Go Ahead, Try Something New: Abay Serves Up Ethiopian Cuisine

Tired of your meal blocks and the usual burger with fries? Abay, the first Ethiopian Restaurant in Pittsburgh, will renew your taste buds, and your appetite. The reddish brown walls and the wooden furniture provide a warm ambiance. If you feel like sitting closer to the floor, there are shorter knee height tables as well. This relaxed atmosphere, coupled with the various lamps and Ethiopian statues, brings you to a whole other world. 
 
If you’ve never tried Ethiopian food before, learning how to eat might be a little bit daunting at first. Let me explain:
 
Ethiopian Culture is strongly rooted in togetherness and community. These ideas are reflected in Ethiopian customs, including the way in which food is served. Rather than using forks and knives, the dishes are presented on a platter lined with injera, Ethiopian flatbread, similar to squishy pita bread. In order to eat the chicken, meat, or veggies, you must tear off a piece of the injera and pinch the food to pick it up and eat it. This process is a little difficult at first, but by the third bite, you’ll get the hang of it.
 
The food is extremely tasty, and although some dishes are labeled as spicy, it is a different kind of spice than what you may be used to—It is mild compared to Thai or Chinese food. The Doro Minchet Abish (boneless, skinless chicken breast diced and simmered in a berbere stew) was excellent, as was the Gomen Besiga (lean, cubed beef slow-cooked and blended with kale, peppers, ginger, garlic and onions). If you like veggies, I recommend the Butecha (ground chickpeas mixed with olive oil, diced onions and green peppers) and the Fosolia (string beans lightly spiced and sautéed with carrots and potatoes).
 
Abay is BYOB and is located on 130 S. Highland Avenue. If you don’t have a car, you can take the EBA, EBS, EBO, 64A, 71C, 74B, 77A, 77B, 81B, 86A, 86B, or the 500.