Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant has opened, giving Buffalo its first official Ethiopian Restaurant. The advent marked a big occasion for many of us who have been anticipating landing such an unusual cuisine.
Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant can feel like a portal into the way our ancestors ate. The cuisine is characterized both by its unique flavors and its communal presentation, a family-style approach with multiple items arriving on a large platter.
Vegetable, grain, meat and fish-based stews, some of which are spicy, are scooped up and eaten with small pieces of injera, a spongy flatbread made from fermented teff batter. Doro wat, perhaps the most familiar dish, is a spicy chicken-based stew made with berbere, a fiery spice blend. Derek tibs is a flavorful beef stir-fry with onion and peppers, while kitfo is a tartar-like dish of raw ground beef mixed with spices an eaten with injera. Many Ethiopian dishes are built around lentils, split peas, chick peas and greens, making them popular with vegetarians.
Owners Naima and Abba were working in the kitchen and at the counter and at the tables. They told me that business has been brisk considering it was still opening week, and as I talked to them a number of people stopped in to place and pick up orders. A true small business.
As much as I wanted to sit down to eat, I was in a hurry so I ordered the veggie combo to go. The dish contained three varieties of lentils and split peas as well as three vegetables - greens, cabbage and green beans. The lentils each had their own flavor profiles - one distinct from the next. The refreshing nature of this food is that though the spices may excite, they are not overwhelming. For me the food is deeply satisfying.
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While I was mostly familiar with the food, I was especially taken with some sort of vegetarian lentil-filled puff triangles that Naima tossed into my bag. They turned out to be a treat called sambusa, which is basically a fried pastry dough wrapped around filling (normally filled with meat). I searched my fridge for something to dip them in (how American of me), and came up with a Penang peanut sauce. They combo was terrific.
As with many ethnic restaurants, I was mildly disappointed to find that there was no authentic juice selection just soda pops. I hope that in the future Lucy can provide some natural drinks along the lines of SUFF (made from sunflower seed, TELBA (made from flax seed) and/or BESSO (made from barley). Or even a mixture of the three - a drink called 3D that contains agave. There are some delicious layered fruit blends such as avocado and mango that I bet would be popular in the summertime.
Named for the 3.2 million-year-old fossil, Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant can feel like a portal into the way our ancestors ate, too.
A Glimpse into Ethiopian Culture
Upon entry, you are greeted with mustard yellow walls and the aroma of Ethiopian spices. Woven baskets, clay coffee pots, bright painted pictures and wicker chairs - all evocative of the traditional African decor - adorn the space. A white-board prominently displays common phrases and words in Amharic, one of eighty-three languages in Ethiopia.
The menu, though initially simple, provides a sufficient range of traditional dishes and possible combinations. Popular with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, Lucy serves breakfast options, appetizers, entrées, and speciality drinks.
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Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - September 15, 2018
Sensing us overwhelmed, our waiter suggested the best way to try a variety of food: the Vegetarian Combo for Two and a beef dish called Lega Tibs. Served in a large, round, family-style platter, the combo contains the seven vegetable options on top of injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread and staple to many Ethiopian meals. Made to eat with your hands, using the injera to aid the process, the dish consists of miser wot (red lentils), gomen (collard greens), tikile gomen (cabbage and green beans), dinch wot (potatoes, green beans, and carrots), kit aletcha (split peas), timatim fit fit (mixed injera and diced tomatoes), and simmered spinach. Separating each vegetable are more rolls of injera, encouraging its use, skipping the fork and knife.
Starting with the injera, the spongy, crepe-like bread is made from teff and wheat flour, with a hint of lemony afternotes.
The green vegetables - the collard greens and spinach - are simmered in a mild blend of seasons and herbs, providing freshness and texture to the dish. The yellow vegetables - potatoes, cabbage, and split peas - each bring a unique angle to the dish. The potatoes, simmered with green beans and carrots in a mild sauce, were hearty but not overbearing. Out of all the vegetables, this was my least favorite, perhaps due to its arguably too-simple seasoning. Conversely, the cabbage was a people pleaser. The buttery sauce was a perfect match for the crunchy, slightly acidic vegetable. The split peas, cooked in a ginger and garlic sauce, were also enjoyable, especially when soaked in the injera. The red options - the lentils and tomato mixture - were also favorites of mine.
Though Ethiopia is proudly known as the origin of coffee, a must-try at Lucy is its peanut tea. Available hot or cold, the tea is a rich combination of peanuts, milk, and honey. The hot version is reminiscent of a warm frothy milkshake - the perfect drink for a brisk, autumn day or evening. The Traditional Tea is also an excellent choice for fans of some spice, as it is infused with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. If you are in the mood for strong coffee, however, Lucy offers the option of ordering solely a cup until 4:30pm (after then, you are required to also order food).
Next time that you are looking for a meal out of the ordinary, or perhaps one to bring you back to your roots, take a step inside this hidden gem.
Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine
Prior to eating at Lucy, I did not think of Ethiopian food as having its own community. Now, it has opened my mind to not only cultural cuisine, but also the diverse cultures that inhabit this city. Lucy is a reminder that food is not homogenous and that it should be a shared experience.
