Yeshi Buna Ethio-African Restaurant
Moorooka
In the search for good African food in Brisbane, all roads lead to Yeshi Buna, a charming little palm-filled Ethiopian restaurant tucked away in the main stretch of Moorooka's Little Africa shopping precinct.
Inside the dining room is festooned with pot plants and African baskets, with a space cleared for the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Friendly hospitable owner Workneh, (whose wife Yeshi is the chef) greets all guests personally and takes care to explain the menu to those unfamiliar with Ethiopian food and dining traditions.
Menu wise, an all day budget breakfast is available, ranging from more Westernized options such as scrambled eggs with salsa and kibe (a herbed and spiced butter), to Ethiopian traditional faves like Bulla Firfir (banana cornflour with onions, green peppers and kibe) or the delicious Full – kidney beans tossed in green pepper, tomato and onion salsa served with fresh dabbo (pita bread).
The rest of the menu bases itself around the staples of injera and dabbo (which come with every meal and are used as a cutlery substitute) and hot stews (Wott) flavoured with red pepper, kibe and olive oil, mild stews (Alicha) flavoured with ginger, rosemary, turmeric and kibe, Berbere (a marinade sauce of red pepper and 20 spices) or Tibs (chunks of beef, poultry or lamb sautéed with rosemary, tomato and green jalapenos).
The best way to eat is to order one of the combination platters for one or more people otherwise standout dishes are the Tibs Wott (an Ethiopian fave of simmered spicy beef ) or Yebaj Alicha – lamb marinated in rosemary, ginger and spices. Or try the Assa Kotelet – crumbed fish fillet with vegetable fried rice.
Then for vegetarians all of the stews and marinades can be ordered with vegetables instead of beef, lamb or poultry as well as the odd dedicated vegetarian dish.
Need to know: Ethiopian custom is to eat with the hands (cutlery on request only) and there's a basin at the rear of the restaurant to wash up before dinner.
