Ethiopian on Northbourne showcases the best of Ethiopian cuisine

Ethiopian On Northbourne might look like a brand-new restaurant, but it marks the return of a Canberra icon to the Jolimont building.

Dining here is a chance for Canberrans to explore the diversity and incredible flavours of Ethiopian food, served by a family who have become a local institution for their hospitality and food.

Elsa Berhane and Girmay Abraha owned and ran Global Cafe for 11 years before closing shop due to the impacts of COVID-19. In the meantime, they’ve been running Flavours of Ethiopia on Allara Street, but when an opportunity came up to open a second venue close to their old location, they jumped at the chance.

“Our first business was here; we started here!” Elsa told Region.

“Global Cafe was just a small takeaway, but this is bigger, more classy, with a big kitchen, a full bar and our international beer.”

Girmay agreed: “We wanted to show more. We have a lot to offer.”

Ethiopian On Northbourne has a much larger menu than either of Elsa and Girmay’s previous businesses, allowing them to show off a broader range of Ethiopian foods. They’d mostly showcased wot dishes (stews) served from bain maries but now have Ethiopian salads, samosas, tibs (sauteed meat dishes) and desserts.

I visited with my sister to taste the vegetarian beyaynetu, a sharing plate of many different dishes served on injera, a traditional sourdough flatbread. We also ordered the crunchy lentil samosas for our entree, which were served with a very tasty spiced yoghurt.

Among the dishes on the platter was shiro, a rich and creamy dish served in a pot.

Elsa explained that shiro is a dish made from ground chickpeas, creating a naturally creamy texture. We found the flavour a little smokey and spiced. Other dishes on the platter included duba wot (pumpkin stew) and misir wot (red lentil stew), both cooked with the traditional Ethiopian spice mix berbere, which is beautifully aromatic with just the right amount of heat.

I also particularly enjoyed the fasolia side dish of spiced green beans and carrots. At $25 per person, the sharing plate is remarkably good value and very filling, with an extra plate of injera served on the side.

Girmay said that they wanted their food to be accessible.

“We want to be a local attraction, serving local wine, good coffee and good food at an affordable price … and in a good location!” he said.

In addition to table service, the restaurant also serves quick, affordable lunches from a hot box around the corner to cater to the busy public servants in the area. For now, table service at lunchtime is by reservation only, and coffees are only available dine-in, but they’re hoping to expand that in the new year.

The couple came to Canberra from Ethiopia in 2002, and Girmay enthusiastically describes himself as ‘a Canberra Ambassador’. He is also a big fan of Canberra region wines, especially Pankhurst Wines which Girmay was delighted to discover has a connection to Ethiopia. Richard Pankhurst (a family member of the winemakers) is a well-known Ethiopian historian and was a professor at the University of Addis Ababa.

The service is very friendly (most of the staff are family members), and Elsa said they’ve been pleasantly surprised to have Global Cafe regulars from over four years ago returning to support them and order their favourite dishes again.

I’m keen to return and try other dishes on the menu, like the roasted eggplant entree, green lentil azifa salad and asa tibs (sautéed Nile Perch), and Ethiopian coffee gelato, a cup of traditional cinnamon tea, or a cold Ethiopian beer all sound like excellent ways to finish a meal.

Ethiopian On Northbourne is located in the Jolimont Building, 65 Northbourne Ave, Canberra. Their takeaway lunch special is available from 11 am to 2 pm Monday to Friday (or book ahead for table service). Dinner is from 5 pm until late, Monday to Saturday. Visit their Ethiopian On Northbourne to book and see their menu.

Flavours of Ethiopia is located at 33 Allara St, City Walk and is open for lunch from 11 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday.