Red Addis Sea Restaurant
1755 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617.441.8727
http://www.addisredseacambridge.com/
What I ate:
Ye-Awaze Dabo (Appetizer): thick Ethiopian bread with a dip of red pepper sauce
Vegetarian Combination Plate (shared)
Mittin Shuro Wot- spicy Ethiopian-style ground split peas
Yesmsir Alcha- lentils mixed with turmeric, onions, green peppers, garlic & ginger
Atakilt- mixed vegetables, green beans, potatoes, carrots & onions
Tikle Gomen- cooked cabbage cooked, garlic, ginger & peppers
Last week my friend and I had a hankering for bold flavors. So we ventured out for Ethiopian cuisine at Red Addis Sea. We chose the Cambridge restaurant, located between Harvard and Porter on Massachusetts Ave, but the venue also has a restaurant in South End. It was a flavorful evening, best noted for vegetarian-friendly dishes laden with spice.
We started off with the Ye-Awaze Dabo appetizer. We were slightly disappointed with the crumbly sliced bread that quickly appeared, until we tasted the accompanying dipping sauce, a red pepper paste thick with seasoning.
The trademark of Ethiopian cuisine is injera, the traditional spongey flatbread. This staple serves as both an absorbable serving surface for stews and dishes, and as the proper receptacle for transporting food to mouth. Yes! Ethiopian food is best eaten with one’s hands!
To fully enjoy the variety of dishes, Red Addis Sea conveniently offers several combination platters that include injera, house salad, and several stews. We ordered a vegetarian combination for two, and received a medley of lentils, mixed vegetables, spicy split-peas, and cooked cabbage. The menu offers plenty of meat options, however our vegetarian meal packed with protein from the lentils and split-peas. We weren’t lacking in vegetables, and the portions were sufficiently large to leave us satisfied but not overly heavy.
The ambience was pleasant, but the house was packed. Service was a bit slow, but my friend and I didn’t mind the wait. Before venturing to this spice-laden venue, I would recommend making a reservation!
