Boston: Asmara Restaurant

The original plan was to meet up with JSG for some Brazilian fare, but when my sister and I arrived at the restaurant early, we were aghast to discover that it was closed.  Apparently none of us noticed when we Yelped it that it closes on Mondays.  Fail, us.  

JSG did some quick thinking and brought us to Central Square where there were lots of restaurants to choose from.  After walking up and down the street, we all agreed that Asmara looked the most appealing:

I took this picture at the end of our meal (we were the last to leave), but the restaurant was pretty full when we got there:

Because there were three of us, we didn't get to sit at the traditional Ethiopian woven table, which was a bummer.  I got over it pretty quickly though.  I'd never had Ethiopian cuisine before, so I was very excited.

When we said that it was our first time, we were recommended the sega bebaynetu, which was basically a meat sampler platter:

There was chicken in a tomato and red pepper sauce (my favorite), spicy lamb, and sauteed beef along.  The veggie options included a veggie stew of some sort, lentils, and a house salad.  We quickly demolished the injera provided on the side and started tearing away at the injera lining the plate.  For those of you who don't know, injera is a crepe-like bread with an interesting sour flavor and spongy texture.

Overall, the food was good and a lot of fun to eat.  Eating with your hands really adds a tactile dimension to a dining experience that would be lacking if utensils were used instead.  $17.95 per person was a little steep in my opinion, but oh well.  You have to be prepared to spend when you're on vacation!

JSG was kind enough to drop my sister and me off at the bus station after dinner.  Our bus to Philly was scheduled to depart at 11:20pm, but due to some engine issues, it didn't show up until 4:00am.  Which meant my sister and I spent our last night in Boston sleeping on the bus terminal floor.  Yay.

Thanks, JSG for taking the time to meet with us!  We had a great time and I can't wait until our next reunion!


Asmara Restaurant
739 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 864-7447
http://www.asmararestaurantboston.com/