With all that D.C. has to offer when it comes to ethnic cuisine, it was pretty shameful that I am just now getting around to Ethiopian food.
Unfortunately, I wish I had started somewhere besides Keren Restaurant on 18th and Florida Ave.
I went with two others on a rainy day and felt welcomed in Keren’s atmosphere. It’s a warm, medium-sized restaurant sandwiched between jumbo slice pizza joints and corner stores in Adams Morgan. When you walk in, it’s clear that Keren is a neighborhood favorite. The manager asks familiar diners how their families are doing and knows people by name when they walk through the door.
After being seated, I was excited to try my first Ethiopian meal but less excited for the wait. Even though most patrons’ orders were already taken, it took close to 10 minutes for a waitress to come for our drink orders and 10 more for our food to arrive. I did get the chance to try Eritrean tea in the mean time and gawk at the various platters coming from the kitchen, which made me excited for my order.
For the main meal, I picked ful. It’s a spicy and warm bowl of mashed, cooked fava beans with yogurt, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, olive oil and onion, served with two French bread rolls on the side. If it’s close to brunch time, you can add one or two eggs to the bowl. The ful bowl was warm and a bit like chili but lacking in flavor. The egg was unseasoned along with the mashed fava beans. Two days after eating the meal, I can’t remember what stood out, flavor wise. It was good, but nothing special.
One of my friends had the fatta silsi, a dish of chopped bread with tomato sauce. With fewer ingredients there were more flavors in her dish compared to mine. It was simple but tasted unique compared to the ful bowl.
Adding insult to injury, after asking for steak in my bowl, I was given an entire plate of steak and eggs. I heartily urge Keren to stick to their specialties. Full of fat and barely chewable, the steak was out of Keren’s league.
All in all, you get what you pay for at this neighborhood spot. Menu items are less than $11, and you can fill up quick on the meals. That being said, I wish I’d chosen another place to try my first Ethiopian meal and don’t plan on returning to Keren any time soon.
Keren Restaurant is at 1780 Florida Ave NW Washington, DC 20009 between north 18th and north U Street.
Jordan-Marie Smith’s column JM Eats is published every other Wednesday. ATV’s The Red Line airs on ATV’s YouTube “page”:https://www.youtube.com/user/AUATV/videos.
