). It was $23.45 without tax and tip! It seemed to weigh a ton as I carried the containers back to the office.

Bunny Chow 12 Bunny Chow 13 There were two containers involved here. The smaller one consisted of 4 rubbery and overcooked wings, the spicier peri peri helped things a bit, but it still didn't seem very spicy to me. The peri peri was on the sour side and not even close to the version I enjoyed in Lisbon. Again, I enjoyed the rice.

The Bobotie, which came across as a type of casserole, was high on the acidic side of things.

Bunny Chow 16 Bunny Chow 18 And the peri peri came in handy here again….though it seemed to heighten a tanginess of the dish a bit too much. I thought the brioche roll, which looked quite dry, added a bit of buttery sweetness and really helped things out here.

The Durban Curry seemed more like a tomato based sauce/stew was also quite tangy and the lamb flavor, which I enjoy was muted. It was mildy spicy, but I still wanted a bit more heat.

Bunny Chow 14

So, of course….

Bunny Chow 17

In the end, I miss LouZiana Food. The folks here are nice though prices trend on the high side of things. Perhaps I'll return in the future to get more chakalaka, but for now I'll give it a rest. Let me know if you've enjoyed the food here and what dishes you enjoyed!

You can read Soo's post on Bunny Chow here.

Bunny Chow
7128 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 8pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 7pm

Midweek Meanderings – La Miche Closes, Yum Yum Africa Seems Closed, and the Egg Shortage

January 11, 2023 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Here's a depressing Wednesday post, so you may just want to skip this one.

The Egg Shortage:

Call me clueless about the egg shortage. I pick up our eggs at the Indian Summer stand in the Little Italy Mercato on Saturdays, so really hadn't been aware of this. Last weekend, when the one man show for the stand, Andrew mentioned the egg shortage, I didn't have a clue! I guess we'd been away on our trip and then since I don't buy eggs from any of the markets, I hadn't noticed. But, based on stories like these, it appears either the Avian Flu or possibly something else is the cause. And of course, prices are quickly increasing as well.

After chatting with Andrew and doing my shopping at the Mercado, I went to check out the eggs at my next stop, Nijiya and this is what I saw.

Crazy. Well, today is Wednesday, so hopefully eggs are back in stock!

Has this been affecting you?

Yum Yum Africa Seems Closed?:

I'm saying seems closed, because back in June I received an email saying they had opened.

Of course, even though I noticed the coming soon sign in January of last year, I still took my time to visit.

Upon returning form France, I dropped by Garden Coffee and noticed the place didn't appear open and there was a "purchase and lease" sign displayed.

Which has me scratching my head. Did they ever open and have like a record quick closure….or perhaps they never opened at all and still just doing pop-ups?

2543 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110

La Miche Closes:

And the saddest news of all. Last Friday, "FOY" KathyQ sent me an email asking me if La Miche had closed. La Miche was usually a warmer weather stop for us, so I didn't know. I went and took a look at their website and found the sad news.

Screenshot 2023-01-06 100321

"We will be closing permanently effective January 1, 2023. We cannot thank you enough for your loyal patronage these past few years (especially during COVID). It was our greatest pleasure to introduce Lebanese cuisine to the community. Many of you started off as customers and became good friends. We will truly miss all of you and we take pride knowing that we were able to provide a small contribution to making your day wonderful. Please feel free to email us at lamichekabobgee@gmail.com and we’d love to personally say thank you. Again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for a great 10 years and we wish all of you a prosperous 2023."

Very sad news as the place was a favorite of both Cathy and I over the years. I also know that the owner, the kind and generous Nabih has had some health problems in recent years. I can only hope that they are in good health and wish them the best.

We'll miss you!

And thanks to KathyQ for bringing this to my attention.

9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123

Midweek Meanderings – Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town and Bristol Farms (UTC) Closing at the End of the Month

January 19, 2022 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town:

I saw this on a recent visit to Taqueria Tuetano (post upcoming) right across the street from was this banner:

In the former location of El Charro Grill…….it seems like Old Town is going thru many changes; hope this will be a good one!

2543 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110

Bristol Farms Closing at the End of the Month:

I pretty much saw this coming with the mall being renovated. Even though I've basically done two posts on Bristol Farms (Cathy has done quite a few) it's a regular shopping stop on the way home form the office.

So, after not dropping by in a couple of weeks; I visited last week on the way home from work…..

I went in to take a peek and man the place was pretty empty and quite depressing.

I spoke to a couple of the folks that I knew from all my visits over the years and was told that they were closing at the end of the month. I asked about all the employees (I've known quite a few that have left over the last few months) and was told that many are being transferred to Lazy Acres locations in Encinitas and Hillcrest. I'll probably still see some of them as Lazy Acres is a regular stop on the way home from the Little Italy Mercato.

Even the return of Bristol Farms after renovations of the mall is not certain. I was told that Bristol Farms had successfully made preliminary negotiations with the mall's owners; but that went down the tubes when the mall was sold to new ownership.

Sad to see Bristol Farms go….yes, the prices were on the high side; but it was always a good stop for certain items.

Still, if you want to make a last stop at Bristol Farms, all remaining inventory will be sold at 50% off starting tomorrow, January 20th.

I'm hoping they do return….

Bristol Farms
8510 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92122
Limited Hours:
Daily 10am – 7pm

The Seven Bridges Walk, Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, and Sabor Piri Piri

July 2, 2021 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Exploring San Diego, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, yoso-silly

*** This is kind of a long one with just a bit of food at the end.

While going thru photos of our latest roadtrip(s) and of past trips to our favorite cities in the world it's always quite surprising how much walking I do….and even more; how much I enjoy it. While the Missus is more of a "real" hiker, I prefer nice walks, and even more so Urban walks, something I should do more of. A while back I was looking thru the Alltrails app and noticed something called the "Seven Bridge Walk". After walking thru the North Park Farmer's Market right after reopening, I decided that I'd go ahead and do the walk that Sunday. And to make it more fun; I'd throw in a visit to the Hillcrest Farmers Market to grab some fruits and stuff for the Missus as part of the 6 mile loop.

The walk….I really hesitate in calling it a hike; starts at Balboa Park, roams thru Banker's Hill, then Hillcrest, before ending back at Balboa Park. It's a nice 6 miles or so. I know, you're thinking Balboa Park on a Sunday? But, I'd be starting just after 7am and Balboa Park was pretty empty, no parking issues, and most of the folks out were taking their pooches for walks.

And of course, this time of the morning belongs to the "critters"…..

Everything started at the Park Boulevard Bridge….you recognize this one, right?

This is the pedestrian bridge that crosses over Park Boulevard.

It was a quiet morning as I passed the Bea Evenson Fountain and headed down El Prado.

Walking past Casa del Prado and Casa de Balboa made me realize that even though I've been to Balboa Park many times over the years; that I really didn't know much about it. Isn't that how it is? We've been to a few other countries and many cities in the U.S…..but I still need to learn so much more about the city I live in.

I walked down El Prado to the next bridge and passing the Museum of Us….which used to be the Museum of Man. The name change occurred in August of last year.

You know the next bridge up, right?

Completed in 1914 for the Panama–California Exposition, the Cabrillo Bridge. It's a multi-arched Cantilever Bridge.

These days the 163 Freeway runs below the bridge which was completed in 1948.

El Prado becomes Laurel as you cross Sixth Avenue.

I headed down Laurel and took a right turn on 1st Avenue – at this wonderful looking house.

Which made me recall the wonderful self walking tour we took in Pacific Grove.

A few blocks up the street is the First Avenue Bridge.

It is a steel truss bridge – you can read about the history of the bridge along with why it is known as the "People's Bridge" here.

It crosses over Maple Canyon…….where I should probably do a hike one of these days to get another angle of the bridge.

A bit further up 1st, you take a right on Quince Street and where Third Avenue meets Quince you come across the wooden trestle Quince Street bridge. One of my favorites on this walk.

Here's a wonderful post on the bridge and how it was almost set to be demolished in 1987. It's a wonderful bridge, built in 1905 and also crosses over Maple Canyon. It was built to allow residents of Western Bankers Hill access to the Fourth Street Trolley.

It's worth walking across the bridge, then back again.

After walking across the bridge and back, I headed back west and took a right on 2nd Avenue. I started noticing some of the grand and unique houses along the way and took some time to "stop and smell the roses".

I really need to find a nice self guided architectural tour of the area.

I took a left on Spruce Street and found the bridge that first got me interested in doing this walk; the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.

Down at the end of a cul-de-sac, the location seems rather discreet.

The bridge was completed in 1912 over Kate Sessions Canyon to allow access to….you guessed it the trolley lines.

Since it is a suspension bridge, it will rock back and forth, not as much as the Capilano Suspension Bridge, but you will get a slight thrill out of it. If you don't like heights and motion; you may want to skip this one.

Once across the bridge I took a right on Brandt. From here, it's rather long walk to the next bridge. Though I did see some interesting things on my way up to University Avenue.

On Brandt, I saw an honest to goodness Horse Hitching Post!

I'm wondering when, or if, a horse has ever been hitched to this post!

On West Walnut, I saw the tree above. It's an Angel's Trumpet Tree, which is extinct in the wild! The leaves and flowers are sometimes used to make hallucinogenic concoctions that can cause paralysis and yes, even death.

From here it was walk up 1st until University, to Hillcrest.

And all those familiar sites and sounds.

It was pretty quiet still on this morning; it was now around 845. I had thought about grabbing a "cup o' Joe", but decided to just keep on walking to the next bridge.

To get to the next bridge, I headed east, crossing over the 163, and took a left on Vermont Street, past the mall with Ralph's and Trader Joe's.

If you've ever driven East on Washington, you've come across this bridge.

Though I must say that I've never walked across it before.

From here I deviated a bit and walked east on Pascoe Street, which seems more like an alley, then crossed on Lincoln Avenue, then on over to Normal Street and the Hillcrest Farmers Market. It was just past 9am, so I had timed it well.

Still a bit leery in crowds, I decided to get there early to grab the Missus some produce from Her favorite vendors. Covid is still on my mind.

It felt somewhat strange and a bit surreal……and shall I say very "normal on Normal Street". Something that had definitely been missing for the last 15-16 months.

I also decided to grab something for a light lunch and decided on the Sabor Piri-Piri Stand.

By this time, it was starting to get more crowded….it was time for me to head out and get to that last bridge.

Hillcrest Farmers Market
Normal Street – Hillcrest
Hours:
Sunday 9am – 2pm

Much like the Vermont Street Bridge; if you've ever driven East on University I'm sure you drove under this small bridge – the Georgia Street Bridge.

And like the Vermont Street Bridge; I'd never walked across this one either.

I walked down to Park Avenue and took this photo…..which is probably the view of the bridge you've seen when driving on University.

From here it was a walk back to my car at Balboa Park.

It had been quite the morning and was still before 10am! I'm glad I had planned to visit the Hillcrest Farmers Market, which broke things up for me.

Back home, I broke open the Piri-Piri Chicken and Black Eyed Peas with Kale I had ordered from Sabor Piri Piri.

The piri-piri chicken wasn't very spicy to me; I'd had my share of piri-piri in Portugal and other places; this was rather mild and tame. The chicken was decently cooked, not overly dry. I enjoyed the green bell peppers. The black eye peas were nicely cooked, but kale was chopped in large pieces with large portions of the stems of the kale. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me as well. But after my 6 mile plus walk….I wasn't going to complain much at all.

Thinking over this morning made me realize that I really should spend more time exploring the city I live in…San Diego. I'm also hope that with our vaccination rates, even with the variants coming into things that this reopening is successful.

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen

March 28, 2019 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Gastropub, Mexican Restaurants, Moroccan Food

**** Medina has closed

During the beginning of March I was driving up El Cajon Boulevard and noticed a little shop had opened right next to Barn Brewery. The name; Medina, caught my eye and memories of wandering the Medina in Kairouan and Tunis flashed though mi cabeza. A few days later I read the grand opening announcement on Eater. The name says "Moroccan-Baja Kitchen", something that seemed to scream "con-fusion" to me. However, I took a quick look at the menu online and while it was small; basically two proteins and a vegetarian option served in tacos, a bowl, and a favorite of mine shakshouka. And while the Missus was somewhat hesitant at first, I managed to talk Her into visiting for two reasons. More on that shortly. So on a nice sunny day we headed on over.

We loved the décor of this wide open establishment. The drill is typical of this type of fast-casual "San Diegish" restaurant. You order at the counter, pay, and head on over to a table or stool at the front. The two young ladies who were working here on my visits were friendly and very nice.

The reason I managed to talk the Missus into visiting was the merguez which is made onsite, we really loved the merguez in Tunisia. And of course Shakshuka is a staple in our house. Just as an FYI; the "lamb" on the menu is actually merguez.

The Missus went with the Lamb Bowl ($13) topped with an Egg, which was a couple of bucks more.

First off; the egg was a perfect easy-over. The merguez was also very tasty, nice spices, with a good gamey, pasturey flavor. It was much better than other versions which we've gotten from various places in San Diego. The veggies were lightly and simply dressed, the roasted corn added sweetness, arugula bitterness, the pickled onions a nice palate cleansing sour-pungency. The couscous added bulk. As a whole, other than the merguez, this seemed like stuff we make at home. But still, it wasn't bad at all.

In the vein of stuff we make at home; the Shashouka ($7) with Merguez (+ $3.50), was decent as well.

A bit less spicy (I use quite a bit of Harissa) and tangy then the version I make at home, this wasn't bad at all. I like my shashouka a bit more broken down and with a bit more red peppers as well. Again the merguez was the star of the show for me and of course that luscious egg.

While the Missus enjoyed the meal, other than the merguez, She thought that the food wasn't much different from what I make at home.

Still, I wanted to return for another visit before doing a post. We'd had two of the three major items on the menu; the bowls and the shakshouka. So, that left some tacos, right?

But first, a Thorn Brewery Barrio Lager, light, clean, with a touch of sweetness.

I thought it would be nice on a bright and sunny afternoon. To go with dos tacos….

First up; the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Asado Taco ($4.50).

While I loved the look of this; it was the least favorite item I had at Medina. The chicken was dry and the seasoning, a combination of Coriander, Tumeric, and the like was too light and the tzatziki and arugula basically overshadowed instead of complimented the chicken. The rustic, thick tortilla looked wonderful, but quickly tore to pieces.

Of course I got the Lamb (merguez) Taco ($5.50).

Instead of being served in a tortilla, the taco was served on a tortilla sized pita. While the sausage seemed lost in all of the greens at times, the roasted corn and cucumber pico de gallo, along with a nice, but not too overpowering vinaigrette did well to compliment the sausage. The queso fresco added a pleasant milkiness to the spices and the "flavor of the pasture" of the merguez. My only complaint was that this was more of a salad – pita with some merguez than visa versa.

I was pleasantly surprised at the brightness and flavors of the food here; even though it's quite simple. I'm not sure I'll return anytime soon….though if they sold that merguez in bulk, I'd really be regular. Truthfully, I don't find the food here particularly fusion-ny nor innovative. Think swapping out pitas for tortillas; that shakshouka had nothing particularly "Baja" about it, but the ingredients were fresh, decently prepared, the colors pleasing to the eye, the staff very friendly, the hipsterish vibe is great for the area. Still, if you're not familiar with some of these flavors or wonder how well they'd work together definitely give them a try. And if you've never had merguez; this would a good place to try it!

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen
2850 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tuesday 5pm – 9pm
Wed – Sun 1130am – 9pm

Cafe Royale

November 14, 2016 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, Somali Restaurants

**** Cafe Royale has closed

So, my haircut guy has been on the move again; I’ve detailed some of his moves over the years at the end of this post. So, last March he moved over to Rolando, then back to Mission Valley….then in September, back to Rolando. Well, on the bright side, I tracked him down and having to get my haircut allows me to spend a bit of time exploring a neighborhood I might not usually check out.

Fairly close to the barber (he’s actually on ECB) is a place someone mentioned to me in passing (along with Bourre, which is in the same strip mall) is Café Royale….the name which actually reminds me of a cognac-coffee drink I’ve had. But this place is supposedly Somali – Mediterranean.

The place looks rather fast-casual; where you order at the counter. The menu kind of threw me off; I’m used to seeing pasta in East African Restaurants; it’s the Italian influence. But this place had everything from the expected goat and suqaar, to the unexpected Philly Cheesesteaks (?!?), jalapeno poppers, quesadillas, burritos, and tiramisu. Though the meat is Zabihah Halal. Usually, I’d avoid a place like this; but for some reason there was an odd attraction. Plus, I was told there was a second Café Royale in, of all places, Minneapolis, go figure.

The guy working the counter was quite nice….perhaps it was my fresh clean-cut look…probably not. I wanted the lamb shanks, but was told it wasn’t ready yet; so I decided on the “Goat Feast Royale”. Man, this was a load of food for $10.99…..

I love how places like this and say, Safari Grill make their rice. It’s so fluffy and full of flavor. And that green hot sauce doesn’t mess around either. I found the goat to be on the tough side, though the flavor; coriander came through, along with the sprinkle of sumac made sure this wasn’t bland. A bit too much gnawing on tough bits though.

Still the price was very good and I wanted to try that lamb shank. So after my next haircut I dropped by and ordered the Lamb Shanks Royale ($14.99). I got it to go and noticed how heavy the plastic sack was. Something else I didn’t notice….the menu said “shanks” not shank. Good lord, look how much food this is.

I can’t imagine any one person finishing all of this. The Missus was in shock over the portion size. It was just too much food….almost three meals total. The Missus, like I enjoys the rice; nice and fluffy with good flavor…She also enjoys that green hot sauce a lot as well.

The lamb shanks were pretty meaty and cooked pretty well; not falling apart, but nice and fork tender. Decent salt, but fairly mild in that gamey lamb flavor we enjoy. Again, look at the size of this plate.

So, you obviously won’t go hungry here and the portions reminded me of going to a friend’s house where “Mom” wanted to make sure you left with a full belly. It was nice trying something a bit different. The guys working here are fairly polite and friendly, though I’m not sure what I’ll order if I return.

Cafe Royale
6511 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

Asmara Eritrean Restaurant

April 7, 2008 ed fromyuma African Cuisine/Restaurants, Ethiopian/Eritrean Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk will soon be back posting about his incredible trip to Vietnam & Cambodia. Cathy will soon post more about her culinary adventures. Other folks help out on this blog as well. Today, though, it is ed (from Yuma) writing about a new restaurant he just visited in San Diego.

When I lived in San Diego about 10 years ago, I delighted in the vibrant Ethiopian/East African community in the city. While my previous exposure to their cuisine had been limited, I loved Ethiopian food. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian restaurant scene in America’s Finest City left much to be desired.

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant (called Asmara) closed. Another place that served good food had virtually no customers, perhaps because no one would have expected a restaurant called Legare to be an Ethiopian restaurant; the warm and friendly owner explained that everyone in Addis Ababa knew that the best restaurant food was at the train station, which being built by the French, was called Le Gare. But for those of us not from Addis Ababa . . .

So I approached Asmara (no connection to its deceased namesake) with a certain level of trepidation. First of all, it calls itself an Eritrean restaurant, not Ethiopian. Eritrean cuisine? I know that Ethiopia and Eritrea have been joined and separated and warring and at peace at various times in my lifetime. So how would this food relate to Ethiopian cuisine? What’s more, the restaurant is so new that workers were painting over the name of the previous occupant on the awning above the main entrance as we were entering:

But when I walked in, I was able to leave my trepidation at the door. This was clearly a professional operation. There was no thick cloud of incense smoke or tables of men playing cards in darkened rooms oblivious to their surroundings. Instead, everything about the decor of the sizable restaurant said clean, modern, stylish, and professional:

Before we go any further, let me apologize for the lack of great food pictures. My old buddy Greg and I were on a guy’s eating trip to San Diego, and we were fortunate to get together with Dave and Michelle, friends from Jamul, who enjoy gourmandizing as much as Greg and I do. So when two large trays of various dishes arranged on sheets of injera arrived, it was hard to keep everyone from attacking the food while I was hurriedly taking pictures. (Remember this important life lesson: always blame others for your deficiencies.)

We had ordered a meat combination, a chicken dish (called here tsebhi dorho – but identical to the douro wat in Ethiopian restaurants), a veggie combo, and shiro, a dish of roasted ground chickpeas with seasonings. Thoughtfully, they put all the vegetarian items on one tray and all of the meat dishes (with accompanying salads) on another, so that any vegetarian would be spared morsels of injera lubricated with meat sauce or juices. This picture of part of the meat platter gives you an idea of how the food is served:

We were all very impressed with the injera, the bubbly sourdough flatbread full of tef flour and flavor. It had a pronounced sour tang and seemed a little thinner and less doughy than other versions I have eaten. For those of you unfamiliar with Horn of Africa cuisine, the injera is the starch, the plate, and the eating utensil. One picks up bits and bites of various foods with pieces of injera held between the fingers. In addition to the injera that covered the platters, more injera wrapped up around itself was also served on the side. However, as everyone who has eaten Ethiopian or Eritrean food is aware, the best tasting injera is that which has lain under the entrees and soaked up all their essential goodness.

Even though the meat combo was supposed to have only two different items, we received a chunky cubed beef and a similar lamb item as well as a longer cooked, falling-apart-tender lamb stew. The two cubed meat dishes looked like this (but clearer):

All the meat items were tasty and richly seasoned, but the fiery chicken dish may have been the star of the meat platter, even though it contained only one chicken leg and one boiled egg (sort of a mother and child reunion):

Similarly, we got more than expected with the veggie combination, which had two different lentil dishes (one darker and more highly spiced than the other), a cabbage and carrot dish, a collard and spinach dish, and a surprise yellow split pea stew, something not even listed on the menu. Except for the one lentil dish, the spicing on all the vegetarian items tended to be more subtle. Please do not click to enlarge any of these fuzzy pictures; they won’t get any better — they will only get bigger:

The most impressive of the items on the vegetarian platter was the Shiro, which came in a covered bowl so we could continue to add more on top of the injera. It had layers of complexities. The nuttiness of the roasted chickpeas and the ~~Ethiopian~~ Eritrean spices contributed to the overall taste. I had been somewhat hesitant to order this item, but it was really good (if not really pretty):

Not counting the cost of the Eritrean and Ethiopian beers that we ordered (my advice: order more conventional beers) the cost of the dinner was about $10 a person. None of the entrées is over $10. I felt that the dinner was a very good value, particularly considering the pleasant setting.

Is this a great restaurant? Well, I don’t know. We didn’t try either of the beef dishes which can be ordered raw (gored-gored and kitfo). However, everything we were served was well prepared and well seasoned. Only the rather ordinary and underdressed salads (containing fresh jalapeno slices to get one’s attention) were disappointing. I can’t recall ever having better East African food in San Diego. This would certainly be a great place for someone who had never tried Horn of Africa cuisine before. On the other hand, the menu at Asmara doesn’t appear to break new ground, and most items listed seem similar to those at most conventional Ethiopian restaurants, except that some have different names.

Perhaps the most unusual thing on the menu is the weekend special, spaghetti with your choice of meat or tomato sauce. This pasta is a reminder that Eritrea spent many years as an Italian colony. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, the Italians were hated invaders whose brief rule had little effect on that nation’s cuisine.

Asmara Eritrean Restaurant, 4155 University Ave, (619) 677-3999. Open daily 11 AM – 10 PM.