TL;DR 5/5
Awash is a family run restaurant serving authentic…read moreEthiopian cuisine as well as selling home goods and groceries you might not find in your daily store. The food is a great intro to the cuisine, but the flavors are a bit lighter than I expected. Service and friendliness are peak, and the ambiance is suitable for a chill lunch with friends, or a culinary excursion!
Food: a friend and I picked Awash to try Ethiopian for the first time. If that's what you're looking for, Awash has you covered! We ordered the veggie and meat combos which allow you to sample an array of meat and veg curries (unsure of the proper term) along with the signature Injera, classic Ethiopian flatbread with a light spongy texture and sourdough-like tang. This is perfect for the culinary adventurer like ourselves, but their menu hosts a wide array of Ethiopian dishes we'd be excited to try in the future. I found the Injera to be delightfully unique in texture and flavor with their surprisingly light and delicate body. And eating with hands, as is traditional, is a fun experience. The curries were wide in variety and flavor, but I felt each one lacked a real depth and umami punch that you may find in other cuisines. Since I've now only had Ethiopian food once I don't have a frame of reference to compare, but I prefer to err on the side that this simple taste is a quality of being home cooked food, clearly prepared by the wife of the owner, and not of the cuisine as a whole. I would love to try other dishes to see if I can get that complexity, but if you come expecting the "wow" punch of comparable dishes from say Indian cuisine, don't. This is home cooked food by a family that has been running this shop for many years. Not a chef, not a kitchen, just a pair that is making their way and sharing with the world their culture and cuisine.
Service: Being a family restaurant, the husband and wife pair were the ones to serve us on the quiet Saturday afternoon we stepped in. The husband has better English, and was happy to recommend dishes, teach me how to eat with my hands, and check on our experience throughout our meal! Extremely welcoming, and I could feel his joy at being able to share his culture with me. That in and of itself makes this a 5 star meal. The restaurant is also patronized by members of the local community, lending to a casual and friendly atmosphere where the husband will sit in the dining area with his friends when it's quiet, where they will chat, and he will occasionally call out to me casually to see how I liked the food. Very sweet! Again, this is a family and community institution. Do not expect on hand waiter service, DO expect owners that will come and happily help if you call, and do expect authentic smiles and excitement if you're a first timer.
Ambiance: Awash has a lovely and welcoming exterior ripe with culturally inspired colors. The open layout interior from the dining area to the grocery store is clean and orderly. The decor itself is sparse, but you can really get the vibe that the husband and wife who own Awash have started, sustained, and built a life out of this quaint shop. It's great for dining with friends, family, or dates if you're coming specifically for the food. If you're trying to get to know someone, though, save Awash for when you're already together lol.
Overall, I can't give awash less than a 5/5 for the excellent introduction to Ethiopian cuisine, the homey and sweet owners, and the casual friendly vibes. Will definitely be back to try more!