I absolutely loved this place! We came one Friday night for dinner and we did not have a…read morereservation. This place was packed --a happening scene among the Milanese Bohemian trend setters. I was hoping we would not be turned away. The owner looked at me and said wait one moment, then he seated us! My roommate swore up and down that it was because of my brown face. I just smiled and said tomorrow we can use your white face, but for now let's just enjoy! She laughed and we proceeded to order. Eritrean food is almost identical to Ethiopian. I still cannot even figure out the difference? The menu was not complicated; you get the standard platter with chicken, beef, lamb, greens, and cabbage mash, with injera. It was delicious and the staff is excellent! For 20 euro this huge platter, cinnamon tea, and the smoothest South African red wine. We could have used another stomach at our table with all the food they brought out! I could kick myself for not having my camera, but the décor of this place was so funky and cool with real animal skins on the wall, hues of dark mahogany, and citrus. Pure African Swag! Check out Claudia R's pict to see what i'm talkin about! Porta Venezia, the area I interned in, is a beautiful upscale melting pot of culture, this community reminds me so much of 14th and U Street back here in DC. If I had more time I would definitely have come here just one last time before leaving! I highly recommend this restaurant as a tourist attraction, the staff speaks perfect English, and the area has a lot of affordable shops off of Buenos Aires.

Disclaimer: I was quite drunk during this dinner…read more This is one of the top two places (out of maybe 20) where I ate during my stay in Milan. Furthermore, the atmosphere is very nice. I was there alone but this group of girls invited me to join their table. We ordered chicken, beef, etc. all of which comes in that bread which reminds me of Indian bread called dosa. Very flavorful and everything went very well together (except for some random couscous). Decent wine and grappa too. Although by the end of that last one my judgment was quite hindered.

Was out with a friend who ordered dinner from here so I decided to try some of his food. I ordered…read morebeef suya and it was absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge fan of African food in the US because its always too spicy and over cooked. However, this was cooked to perfection. Very tender, large pieces of meat and seasoned perfectly. This spot is a must when visiting Milan.

Yummy keto dish, after I asked for exactly the meat and sides that worked for me. Very…read moreaccomodating and friendly.

#52-2016: It pains…read moreme to be going against all my predecessors (including my fellow ethnic venturer @Fla R.). To be fair, I had chosen this location as part of an ongoing yelp dare within the Milan community. One chooses a location and then a "victim" that would most likely NOT have chosen said place to review. Being that my friend is a bit skeptical about ethnic (aka spicy) food, I thought it best to try an African-oriented cuisine (which lacked recent reviews). So, on a Friday night we made reservations for 5 and headed on out to Balafon. The Mami is ever so cheerful and nice and patient in explaining how things were supposed to play out. But she made things clear at the very beginning: "I don't like spicy". Call me stereotypical but, my eyes widened and my mouth dropped... How can anyone south of Milano NOT like spicy food??? Anywho.... on we went to order 2 out of the 3 appetizers options: - shrimp samosas (phillo dough filled with shrimp, baby peas, celery, carrots, onion and sweet paprika) 5€ - rosemary akra (arancini-shaped fried croquettes made with balck-eyed peas, rosemary, basil) 5€ Then... on to the main dish (17.5€) The options varied quite a bit (Mozambico, Mali, Eritrea, Egypt, Congo, Guinea and Senegal) as far as sauces, accompanied by either meat or fish, with a side dish of steamed veggies. One could choose to accompany everything with either couscous or perfumed rice (don't ask, no one at the table dared order it...) I chose Soupikandia (Guinea) which listed: okra (though I could neither taste nor spot in the sauce), zucchini, eggplant and baobab seeds. My friend opted for Mafe (Mali) which listed: peanuts, rosemary, tomato sauce and leek. We both opted for the meat (beef chunks) and couscous. Though it was seasoned quite nice, it lacked the zing and I was also looking for the zang!!! So, Mami brought this "really really spicy sauce" in a tiny bowl the size of a peanut. I jumped for it and... NOT the ÜBER - SPICY I was looking for (my friend, who isn't a huge spicy fan was gulping it down no problem). The little bowl was gone along with our appetizers and Mami promised she'd bring more (she never did). I felt weird to use fork and knife to eat... and I felt out of place NOT being able to burn my tongue with spiciness... At the end of the meal... opting for either ginger tea or a mix of ginger, rhum and forgot what else cuz I was too busy gulping it down... that was the highlight of my evening. .. along with burping my head out all through the ride home... I'll have to try the recipe at home next time I have digestive problems or I wanna get an alternative rhum-based ginger filled drink..

For a tasty Ethiopian/Eritrean meal in the Porta Venezia quarter of Milan, Asmara is a pretty good…read morebet. This friendly eatery is named after the capital city of Eritrea and has lots (but not all) of the well-known Ethiopian/Eritrean dishes. Being with my Italian friends who had never eaten Ethiopian before, it was fun showing them how to eat with their hands using the spongy Injera bread as a scoop. We all shared the Antipasto Misto appetizer with its variety of offerings including a delicious sesame puree. For my main course, I opted for the Gored Gored and was not at all disappointed. The beef and veggies were perfectly balanced and the spicy housemade Berbere sauce gave a sharp kick addition. I had no room for a dessert, just for another Ethiopian beer! The owner stopped by to chat a couple of times and we all left contented to stroll along the nearby Corso Buenos Aires!

The chef accommodated my request for a vegan meal. I ordered a salad with shrimp on the side so my…read moreplus one could eat them. The salad was delicious and filling. Their balsamic vinegar is amazing. The service is just right. Not too much, not too little. When my wine glass needed to be refilled she was right there. Rose wine was perfect with meal. Love the wine glasses. Additionally, we are attending the wine festival so I didn't want to over do it. So much excellent wine to experience in the Piedmont region. We sat outside and the service was great. Excellent English and wonderful customer service. They took great care in offering us superb service. We will definitely return. Much appreciate the chef and the excellent staff service. Our servers were friendly and attentive. Highly recommend.

Right on Alba's city square, I had a superb glass of wine just as they were closing after lunch…read more Still they served me a fantastic Barolo while I waited for the rain to stop. Lovely place.