I have to start off by stating the good I found at Sebeta (and trust me, it does exist)!…read more
The atmosphere of the place was really calming and quaint. It was impeccably clean and just smelled like a newer establishment. I normally eat at delicious places in Frankfurt that are located inside of dodgy buildings, so that in itself was a breath of fresh air. I found the tables and chairs here to be most comfortable and it was so nice to not give in to other Ethiopian 'sit on the floor' style arrangements that you find at other restaurants (I understand this may be how it is done culturally, but when sitting with friends for hours, it can become slightly uncomfortable).
I also must commend the staff which was most helpful and altruistic. Granted, we were the only customers in the restaurant aside from two men in another corner, but nevertheless... they were very customer service focused and attentive. I really appreciated that.
Ugh... now for the part I hate...
I feel I would be disingenuous if I said the food here was good. I found it very subpar and truthfully, I couldn't even finish my plate. After paying 30 Euros for our food amongst two of us, I left very hungry. I eat Eritrean/Ethiopian food on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and am very fond of the stuff. I normally eat at African Queen down the street from Sebeta but was stoked to try this place with my fellow Yelp crew just to see how it measures up. The entire food experience here assured me to never stray far from the African Queen.
First of all, the ordering style was a bit strange to me. At most restaurants in Frankfurt you can order a dish for two people and split and pay one reasonable price. Normally this is around 25 or 30 Euros... never much more. At Sebeta, the options aren't really there and you must pay 25 Euros... PER PERSON. Granted, this offers you an appetizer and dessert, but I still think this pricing is far too steep. Everything is ordered a la carte here and I ordered my own dish, which was the vegetarian platter, running me 11 Euros and some change. I think the greatness of Ethiopian cuisine is that it is a share cuisine and very intimate experience, so when I got my dish and it was served on an individual plate to myself, I was rather disappointed. My boyfriend and I like our dishes coming together so we can share... which is what you typically find at an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant. This one just comes on a white square plate.
Okay, okay, back to my 'bayenetu'.... It consisted of injera of course, some stewed kale (which i guess was supposed to be their verson of gomen?), mesir wot, kik alicha, fasolia, a beetroot salad with potatoes (and maybe tomatoes or something I couldn't identify alongside it), and a typical side salad of marinated lettuce.
The 'gomen' (or stewed kale in this case) was not too tasty. The taste was overly pungent and maybe kale wasn't the best substitute for this (the menu stated specifically that this was kale and it definitely tasted like it to me). I think the reason gomen is so good is that collards are a perfect accompaniment to the other flavors. Kale just didn't offer this same cohesion. A lightly stewed spinach may have... but even if this was spinach hiding beneath it all, it was still a strange and almost artificial flavor.
The injera was delicious.
The mesir wot (red lentils) was a mess. It lacked spice and flavor and all I could taste was tomato paste. Tomato paste should be a flavor enhancer and used to color, but shouldn't be tasted in this capacity. I tasted no berbere in it whatsoever. It was thick, dry, and clumpy and left me wishing they had given me shiro wat instead.
The kik alicha was tasteless.
The fasolia was bland and tasted like it came from a can. I am almost certain the green beans did, at least.
The beetroot salad should have been a huge highlight for me as I could live the rest of my life off of beetroot and beetroot alone, but it was, too, disappointing. The beetroot didn't taste fresh and the potatoes were hardened and difficult to digest.
The lettuce was alright though and I ate a few bites of that.
The wait staff put some berbere and an awaze-like sauce on our table. The berbere lacked the punch and didn't taste fresh and robust like it should have. I didn't taste the awaze.
Overall, I was very unsatisfied. The food also came out rather cold. I am really passionate about my Ethiopian/Eritrean fare and I think I will just have to stop exploring the Frankfurt scene and stick with what is best a few blocks down from Sebeta.
I do want to commend the customer service for being so exceptional though! While I won't be back here, I had fun with my friends and overall enjoyed the evening!