Ethiopian food is criminally underrated. Ask anyone who’s tried it and you’ll be inundated with a chorus of ‘it’s the best’ from the cuisine’s devotees.
The food is packed with punchy flavours, rich spices and best enjoyed scooped up with their iconic bread, injera. Think of it like sourdough meets pancakes meets crumpets—slightly sour and perfectly spongey. Be warned: Ethiopian food comes spicy. This is thanks to berbere, a spice blend native to all Ethiopian kitchens.
Thanks to Brisbane’s Ethiopian community we’re spoiled for choice, when it comes to getting our fix of the hearty cuisine. Here’s our pick of Brisbane’s best Ethiopian restaurants:
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Mu'ooz
54 Mollison Street, West End
Mu’ooz began over 20 years ago as a social enterprise. Founded by a group of refugee women from war-torn Eritrea and nearby African countries (including Ethiopia), their focus was on finding employment opportunities for refugee women. To start out, they sold traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian bites at local markets across Brisbane. The team do everything from food delivery for newly arrived refugees, supporting African refugee women in education and employment, and of course, slinging sensational eats from their West End digs. You’ll find dishes from across Africa cooked with love here.
Arhibu Restaurant
197/201 Beaudesert Road, Moorooka
The name Arihubu means to welcome someone into your home with joy, respect and acceptance. Naturally, that’s exactly what you’ll experience when you dine here. What we love about Arihibu are their breakfast options. Try their Ethiopian answer to porridge, genfo, or our favourite, the chechebesa: fresh made flatbread that’s torn into pieces and tossed in a spice blend with a berbere-rich sauce. Of course, you can swing by for dinner too and grab a classic Ethiopian stew served with rolls of injera bread.
Ethiopian Village
147 Beaudesert Road, Moorooka
Wots, or stews, are the centerpiece of Ethiopian menus. And Moorooka’s Ethiopian Village does some of Brisbane’s best. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the menu, just ask for either a vegetarian or meat platter and the team at Ethiopian Village will fill your plate with their favourite selection of stews. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and even more options for meat eaters. Expect warm, Ethiopian hospitality, and flavours that pack a serious punch in one of the best meals you’ll have all year.
Afro Restaurant
201 Beaudesert Road, Moorooka
Moorooka’s stretch of Beaudesert Road is dotted with exceptional African restaurants. One of the best is Afro Restaurant. Like most Ethiopian spots, here you can pick and choose from stews and fluffy, slightly sour injera bread or, let the chef guide you and opt for a platter based on their vegan, vegetarian or meat stews. The platters come piled high with aromatic, richly coloured dishes of stews and fluffy piles of injera.
Main image credit: Mu’ooz | Facebook
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