So I first discovered Ethiopian food through my friend Elsie, who is originally from LA and it was one cuisine she especially missed about home, particularly because it is so veggie and vegan friendly.

I have to be honest, although I love trying new food, I was a little bit unsure about Ethiopian food; I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

My first taste of this cuisine was from a food stall in Spitalfields market.  The main feature of Ethiopian food is the injera bread, which is incredibly difficult to describe (so please forgive me…); it is a flatbread with a unique spongey texture.

As I was a student and therefore worried about wasting money, I didn’t have the injera with my Ethiopian street food, just rice, a heavenly deal-like curry and veg. But Elsie very kindly gave me some of her Injera to try; to be honest, I was not enamoured by the taste, it is incredibly vinegary, and that is not my cup of tea at all. However, overall I was very impressed by this meal, it was tasty, filling and yet healthy – the ultimate success!

What I later learnt, when some uni friends and I went to Queen of Sheba in Kentish Town, is that it is traditional to eat the curry and the vegetables with the injera itself and that doing this really does cause the vinegar taste to enhance the curry’s flavour! Don’t ask me how, but it genuinely does.

I took some other friends to Queen of Sheba almost a year later in 2018 and the quality was just as good; they loved it and these are friends who each have different dietary requirements or culinary dislikes. Actually looking at all these photos is making me ravenous and wanting to book a return trip ASAP; it is always worth the trip to the other side of London, and I do not do that lightly…

What is the best thing about Queen of Sheba is the fact that you can order this large amount of food between four, as well as alcohol, and it really does not cost an arm and a leg – they will also bring you more Injera at no extra cost, which is a huge plus in my view. I have just checked the menu now: the veggie platter is £30 plus £6.50 for the meat curry, which included all the injera – unlike in an Indian restaurant, you don’t have to order carbs as extra, such a win – that comes to £36.50 between four, and maybe £4 more for a beer, so barely £10 each for dinner!

I thought I should branch out from Queen of Sheba so I ventured to an Eritrean restaurant in Oval called Adulis; I had been eyeing it up for months as I pass it on my commute every morning! I wanted to make sure I could get my Ethiopian/Eritrean fix closer to home.Unfortunately, I have no idea how Eritrean and Ethiopian food differs, I am sure it must do slightly – please do enlighten me!

Adulis’ speciality is a veggie or meat platter containing a range of traditional dishes chosen by the chef; I love this approach as it means you can try stuff without worrying too much about ordering it as a main and disliking it. Elsie and I loved everything that we ate; I accompanied mine with some delicious traditional honey wine, would recommend.

My meat platter only cost £12.95 and believe me I have a big appetite for a 5ft 4 girl, but I was stuffed after this! It would definitely be too much for lunch though.

Adulis, Oval

My fave things about Ethiopian and Eritrean food: 

• Price, particularly as will provide extra Injera
• Veggie and vegan friendly – all of the food is naturally vegan, including the Injera
• The amount of vegetables in the meal – you really are getting your five (or however many it is) a day
• Familiar in some ways to an Indian curry, but different in others so feels adventurous

Other Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurants on my bucket list: 

• Andu Cafe in Dalston
• Beza Ethiopian in Elephant and Castle