Adulis

Adulis likes to give itself the sub-title of Little Eritrea, since that is the country from which their cuisine and aspirations are drawn. From the moment you enter the diverse cultural heritage of Eritrea becomes apparent, both in the greeting, the décor, the aromas and the level of enjoyment.

Adulis has two dining areas on the ground floor, with separate bars. The basement has been extended to take over 100 covers, and has its own bar. The cuisine has survived well the political and ethnic changes that have afflicted this ancient country, and has a character all its own. The basis of many dishes is injera, sometimes called taita, leavened pancake made with a sourdough of special flour. Most Eritrean meals start with the sharing of injera from a woven basket, before moving on to spicy stews and vegetarian dishes, generally served on a dip-in basis. It is a very communal form of eating.

There is something very primitive, in the nicest possible way, about the manner in which dishes are split into the food source from which they draw, thus poultry, fish, lamb, beef and vegetarian are all clearly identifiable.

Beef dishes include finely chopped lean, tender beef, seasoned in ghee butter, herbs and paprika, quite enough to get the juices flowing before you even consider anything else. This is kifto, a very popular dish. Red Sea grouper type of fish are marinated in hot pepper sauce and fried in olive oil. The Red Sea also yields fat juicy prawns, fried with mixed herbs and served with rice, which sometimes acts as a substitute for injera.

For offal eaters, dulot provides a dish of spicy fried offal that is simply delicious. The ubiquitous chicken, staple diet of so many cuisines, yields dorho, chicken stew slowly cooked in a rich blend of herbs, spices and chillies, offering reminders of Moroccan cooking from the north end of the continent.

At the end of the meal tradition demands that fresh coffee beans are roasted, ground, boiled in a jebena and, ideally, served with frankincense and popcorns. For those who care about cuisine, Adulis is a splendid place not only to enjoy a very tasty meal, but also to expand their knowledge, perhaps to impress close friends when next they come to supper.