Louisville restaurant offers informal course on Ethiopian dining and hospitality

I step into Abyssinia on a sunny afternoon with my recorder and an empty stomach.

Arefaine Rede, who goes by Mike, welcomes me inside with a warm smile. He grew up in Ethiopia, and one of the first things you notice when you take a seat is that the African influences fill the restaurant. The walls are covered in artwork, landscapes and knick-knacks, all brought over from the continent.

“Instead of going to Africa, we bring Africa to you,” Mike says as African classical music began to play in the background.

The food arrives on top of a large piece of injera bread, perfect for soaking up the juices of the spiced lamb, collared greens and stewed vegetables assembled before me.

While explaining the Ethiopian custom of dining with one's hands, Mike swiftly picks up a piece of injera and a bit of meat from the platter.

“Say ahh!”

And I did. The custom of hand feeding loved ones and guests is called “Gursha,” which comes from the Amharic word for “mouthful.”

While I was a bit surprised at the hands-on demonstration, the food is delicious. The injera – a kind of Ethiopian sourdough -- is spongy and sour. It compliments the rest of the meal.

The service industry runs in Mike’s family. Before coming to Louisville, he helped manage another restaurant with his sister in Oakland, California. So far, the experiment here has been a success.

“Downtown is good,” Mike said. “Employees, tourists, hotels, conventions…my plan works!”

While the African experience is prevalent throughout the restaurant, nowhere is it more demonstrated than in the restaurant's coffee preparation.

Raw coffee beans are brought in and roasted in-house everyday.

Kidest Getachew is Mike’s niece who sometimes helps out at the restaurant. She explained that in Ethiopia, the act of drinking coffee is usually a drawn out affair.

“ It's like a two-, three-hour process. If you are Ethiopian, that's how long it takes,” Getachew said. “Like you sit down, you drink, you talk. It's not like, come and drink and leave. It's not a grab and go.“

When the coffee comes out, its served alongside a small bowl of burning frankincense and small, colorful coffee cups– all part of an ancient Ethiopian coffee ceremony done to this day.

The coffee alone is a draw for many. Louisville resident Adrian Tillman swears by it.

“Forget the best in the city, the best coffee this side of the border!” Tillman says.

Outside of the coffee and food, Tillman appreciates the Ethiopian dining customs.

“The first time I came, I asked for some silverware or some plasticware, you know? He told me that's not how we do it. You just got to dive in with your hands! But I tell you, it's really good.”

Mike says he's glad to have built the positive reputation he has over the years.

“It's not easy. I work six, seven days a week. It's not easy. But mostly for the first two, three years, it's very hard until people get to know you,” Mike says. “But after that, you know, now it's okay.”