2 MoCo Restaurants Named Best Ethiopian Dining By Food Critic

BETHESDA, MD — Two restaurants in Montgomery County have earned praise from Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema as being among the best eight Ethiopian restaurants in and around D.C.

The food critic said of his March 11 list: "Ethiopian is one of my choice cuisines in part because its flavor profile is similar to Indian, my No. 1 pick if I had to choose the cooking of just one country. Then there’s the entertainment factor. A meal in an Ethiopian restaurant unfolds like dinner and a show, thanks to the way the colorful dishes are staged on a round platter lined with injera — a kaleidoscope comes to mind — and the use of fingers to ferry bites from plate to mouth.

Here are details about the cuisine each restaurant features, and a taste of what Sietsema's review said about them.

Beteseb Restaurant

Sietsma wrote: "Home in on one of the best vegetable combinations for miles, a vivid painter’s palette that includes shiro, the loose-textured chickpea flour stew shot through with onion, garlic and berbere. And if you like steak tartare, you’ll love the kitfo, bright as a fistful of rubies and fueled with turmeric and black pepper, among other spices. (Generally eaten raw, or tere, the famous beef dish can be lightly cooked, lebleb)."

The restaurant says: "We have an amazing menu that features freshly prepared Ethiopian dishes. We are a family-owned restaurant with warm and friendly staff who are ready to serve you. We have an incredible selection of traditional dishes available for you to enjoy. Try our Special Derek Tibs made with chunk of lean beef sauteed with onion, tomato, green pepper and purified butter. (served mild or spicy). You're also sure to love our Special Kitfo. All of our meals are served with injera - a flatbread made of either wheat or teff and Imported "Ye'Teff Injera" wich is gluten-free! We also have a number of fabulous vegetarian dishes including our Ye'shiro Wot and Beyaynetu."

• 8201 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring
• Phone: (301) 448-1625
• E-mail: info@betesebrestaurant.com

Shalla Restaurant & Bar

Sietsma wrote: "The bestseller on the menu is shint tibs — a heap of juicy cubed rib-eye, sweet with onions and sharp with jalapeños — followed by the excellent kitfo, the upgraded version of which comes with housemade cottage cheese and wedges of kocho, made with the grated and fermented root of the ensete plant. Another first-rate uncooked dish, gored gored, gathers cubes of red beef made more colorful, and zesty, with the chile-charged spice blend berbere."

The restaurant says: "Shalla Restaurant & Bar was founded by a team of like-minded foodies; a group of friends who have always liked to eat, drink, and create amazing food together. Our hobby quickly led us to open this restaurant, a place where people from all over Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland (DMV) can meet to enjoy our special dishes and comfortable atmosphere. Freshness and creativity are our favorite ingredients. Our menu is varied and the service is unmatched. If you’re looking for a superb culinary experience, call us today to make a reservation!"

• 8081 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
• Phone: 301-920-0082

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